Colin Holden Print Commission

The Colin Holden Print Commission is a new opportunity for tertiary students currently enrolled in visual or fine arts at TAFE or university in Australia to create an original print edition for the Print Council of Australia. If you are enrolled in a college or training organisation that offers nationally accredited qualifications in visual arts you are eligible to apply.
Commissioned students will receive $1000, printmaking paper, and their work will be promoted and launched at the Print Council of Australia Gallery and in IMPRINT magazine.

The PCA has been commissioning contemporary artists to make new works in print media since 1966 through the PCA Print Commission. This program has showcased some of the most talented, innovative and influential artists working in print, with institutional collections regularly acquiring prints from the annual commission. The Colin Holden Print Commission has been specially established to encourage emerging artists engaged in tertiary study to develop and promote their printmaking.

.

HOW IT WORKS

• Visual arts students currently enrolled at TAFE, University, or a training organisation or college that offers nationally accredited qualifications are invited to apply by completing the online entry form below and submitting 3 digital images and an artist statement (max 300 words) about their work. There is no entry fee.
• Two judges will be invited to review the submissions and select 6 artists to be shortlisted from the applications. These artists are invited to create an entirely new print, and submit a bon à tirer proof of this new work. Also refered to as BAT,  bon à tirer is a French term meaning ‘good to print’ and is used to refer to a finalised proof, which forms the guide for printing an edition of identical prints.
• From the 6 submitted BATs, the judges will select 3 artists to be commissioned.
• Commissioned artists each receive a supply of 50 sheets quality printmaking paper for editioning, and $1000 artist fee.
• Each selected artist will produce five artist proofs, and an edition of 30 prints.
• The Colin Holden Print Commission will be published in IMPRINT magazine, exhibited at the Print Council of Australia during December 2024 / January 2024, and promoted widely via the PCA’s extensive networks.
• From this submitted editions, one impression will be retained for the PCA Print Archive Collection. The remaining editioned prints will be available for sale as a fundraiser for the PCA to support operations, and the Artist Proofs will be returned to the artist at the end of the exhibiting period.

KEY DATES 2023

14/07/23 – APPLICATIONS OPEN via the form below

28/08/23 – APPLICATIONS CLOSE 5pm

08/09/23 – SHORTLISTED ARTISTS NOTIFIED - six 
artists are shortlisted 

20/10/23 – SHORTLISTED ARTISTS SUBMIT BON À TIRER (Proof print that would be commissioned) 

27/10/23 – FINAL SELECTION OF COMMISSIONED PRINTS – Artists notified

28/11/23 – ARTIST PROOFS DUE AT PCA

01/12/23 – COLIN HOLDEN PRINT COMMISSION – Published in IMPRINT (Summer / Vol 58 No.4) and launched online

07/12/23 – COLIN HOLDEN PRINT COMMISSION – Launch Event at PCA Gallery

07/12/23 – 29/02/24 – EXHIBITION OF COMMISSION AT PCA 
07/12/23 – COMPLETED EDITIONS SUBMITTED TO PCA

01/03/24 – ARTIST PROOFS RETURNED TO ARTISTS

ABOUT DR COLIN HOLDEN

Dr Colin Peter Holden (1951–2016) was an art historian, author, curator, collector, and philanthropist. He was passionate about encouraging others to see the world differently through the lenses of art, music, literature (and gardens). Dr Holden’s primary collecting interest was prints, but he also collected examples of eighteenth- and nineteenth-century decorative arts and furniture. His significant print collection (now regularly displayed at Geelong Gallery and available to view online) is wide-ranging in scope.

Dr Holden’s commitment to print scholarship continues through the Colin Holden Charitable Trust, which supports scholarship, publishing, and exhibitions connected with prints and printmaking.

This opportunity has been generously supported by the Colin Holden Charitable Trust.