Sculpture Festival 2026 – Call for Exhibiting Artists

Te Matatiki Toi Ora The Arts Centre invites sculptors from across Aotearoa New Zealand to apply for its annual Sculpture Festival 2026, running 10–26 October 2026. Now in its sixth year, the festival aims to present over 200 works for sale, spanning a wide range of scales and materials — from intimate indoor pieces displayed in the Great Hall to larger outdoor sculptures placed throughout the North Quad.

The festival is a significant public event drawing a large and diverse audience, and all sales support both the exhibiting artists and The Arts Centre as an annual fundraiser. Artists receive a 60% commission on sales, along with full sales administration, festival promotion (website, social media, and databases), installation and deinstallation support, and insurance while works are on site.

The Arts Centre particularly welcomes applications from ngā toi Māori, Pacific, and Asian artists.

Works will be selected by a panel including co-curators Ryan Dewsbury and Melissa Reimer, and Arts Centre Creative Director Chris Archer.

What artists are asked to provide:

• Title, dates, dimensions, media, sale price, and an image of each work
• Biographical and contextual information for the catalogue
• Presence at install and deinstall where possible
• Freight and transit insurance (to and from the venue)
• An invoice to The Arts Centre for commission and any public programme fees after receiving sales advice

Application requirements (completed in one session):

• Full contact details
• Up to 200 words describing proposed work(s)
• CV (maximum two pages)
• Materials and dimensions of proposed work(s)
• Number of proposed works
• Up to 10 images of the works (or concept drawings if not yet completed)
• Up to 5 images of past works indicative of your practice

For general enquiries, contact Chris Archer at chrisa@artscentre.org.nz before 24 April 2026. Applications close at 11:59pm on Sunday 26 April 2026.