Call for entries for Toi Tauranga Art Gallery’s fourth biennial Acorn Foundation Junior Art Awards. Entry is free for all Bay of Plenty tamariki—children—aged 4–14 years old, and this year’s theme is “The Future Is… / Ko…teanamata” so let your imagination run wild!
Age Category Awards
- 4–5 years x 2 awards winning an art pack — created by Education Team
- 6–8 years x 2 awards winning $50 each
- 9–11 years x 2 awards winning $75 each
- 12–14 years x 2 awards winning $100 each
Other Awards
- Acorn Foundation Supreme Award $250
- Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology Award $100
- Friends of Tauranga Art Gallery Award $100
- Innovation Award $100
- People’s Choice Award $100 — will be decided by popular vote from visitors to the exhibition and announced after the exhibition has closed.
Entries
Open Monday 16 June–Friday 15 August 2025 via artgallery.org.nz/acornaward
* Entries are digital online submissions only.
Award Ceremony
Friday 12 September 2025, 5.30–7.30pm
Exhibition
Friday 12–Saturday 20 September 2025, open daily 10am–2pm
* All artworks must remain in the exhibition for the entire period of the show.
Venue
Baycourt Community & Arts Centre (Baycourt)
X Space
38 Durham Street
Tauranga 3110
Eligibility
The child (or parent/caregiver) must ensure that
- The entrant is aged between 4–14 years as of Monday 16 June 2025
- The entrant currently lives in the Bay of Plenty Region — including Tauranga, Western Bay of Plenty, Rotorua, Kawerau, Whakatāne and Ōpōtiki districts
- The work is original and does not infringe upon NZ copyright laws
- The work must not exceed 600mm — at its longest dimension on any side
- The work must comply with health and safety standards and not be of risk to the public
- Entries are submitted via the link on our website artgallery.org.nz/acornaward
- Entries include a valid email address and contact details
- The entrant is not a child of an employee of TAG or a Trustee
- We reserve the right to refuse any entries or artworks that arrive outside the designated times or do not meet the eligibility criteria
- Entry information is final and cannot be changed after submission
- Entries are limited to one work per child
Art format
Entry must be a drawing, painting, collage/mixed media or sculpture — artworks can be created digitally but must be printed and ready for display if selected.
Selection process
- Entries must include at least 1 (up to 3) high resolution photographic image(s) of the work
- Images must be JPEG format 1–2MB
- Images must be a true and accurate representation of the artwork entered.
- Image file(s) must have the name and age of the artist eg: tracy_emin_age4.jpg
- It is recommended that images show the entire artwork and include close-up detail images
- Images go through a pre-judging selection panel to determine the finalists
- The award winners will be determined by 1–2 independent judges with assistance from TAG representatives
- Final judging will involve viewing the actual artwork in the exhibition space
- Only artworks selected as finalists for the exhibition will be called in to be delivered to the exhibition space
- The judge(s)’s decision will be final, and no correspondence will be entered into.
Selected finalists notified
All entrants will receive an email by 4pm Friday 22 August 2025, notifying them if they have been selected or not — via successful entrants being listed on the website.
Delivery of Selected Finalist Artworks
All selected finalists’ artworks must be hand delivered to Baycourt foyer, on:
- Monday 1 September 2025, 12–2pm, or
- Tuesday 2 September 2025, 12–2pm, or
- Wednesday 3 September 2025, 12–2pm
Or couriered to Baycourt — addressed to Nicoel Boschman — no later than Friday 29 August, so it can be processed on the above date(s). However please note any artwork couriered must be picked up post exhibition — we cannot courier it back to you.
Collection of Artworks after Exhibition
Exhibited artworks to be collected at the end of the exhibition period from Baycourt foyer, on:
- Tuesday 23 September 2025, 10am–2pm, or
- Wednesday 24 September 2025, 10am–2pm, or
- Thursday 25 September 2025, 10am–2pm
* All artwork not collected within this timeframe be destroyed/disposed of.
Presentation of finalist artworks
- All finalist entries must have secure surfaces, i.e. fragile, pastel and charcoal surfaces must be ‘fixed’, and paint/varnish must be dry upon arrival
- No natural materials that might decay or carry living organisms are permitted
- All finalist artworks must be ready for hanging/display — small holes may be made in corners of artwork when being installed
- Digital drawings/paintings must be printed for exhibiting by the entrant
Transport & Packing
Parents/caregivers are responsible for the delivery and collection of the artwork as per the dates indicated. Ensure packaging is simple and clearly identifiable e.g. artwork could be placed inside a named cardboard folder or box. We endeavour to return packaging where possible.
Insurance
While the work is in transit it is the sole responsibility of the entrant. During the exhibition all reasonable care will be taken in the handling of all entries, but no liability for loss or damage will be accepted by Tauranga Art Gallery Trust, Baycourt, or their officers and/or assistants.
Copyright / Images
While every endeavour will be made to protect copyright, work is submitted at the artist’s own risk. Any work received into the exhibition may be used for promotional purposes by TAG and photography for non-commercial use will be permitted in the gallery.
Media and publicity
TAG may use images provided by entrants — with credit/attribution— in TAG related media outputs.
Additional images of artworks may be taken in the gallery space and circulated to promote the exhibition in print and on digital sites/social media — with credit/attribution — and may appear on their website, EDM and social media.
Finalists and award winners may be contacted for media purposes.
For queries related to entries contact
Please email events@artgallery.org.nz