Strand Ephemera 2027: International Outdoor Art Call, A$5,000 Artist Fee and 3 November Deadline
International artists can propose outdoor works for Queensland's coastline
Townsville City Council is calling for artworks for Strand Ephemera 2027, its biennial temporary public-art festival along The Strand waterfront in North Queensland. The exhibition runs from July 24 to August 8, 2027. Its theme is 'Inspire imagination through our stories', encouraging artists to interpret Queensland narratives through bold, place-aware sculptures, installations, projection and other public-facing works.
The open competitive category is open to local, interstate and international artists and organizations whose individual artist applicants are over 18 years of age. A separate young-artist category is open to artists aged 18 or below, including eligible school-age institutions and groups, with parental or guardian consent required for entrants 17 or younger. Unlike a locally restricted council grant, this truly is an international art call; eligibility and participation logistics must still be assessed from the full terms.
The safe deadline is 10am AEST on November 3, 2026
The official public website and the terms' headline schedule both state that online submissions close at 10 a.m. Australian Eastern Standard Time on Tuesday, November 3, 2026. A later paragraph in the same PDF inconsistently mentions 5 p.m. on that date. To avoid missing the deadline, artists should treat 10 a.m. AEST as the effective cutoff, submit early, and seek written clarification from Townsville City Galleries if needed.
Applications use the Council’s linked SmartyGrants portal. Each entry carries a non-refundable A$40 administration fee paid before the application is finalized, and artists may submit up to three distinct proposals with a separate form and fee for each. Physical artwork must not be shipped at the initial selection stage.
Understand the selected artist fee versus competitive prizes
Artists selected in the open category receive an A$5,000 artist fee to assist with exhibition. Selected young artists receive A$500. These are distinct from awards decided at the event: A$10,000 for Artistic Excellence, A$1,000 for Young Artistic Excellence, A$1,000 for the Environmental Advocate Award and A$1,000 for the People’s Choice Award.
The competitive prizes are not guaranteed payments to every selected artist. The terms also place responsibility for transporting work to and from Townsville on the artist, together with installation and removal responsibilities. International entrants must budget carefully for shipping, insurance, visas if needed, engineering and construction. Winning a fee category does not mean the council pays all real production costs.
What your proposal should document
Completed artworks, works in progress and well-developed concepts are all eligible for preselection. The application asks for design images or drawings, relevant past-artwork examples, artist CVs, proposed dimensions and materials, footing or stability details, an artist statement and an artwork label with title, size, materials and intended price. The organizer expressly asks artists to declare whether artificial intelligence was used to create or edit artwork images.
Entries are assessed on public engagement, artistic quality, site specificity, year-round safety, environmental impact, day/night visibility, the feasibility of installation and eventual deinstallation, and an artist's track record of delivery. Outdoor tropical conditions matter: wind, sun, weather protection and electrical safety should be addressed in the concept.
Selected artists have serious delivery obligations
If chosen, exhibitors need risk assessments for installation, the exhibition period and deinstallation; a required contractor-management registration and safety induction may apply. Artists also provide a short behind-the-scenes video and catalogue image by April 1, 2027. Installation is scheduled July 19–22, judging on July 23, public opening on July 24, and removal on August 9, 2027.
Selected artists are also expected to attend public-facing events such as an artist walking tour. For interactive or technology-based work, test durable hardware and fail-safe power arrangements, and understand that a permanent installation or exclusively screen-based submission is not automatically suitable for this temporary outdoor event.
Council track record and official sources
Townsville City Council established Strand Ephemera in 2001, and 2027 is its fourteenth edition. The organizer has a public track record of waterfront exhibitions combining established and emerging artists, including sculptures, installations and projections. The council's arts staff publish the terms, selection criteria, dates, contact number and prior festival information. These features help prospective entrants verify the call, but do not assure selection or a final prize.
Official call and portal: https://www.townsville.qld.gov.au/strand-ephemera/call-for-artists
Festival history: https://www.townsville.qld.gov.au/strand-ephemera/about
Questions: galleries@townsville.qld.gov.au, +61 (0)7 4727 9011. Terms and organizer webpage reviewed October 19, 2026.