Shaun Tan Award for Young Artists
The City of Subiaco is proud to present the twenty-first annual Shaun Tan Award for Young Artists in 2023. This visual art award is open to Western Australian school students and encourages imagination, innovation and creativity.
"Local art awards were always a big deal for me growing up in suburban Perth, not for prizes or competition, but as a place to send paintings and drawings – and a reason to actually finish things! – and sometimes receive positive feedback. Moreover, I gained so much from seeing the work of same-age peers, meeting other young artists, and getting my first inkling of an artistic community beyond home and school", says Shaun.
Entries will open on Friday 28 April through until Monday 22 May, so students are encouraged to start preparing their submissions now and over the upcoming school holidays.
Sign up to the City’s
Happening in Subiaco eNewsletter to receive future award updates and the 2023 poster will be available to download shortly.
The awards are made possible by the generous contribution from our award sponsors. Thank you to
Kool Kreative,
Jacksons Drawing Supplies,
Dymocks Subiaco,
Iconic Art Gallery and Framing and Janet Holmes à Court AC.
Award Information
| Entries open |
Friday 28 April, 9.30am |
| Entries close |
Monday 22 May, 5.30pm |
| Finalists announced |
Late June |
| Artwork collection |
Monday 10 July to Sunday 6 August |
| Exhibition |
Monday 10 July to Sunday 6 August |
| Finalists artwork collection |
Monday 7 August to Sunday 20 August |
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.
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 Monday 10 July to Sunday 6 August. All exhibited artists receive professional framing or mounting for their artworks.
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.
Shaun began drawing and painting images as a teenager, and has since become best known for illustrated books with surreal, dream-like imagery. Shaun's books have been translated into many languages and are enjoyed by readers of all ages.
In 2011, Shaun won an Academy Award for his short film, The Lost Thing, and received the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award honouring his contribution to international children's literature. For more information about his work, visit Shaun Tan’s official website.
If you have further questions, please refer to our
frequently asked questions document.
Terms and conditions of entry
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 is the responsibility of the entrant. Whilst all care is taken when storing and exhibiting works, the City of Subiaco accepts no responsibility for any loss or damage that may inadvertently occur.
Artworks will be available for collection at Subiaco Library between Monday 10July and Sunday 6 August. Any artworks not collected during this time will become property of the City of Subiaco and due to storage restrictions may be destroyed.
All non-exhibited regional entries will be returned to the entrant via post before Sunday 13 August 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 6 August
.
Exhibited artists, regional and metropolitan, must collect their entries from Subiaco Library at the close of the exhibition. Artworks must be collected between Monday 7 August and Sunday 20 August.