The Broken Hill City Art Gallery, Maari Ma Health Aboriginal Health Corporation, and West Darling Arts warmly invite Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists living in the Maari Ma / West Darling Arts region to enter the 2025 Maari Ma Indigenous Art Awards (MMIAA).
MMIAA is non-acquisitive and provides a platform to showcase and celebrate the depth and diversity of First Nations creativity across Far West NSW.
In Maari Ma's 30th anniversary year, the Awards return with an increased prize pool of $19,500 (cash and prize packs). In 2024, the Open Art Prize was awarded to Bilyara Bates for Karnu Tharlta, Sandstone (stone on stone – traditional method, 2024), setting a strong benchmark for this year's entries.
2025 Judge
We are pleased to announce the 2025 judge is Rebecca Ray, Curator, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Collections and Exhibitions at the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia.
"I am a mainland Torres Strait Islander woman and an experienced First Nations curator, writer and researcher with a dedicated focus on decolonisation methodologies and practice within institutions. My work is artist and community centred and based on collaboration and two-way relationship building fostered on transparency, authenticity and cultural autonomy. I hold a Bachelor of Arts and am sociologically trained with an interest in identity politics, intersectionality and race theory."
Key Dates
- Call for entries opens: Monday, 1 September 2025
- Entries close & artwork delivery deadline: Sunday, 2 November 2025 (deliver between 10 am–4 pm to Broken Hill City Art Gallery)
- Opening night & prize announcement: Friday, 7 November 2025
- Exhibition: 7 November 2025 – 8 February 2026
Categories & Prizes (2025)
- Open / Overall Winner (all mediums) - $5,000
- 2D Winner (2D works only) - $2,500
- Sculptural Winner (3D works only) -$2,500
- Emerging Winner (all mediums) - $2,000
- Nhuungku Winner (female artists, all mediums)- $2,000
- People's Choice (all mediums) - $2,000
- School Combined Entry (all mediums) - Art prize pack valued at $2,000
- Young Artist (16–21) (all mediums) - Art prize pack valued at $1,000
- Young Artist (Under 15) (all mediums) - Art prize pack valued at $500 (sponsored by West Darling Arts)
Entry details & conditions
Artists may submit up to two works created within the last 12 months, with a maximum size of 1500 mm × 1500 mm. Entrants must reside within the Maari Ma region, and the prize is non-acquisitive. Works (with labels securely attached) should be delivered to the Broken Hill City Art Gallery on Sunday 2 November 2025, 10 am–4 pm. Entries can be completed online at the Gallery's website: www.bhartgallery.com.au, or via entry forms available at the Gallery.
