The Moreton Bay Art Prize is returning to Pine Rivers Art Gallery with a free exhibition of shortlisted local artworks, alongside an outdoor display that brings selected pieces into high-traffic locations across Moreton Bay.
Local Art Takes Focus At Pine Rivers Art Gallery
The Moreton Bay Art Prize is back for its 32nd year, bringing together local artists through a free public exhibition at Pine Rivers Art Gallery.
The exhibition will run from 30 May to 18 July and will feature 36 shortlisted artists competing for the 2026 prize pool. The works were selected by a professional panel, with entries assessed on their ideas, technical execution and originality.
The annual prize is open to artists aged 18 and over who live in Moreton Bay, as well as Kabi Kabi, Turrbal and Jinibara First Nations artists living in Australia. There is no fixed theme or category, allowing entrants to submit original works of their choosing, provided they were created within the previous 24 months.
The result is a broad exhibition shaped by individual practice rather than a single subject, giving visitors the chance to see a varied selection of works from artists with local and cultural ties to the region.
Outdoor Art Prize Extends The Moreton Bay Art Prize
The gallery exhibition is accompanied by the Outdoor Art Prize, which places selected works beyond the gallery setting.
Six artists have had their works displayed on banners in high-traffic locations across Moreton Bay. The outdoor display runs from 18 May to 15 June, giving the prize a public presence before and during the early part of the Pine Rivers exhibition.
The outdoor element adds another way for residents and visitors to encounter the shortlisted creative work, with selected pieces appearing in everyday locations as well as inside the gallery.
Prize Pool And Public Voting
The 2026 prize pool totals $10,000.
The first-place artist will receive a non-acquisitive prize of $5,000. Second place carries $3,000, third place carries $1,500, and the People’s Choice Award carries $500.
The winners will be announced at the awards night on Saturday 11 July. This year’s winning entries will be selected by guest judge Dr Simon Degroot, Program Director of Visual Arts at Queensland College of Art and Design at Griffith University.
Members of the public can also take part by voting for the People’s Choice Award. Voting remains open until the final day of the exhibition on Saturday 18 July.
Pine Rivers Exhibition Open To All Ages
Entry to the Moreton Bay Art Prize exhibition is free, and the display is suitable for all ages.
With the main exhibition at Pine Rivers Art Gallery and outdoor works appearing across Moreton Bay, the 2026 program gives audiences several ways to view the region’s artists before the prize winners are named.
The exhibition continues a long-running local art prize that supports both emerging and established artists, while giving the public access to a wide range of recent original work.
Published 20-May-2026
Photo Credit: Supplied
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