The following categories will be used to assess submissions:

• Artistic Merit: This category evaluates the visual and conceptual quality of your works, assessing both visual language and how communication of ideas is demonstrated in the artwork. 
• Technical Merit: This category evaluates your technical skills in executing your chosen medium. Your submission will be assessed on how well you have mastered your medium and materials, including your attention to detail and precision in execution.
• Sustainability, Diversity and Inclusion: This category evaluates the degree to which your artwork addresses topic of sustainability, diversity, and inclusivity, including but not limited to sustainability of environment, cultural and community and personal wellbeing, as well as diversity and inclusivity by race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, and ability. The artwork is also evaluated based on how accessible it is to a wide audience. Incinerator Gallery seeks artworks that actively promotes sustainability, inclusion and accessibility as prioritised under the Moonee Valley City Council Corporate Strategy and the MV2040 community vision and long-term strategy for supporting a healthy, vibrant and welcoming place to live and visit.
• Public Participatory and Engagement: This category evaluates how well your artwork can involve participation from public, either on-site or through digital engagement. The proposal will also be evaluated by how well the artwork communicates its intended message to a local audience, its capacity to resonate with a broad spectrum of audiences, and its ability to foster diverse and impactful dialogue through public programs and initiatives.
• Consideration of the exhibition space and local area: This category evaluates the degree to which your artwork acknowledges the site-specific nature of the exhibition venue. This includes consideration of the local area, history, or community.

Exhibition proposals for Boadle Hall and Main Gallery will open on 5 August 2026 at 12am and close 5 September 2026 at 11.59pm.

Proposals

1. • Proposals will only be accepted during defined call for proposal dates. Only online submissions will be accepted.
   • All information included in the proposal must be true and correct to be eligible. The Artist may be held responsible for any loss caused to the Gallery due to incorrect information.
   • There is no application fee to apply.

Eligibility

1. • Proposals are open from Artists currently living and working in Australia, with connection to Moonee Valley City Council or the greater area of the Kulin nation, that covers greater metropolitan Naarm/Melbourne.
   • Moonee Valley City Council employees and Councillors, or their family members, relatives or household members are ineligible to enter.

Artist Responsibilities

1. • Artists must ensure that they can meet the Selection Criteria and Terms and Conditions before submitting their application.
   • The artwork must be available for the duration of the exhibition.
   • Artists agree that:
     • The artwork proposed is the Artist’s sole original work.
     • The Artist has the power to grant the rights under the artwork.
     • The Artist has obtained appropriate written releases, including the use of third-party images, locations, collaborators, and/or performers.
     • The Artist is entitled to reproduce any rights in the artwork.
     • The Artist will compensate the Gallery against any loss resulting from breach of these responsibilities.

Exhibition Conditions

1. • All artworks selected for the exhibition remain the property of the Artist.
   • The Artist is responsible for the packaging and transportation of the artwork to and from the Gallery within the time period set.
   • The final layout of the exhibition is determined by Incinerator Gallery. All efforts of site-specific installation will be considered, but may not be accommodated.
   • The Artist is responsible for install and de-install of artworks within the time period set, and will advise the Curator of installation requirements and anticipated assistance required, 4 weeks prior to install/de-install.
   • The Artist is responsible for providing any specialised equipment required to exhibit the artwork, including media players and technology for digital works.
   • All artworks and supplied equipment must comply with OH&S standards. See gov.au/occupational-health-and-safety-act-and-regulations.
   • The Artist must complete and sign the Artist Exhibition Agreement and return within the requested time frame.
   • Artworks will be insured by Moonee Valley City Council for the duration of the exhibition and installation period.
   • Moonee Valley City Council will not be responsible for artworks not collected within the period specified by Incinerator Gallery, following the exhibition, and items will be disposed of at the discretion of Council.
   • The Artist will receive a fee to exhibit their artwork and present a public program. Council pays the Superannuation Guarantee as a separate contribution to nominated funds, details of which must be provided along with invoice for payment.

