The Pymble Values Art Prize
Pymble Ladies’ College is proud to launch the inaugural Pymble Values Art Prize. The Prize honours our College value of Respect represented by the statement, I value diversity, my worth and the worth of others.
The Pymble Values Art Prize celebrates our commitment to the five College values that are integral to our standing as a leading independent girls’ school. Our hope is that our community will be inspired by the beauty and power of these visual representations of our values to realise their own potential along with an understanding of the power of art to inspire meaningful conversations and promote change.
The Prize is an annual acquisitive prize with a different College value represented each year. We are proud to support Australian female artists by offering a $30,000 prize for the artwork that best depicts the essence our values. Pymble Ladies’ College is a proudly diverse and inclusive community, and we welcome submissions from artists from all cultural backgrounds.
Submissions are invited from all Australian female artists, aged over 18 years, for an original, two-dimensional painting that represents the College value of Respect.
- $30,000 is awarded to the winning submission and the College acquires the artwork for its collection.
- Submissions open: Monday 14 April 2025
- Submissions close: Friday 3 October 2025
The top 30 submissions will be shortlisted by our judging panel and featured in an exhibition at the College opening on Monday 10 November to Friday 14 November, with the winning submission announced on opening night. This exhibition will be open to the public and all artworks featured will be available for sale.
The winning artwork will be permanently displayed at the College.
Brief for artists
The College values of Care, Courage, Integrity, Respect and Responsibility were established over a century ago. Today, we continue to weave these values into the fabric of our daily life at Pymble. Our goal is to always articulate these values clearly and continue to foster an environment where they are routinely practised by students, staff and parents alike.
In 2025, we are focusing on Respect. The submitted artworks should visually explore the concept of respect in a broad and inclusive manner. Respect can manifest in various forms: self-respect, mutual respect between individuals, respect for nature, or cultural and generational respect. Artists are encouraged to consider how respect fosters harmony, understanding, movement and connection.
Artist collaboration with the College
It is a condition of this Prize that the winning artist agrees to collaborate with the College in a student or community event to discuss their artwork, their artistic practice and share their inspiration and expertise. The format and timing of this event will be finalised after discussions between the artist and the College.
Why is this art prize only open to female artists?
Pymble Ladies’ College was founded in 1916 for the education of girls and young women. Today, we are the largest independent girls’ school in the southern hemisphere, and we remain proudly committed to nurturing girls to become informed women of purpose, passion and compassion.
We have deliberately chosen our inaugural art prize to be available to women artists only. This is in recognition of the challenges that female artists must still overcome for equal recognition and representation in their profession, and to support the value of their art.
Our hope is that these artists and their work will inspire Pymble girls to strive for their highest potential whilst showcasing the power, talent and importance of female artists and the visual arts.
Meet our judges
Our judging panel will be revealed at a later date.
Display of artwork
The winning submission will become a part of the Pymble’s permanent art collection and displayed at the College.
Submission Requirements
- The Pymble Values Art Prize is open to all female Australian citizens, permanent residents or artists who have resided in Australia during the twelve months preceding the closing date for entries.
- The winning artist must agree to collaborate with the College in a student or community event to discuss their artwork and practice. The format and timing of this event will be finalised after discussions between the artist and the College.
- All entrants must be female artists aged 18 years or over. Pymble staff members, current students and their immediate families are excluded from entering.
- This is a painting prize; paintings should not exceed the size limit of 40,000 square cm for the entire work, including any framing or mounting. Single or multiple items may be submitted. For example, 200cm x 200cm or 250cm x 120cm as a single painting, or a series of 3 works each 140cm x 90cm in size.
- An artist statement on respect (maximum 100 words) and an artist CV must be included with the artwork.
- One to three photographs of the artwork can be submitted as a JPEG file named with artist’s full name. File size must not exceed 5MB.
- Artwork must be available for sale as a condition of entry and sale price must be included with submission.
- Entry payment of $50 must be made at the time of submission.
- Artists may enter a maximum of two artworks for consideration. Each artwork must be entered separately and the $50 fee paid for each entry.
- A confirmation email/s will be sent on submission of entry/ies.
- It is the responsibility of the artist to deliver their artwork to the College by the date specified. All costs associated with this must be paid by the artist.
- To be eligible for entry, the artist must comply with all terms and conditions of entry. If the terms are not met, the College reserves the right to refuse entry. If entry is refused, the artist will not be entitled to a refund of their entry fee.
Frequently Asked Questions
All entrants must be female artists aged 18 years or over as at Friday 3 October 2025.
