Shaun Tan Award for Young Artists

The City of Subiaco presents the seventeenth annual Shaun Tan Award for Young Artists. This visual art award is open to Western Australian school students and encourages imagination, innovation and creativity. 

Entries for the Shaun Tan Awards open at 9.30am on Monday 29 April. To enter, register online and submit your artwork to Subiaco Library before 5.30pm on Monday 20 May. 

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Download the 2018 award poster. (PDF, 365KB) 

Award Information

Important dates

Entry requirements

The Shaun Tan Award is open to Western Australian school students in years one to twelve. Artworks submitted must be an original, two-dimensional (2D) creation, no bigger than 1 metre x 1.5 metres in size. Artworks must be the sole work of the entrant - group or joint entries will not be considered. Entry is limited to one per person. 

Judging

Entries are judged individually in the following categories:

Lower primary - school years one and two
Middle primary - school years three and four
Upper primary - school years five and six
Lower secondary - school years seven, eight and nine
Upper secondary - school years ten, eleven and twelve  

Entries are judged on their originality, concept, technique and choice of materials used.

Please note: due to the high number of entries received for this award each year, individual feedback cannot be provided. 

How to enter

The online entry form will be available from 9.30am on Monday 29 April. Entries may be accepted from individuals or from teachers on behalf of their students. An online registration must be completed for each individual, and artworks submitted to Subiaco Library with a printed confirmation of entry before 5.30pm on Monday 20 May. 

Teachers entering multiple students' work may do so using the online teacher's registration form.

Submit your artwork

All entries must be received at Subiaco Library before 5.30pm on Monday 20 May with an attached confirmation of entry. Artworks may be submitted in person to Subiaco Library or via post to:

Shaun Tan Award
City of Subiaco
PO Box 270
SUBIACO WA 6904

Late entries cannot be accepted. Please note any entries using pastels or charcoal are to be finished with a fixative/ finishing spray prior to submission. If entries are received without a finishing spray, City of Subiaco staff will apply one. This is to ensure the protection of the submission and other artworks in close proximity during storage. The City of Subiaco will not take any responsibility for any change to the artwork as a result of applying finishing spray. 

Prizes and exhibition

Prizes are donated from the City of Subiaco and award sponsors and are presented to the top three entries in each category. A selection of the best artworks entered will feature in a month long public exhibition at Subiaco Library from Tuesday 9 July until Sunday 5 August. All exhibited artists receive professional framing or mounting for their artworks. 

The city would like to acknowledge the generous support of award patron Shaun Tan and our valued sponsors Janet Holmes à Court AC, Kool Kreative, Prime Art Picture Framers, New Edition Bookshop, Subiaco Bookshop and Dymocks Subiaco.

Terms and Condition of entry

Public use of artworks

By entering this award you acknowledge that your entry may be photographed and used in City of Subiaco publications and for future promotion of the award. Artworks will be displayed at Subiaco Library and may also be displayed at other venues around the city. The title of the artwork and artist's name will always be acknowledged with the entry when it is used. 

Insurance

Insurance is the responsibility of the entrant. Whilst all care is taken when storing and exhibition works, the City of Subiaco accepts no responsibility for any loss or damage that may inadvertently occur. 

Collection of artworks

Artworks will be available for collection at Subiaco Library between Monday 8 July and Sunday 28 July. Any artworks not collected during this time will become the property of the City of Subiaco and due to storage restrictions may be destroyed. 

All regional entries will be returned to the entrant via post before Sunday 28 July providing they fit in a standard postage tube (90mm x 850mm). Regional entries which do not meet this criteria must be collected by the entrant before Sunday 28 July. 

Exhibited artists must collect their entries from Subiaco Library at the close of the exhibition. Artworks must be collected between Monday 5 August.

Frequently asked questions

For more information on entry requirements and competition information, please see our frequently asked questions document (PDF 464KB).

About Shaun Tan

Shaun Tan is an acclaimed artist and writer who grew up in Perth. Subiaco Library has two impressive murals by Shaun Tan on display. The Tea Party features a riotous array of strange characters and landscapes and The 100 Year Picnic is based on a photograph from the 1920s found in the archives of the Subiaco Museum.