Use of Images

1. • The Artist will include with their proposal 5 high-resolution image (at least 1600 pixels wide at 300DPI) of the proposed artwork or relevant past artwork images for publicity purposes. 
   • It is recognised that authorship and copyright of artworks proposed belong to the Artist.
   • If selected, for marketing purposes, the Artist gives permission for Moonee Valley City Council to use:
     • images of artworks;
     • their name, biographical details and likeness for marketing purposes;
     • the Artist will be attributed to the artwork as reasonably possible wherever the image is reproduced.

Selection

1. • Decisions for selections are final and appeals will not be considered.
   • Incinerator Gallery reserves the right to accept or reject any artworks proposed.

The Main Gallery and Boadle Hall are two large exhibition spaces within the Incinerator precinct, suited to a wide range of arts practices including painting, installation, or sculpture. 

The Main Gallery is an impressive heritage gallery space with cathedral raked timber ceilings, triangular windows over the southern end, and gallery spec walls allowing for a range of direct wall installations and suspended or sculptural installations. It is situated in the front building of the Incinerator complex above the Atrium Gallery and entrance, accessible by stairs, elevator and outdoor terrace from the precinct. The Main Gallery is approximately 120 square metres, with 50 linear metres of hanging space, plus two double-sided temporary walls.

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Boadle Hall is a flexible gallery space within the heritage-listed Essendon Incinerator designed by architects Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahony Griffin in the 1920s. The 100- 200 square metre gallery, boasts 40 to 120 linear metres of hanging space, depending on the configuration, with numerous temporary walls that can be positioned across the floorspace. Boadle Hall Gallery is suited to a wide range of arts practices including two-dimensional artworks, digital presentation, installation, or sculpture.

Features:

• Maximum exhibition space of 120 linear metres. Dimensions can vary within this due to the mobile walls capacity to change the display area.

• 10 mobile walls measuring 2.3m x 2.4m each in Boadle Hall. 2 mobile walls in Main Gallery

• Polished floorboards

• Plinths of various sizes, subject to availability 

Please note that some architectural elements of Boadle Hall and Main Gallery are heritage listed. Exact dimensions and details will be provided to successful artists.

Curators may combine proposals to display several smaller solo exhibitions with the space concurrently, which will be remunerated accordingly, based on the experience of the artist and the scope of the site and project.

We invite your creative responses to the space and encourage you to visit the venue in person before applying. 

Q. What does it mean to consider the exhibition venue?

A. This means that you have given thought to how artworks will be displayed in the space given the constraints of the venue, such as multifunctional use and heritage overlay.

Q. Can I drill into the ceiling and walls?

A.  Boadle Hall and Main Gallery are protected by a heritage overlay and modifications cannot be made to the original building. Artworks can be suspended from the beams in consultation with gallery staff. Gallery walls can be drilled into to hang works.

Q. Can I present projection artwork?

A. Boadle Hall and Main Gallery, both contain high windows within the ceiling apex and/or end walls. Presentation of projection artwork should be carefully considered. Previous exhibitions have successfully presented video works on monitors. Natural light can be controlled to an extent but not entirely eliminated. 

Q. Can I suspend an artwork from the cross-beams above the exhibition space?

A. Boadle Hall is not well-suited to suspending artworks due to the environmental constraints of the gallery, which include drafts and the heritage overlay of the building. However, lightweight artworks weighing less than 10kg may be suspended with no use of drills, hooks, nails, or adhesive on the cross-beams. 

Q. Can I present a sound artwork with amplified audio?

A. Yes. However, consideration needs to be made to the multi-use nature of Incinerator Gallery, which includes workshop and public program spaces. During public programs, amplified sound may need to be temporarily muted. Public programs occur weekly, both within and outside of normal operating hours.

Q. Can I propose a project with more than one artist?

A. Yes. You can propose a project with more than one artist. The exhibition Artist Fee range covers a span of rate in line with NAVA (National Association for the Visual Arts) recommendations. The overall installation of artworks should be carefully considered for multi-artist proposals. 

Q. Is additional support provided for public programs?

A. Yes. Incinerator Gallery will provide staffing, administration, ticketing, marketing support, and basic art supplies. The Artist Fee will generally cover the artist fee and delivery of a public program. For complex Public Programs an additional fee will be negotiated with the artist/s. For additional expenses and support, we encourage you to consider submitting an application for a Moonee Valley City Council Community Grant.