Entry Requirements

Conditions of Entry

  • Artworks must be created in 2025 as part of the requirements for Visual Arts ATAR or Visual Arts General courses only.
  • Entries must be submitted by teachers, not individual students.
  • Each artwork submitted is the student’s own, is original and not copied or derived from unacknowledged sources.
  • Where material from another creator is incorporated in the student’s work, such as a soundtrack, film, or multi-media, and if selected as a finalist, the student must provide written permission from the original creator (or rights holder) confirming that the material may be used as part of the artwork in a non-commercial gallery setting for the full duration of the exhibition.
  • Schools may submit a maximum of five artworks. Specialist Visual Arts GATE schools (Applecross Senior High School, Balcatta Senior High School, John Curtin College of the Arts and Kalamunda Senior High School) may submit up to seven artworks.
  • The artwork must be available for delivery to The Art Gallery of Western Australia (AGWA) on 24 or 25 November 2025. If the work is selected for The West Australian Pulse 2026, it will remain at AGWA from the date of delivery until the exhibition closes, September 2026.

Eligibility Standards

  • Artwork must be stable and well-constructed for display. Sound construction is the responsibility of the artist and not AGWA.
  • Artwork must not contain organic material such as soil, flowers, fruit, food stuffs, leaf matter, or any other substance that might attract pests.
  • Each artwork submitted is the student’s own, is original and not copied or derived from unacknowledged sources.
  • If an artwork does not meet the Eligibility Standards, AGWA will work with the student to resolve concerns. In some cases, and only following consultation, AGWA may decide to withdraw the artwork from the exhibition to ensure compliance with Gallery display requirements.

The Judging Process

  • The Judging Panel consists of independent representatives of the following:
    • Art Gallery of Western Australia – curatorial
    • Department of Education
    • A practicing WA Artist
  • The Judging Panel have no association with schools that are eligible to enter The West Australian Pulse 2026.
  • The artist and school will remain anonymous during the judging process. Only the name of the artwork, title, dimensions, medium and artist statement will be visible during judging.
  • The finalists selected via the online judging process will not be made final until they are viewed in person at the Gallery. Judges and Gallery staff will be checking the works in person to see if they meet the Eligibility Standards.

Selection Criteria

AGWA is committed to showcasing a broad cross-section of students’ artworks in The West Australian Pulse, representing schools from the public, private and independent sectors across Western Australia. The introduction of an online submission process has increased accessibility for all schools, especially those where distance has been a major obstacle. We encourage all schools to choose works from students who are enrolled in either Visual Arts ATAR or Visual Arts General in 2025.

The Judging Panel makes final selection based on the following criteria:

  • Creativity and innovation
  • Communication of ideas
  • Application of skills and processes

Notification to Finalists

Teachers will be notified via email in the week beginning Monday 17 November 2025 only if the work has been selected for in person eligibility assessment at the Gallery.

Finalists and teachers will be notified via email in the week beginning Monday 01 December 2025 if the work has met the Eligibility Standards and has been selected for the exhibition.

Teachers will not be notified if artworks have not been selected.

Delivery of Artwork

Artworks must be delivered to AGWA on Monday 24 or Tuesday 25 November 2025.

Delivery instructions will be provided to teachers via email notification of the selected finalists. Please ensure all contact details are correct within the teacher portal account.

By entering The West Australian Pulse 2026, artists agree to the following conditions:

  • Late entries will not be accepted.
  • Judges are responsible for selecting artworks for the exhibition via online applications. Their decision is final, and no correspondence will be entered into.
  • The finalist artworks selected via the online judging process will not be made final until they are viewed in person at the Gallery. Judges and Gallery staff will be checking if the artwork meets the Eligibility Standards.
  • If selected and only through consultation with the artist, AGWA can make changes to the artwork to enable display and to ensure compliance with safety regulations.
  • If an artwork does not meet the Eligibility Standards, AGWA will work with the student to resolve concerns. In some cases, and only following consultation, AGWA may decide to withdraw the artwork from the exhibition to ensure compliance with Gallery display requirements.
  • If selected, artworks will remain at AGWA from the time of delivery until The West Australian Pulse 2026 exhibition closes, September 2026.
  • Provision of mannequins for textile works is the responsibility of the school, teacher, or artist. Mannequins will remain with the artwork until after the exhibition closes in 2026.
  • Framing and mounting requirements is the responsibility of the school, teacher, or artist.
  • Artists are responsible for arranging the collection of their artwork from AGWA at the close of the exhibition period.
  • Artists agree that AGWA can edit artist statements and artwork information in line with AGWA curatorial review and cataloguing standards. Edits will be made for consistency without altering meaning.
  • Artists agree that AGWA can reproduce, broadcast and communicate their artwork, either in whole or detail, in print, digital and/or electronic format, for the duration of The West Australian Pulse exhibition and in perpetuity for archival uses thereafter.
  • Artists grant AGWA a non-exclusive license to reproduce the work (by photographing or filming) for standard non-commercial AGWA exhibition uses, including: online catalogue; virtual tour; exhibition press; publicity; advertising; marketing or promotional uses; educational resources; on AGWA-owned channels including website and social media (Facebook, YouTube, Vimeo, LinkedIn, Instagram) in agreeance with each platform’s individual terms of use; posters; signage; invitations; and other onsite materials; to third parties for the express purposes of fulfilling the above exhibition uses.
  • For this reason, artists agree for AGWA to release their contact details direct to the media for the purpose of interviews, photography and publicity.
  • Should AGWA wish to sell, reproduce or license artworks for commercial benefit, e.g. create merchandise for the AGWA Design store, students will be contacted, and a separate agreement will be negotiated including payment of license fee/s.