Entries must be the original work/s of the entrant and executed during the 12-month period prior to the closing date of Friday 3 October 2025.
Pymble staff members, current students and their immediate families are excluded from entering.
Submissions open Monday 14 April 2025 and close midnight, Friday 3 October 2025. All submissions must be made via the online entry form.
A maximum of two entries per artist applies. A separate submission fee must be paid for each entry.
A non-refundable fee of $50.00, inclusive of GST, exclusive of online booking fees and credit card surcharges, will be charged for each entry.
The Pymble Values Art Prize is open to original two-dimensional painted works. Two dimensional is here defined as a work that has a depth of no greater than 10cm. Paintings should not exceed the size limit of 40,000 square cm for the entire work, including any framing or mounting. Single or multiple items may be submitted. For example, 200cm x 200cm or 250cm x 120cm as a single painting, or a series of 3 works each 140cm x 90cm in size. Works requiring electricity will not be accepted.
If selected as a finalist, artworks submitted for exhibition and final judging must be the artwork that was submitted for entry.
The College values are long established, and this prize will broaden the conversation around the importance of Pymble’s values with our students and the Pymble community.
In 2025, our focus is Respect. The College plans to acquire an artwork for the College’s permanent collection that inspires reflection on the importance of respect in daily life and its role in creating positive human relationships and a more compassionate, understanding world. It should prompt viewers to consider their own relationships and interactions with others and the world around them.
Works submitted for the Pymble Values Art Prize will be viewed as digital files by a judging panel comprising of practising artists, art specialists and a member of Pymble’s senior executive and our Head of Visual Arts.
Approximately 30 works will be selected for the Pymble Values Art Prize Exhibition.
Notification of the selected finalists will be made through the Pymble Ladies’ College website, and by email to selected artists, at the conclusion of the selection period.
The panel’s selection of finalists and winner will be final, and no correspondence will be entered into.
By completing the online entry form the entrant warrants that an artwork listed as an entry is the sole and unencumbered property of the artist.
Pymble Ladies’ College will exercise reasonable care when handling, storing and hanging artworks entered but does not take responsibility for any damage, theft or loss of the artwork during storage, handling, hanging, transport and delivery.
Finalists’ artworks must be presented ready for exhibition i.e. mounted and framed, if necessary, with appropriate hanging devices, such as D-hooks, attached between 50mm to 100mm from the top of the work, that allow the artworks to be hung on our slip rail hanging system. Installation instructions should also be included (if applicable).
Delivery of all entries selected for the exhibition will be from 10 to 14 November 2025 between 10.00am and 3.00pm.
Finalists’ artworks will only be accepted if free of freight delivery charges and other charges. The College will not pay for any costs incurred in the delivery of any entry.
All entries must be available for continuous exhibition at the College for the entire period of the exhibition event.
The College reserves the right to further assess all works delivered and make a final selection for the exhibition.
Exhibitors must collect their artwork on Monday 17 November 2025 between 10.00am and 4.30pm.
Works not collected within 30 days of Monday 17 November 2025 shall be disposed of at the discretion of the College unless alternative arrangements have been made with the College.
The finalists’ artworks are to be delivered to:
Attn: Pymble Values Art Prize
Pymble Ladies’ College
Avon Road Pymble NSW 2073
Phone: 02 9855 7799
The artist declared the winner of the 2025 Pymble Values Art Prize agrees the work shall become the property of Pymble Ladies’ College. The winner confirms there is no restriction on title passing to Pymble Ladies’ College.
The artist of the winning artwork acquired by Pymble Ladies’ College will transfer full title to Pymble Ladies’ College.
Artists selected for the Pymble Values Art Prize Exhibition will provide images of their work and will allow the work to be reproduced by print and electronic media during the advertising and promotional period for the Exhibition, after the Exhibition and for archival purposes. The College will acknowledge authorship of works.
All personal information received will be used solely for the organisation of the Pymble Values Art Prize.
Artworks exhibited in the Pymble Values Art Prize must be available for sale.
Prices listed on the entry form are considered final and will not be altered after submission.
Unrepresented artists will have a commission of 33.3% deducted from the selling price of their work.
Artists with commercial gallery representation should include on the entry form the name of the gallery or agent with which/whom the relevant 50/50 split commission arrangements will apply. Any other agreements should be made known to the College.
Artists should be aware of their GST obligations and commitments to representing commercial galleries or agents prior to determining the sale price of their artworks and completing the entry form. If you require advice on the matter, please refer to the Australian Taxation Office.
In the event of a dispute regarding the interpretation of conditions, the decision of the College shall be binding on all parties.