Art Show

The Swancon art show is a visual smorgasboard, showcasing Western Australian science fiction and fantasy artists. Any member may enter work in the Art Show and may choose whether to place their work for sale.

Swancon Art Show Guide and Rules

General Rules

All entries must be works of a science fiction, fantasy, horror, astronomical, fannish, or related theme.  All works must be your own work (or a collaborative work that you participated in).

Artwork in any medium will be accepted, including sculptures, photographs, digital, etc.

Only one copy of a print or reproduction may be displayed in the Art Show. 

Collaborative works may be submitted by any of the collaborators.

All two-dimensional (flat) entries must be matted, mounted, or framed, and ready to be hung. Prints must be mounted or matted. All items to be entered must be finished before being brought to hang in the Art Show.

All pieces must be clearly labelled with the title and your names.

We reserve the right to reject any work that is physically hazardous, is a nuisance (noise, intense flashing lights, etc.), is a copyright infringement, is libelous, or is patently offensive by community standards.

Once a piece of artwork has been signed into the Art Show, it may not be withdrawn, nor may any conditions of its sale (e.g., minimum bid) be changed, for the duration of the show.

Not-For-Sale work is allowed in the show and is eligible for awards.

Display Space

The Art Show will be located at the Swancon 51 venue, the Pagoda Resort and Spa, South Perth, Western Australia

The Art Show will have panels for flat artwork and tables for 3-D pieces. 

How to Enter the Art Show

To enter the Swancon Art Show, please fill out and return the online registration form.

Advance reservations are preferred.

It would be preferable to receive reservations by 15 May 2027.

All forms must be accompanied by full payment, $10 per item ($5 for those under 18).  You can pay online, through the Swancon website.  

If you have special requests, such as odd-size displays or wish to have your art hung next to that of a friend, please tell us on the entry form. We will try to accommodate you.

We will acknowledge receipt of your entry form, indicating how much space has been reserved for you.

We will refund your fees in full if we receive notification of your cancellation by 28 May 2026.

Due to the substantial effort required for the Swancon staff to unpack, hang, un-hang, and re-pack mailed-in art, we will only allow a limited amount of it. Please only request permission to mail your artwork if you really are unable to find any other way to get it to and from the art-show. For any mailed-in art there will also be an additional fee of $25, plus the actual amount of the return postage for your artwork.

Fees and Space Allocation

Fees:

• $10 per item (general category)
• $5 per item (under 18s category) 

Space:

We will try to keep all work by a single artist together, but this may not be possible in all cases.

We will normally fill requests for space as shown below, although we may be able to provide an area of different shape; if you will be entering large or unusually-shaped items and can only use certain arrangements, please tell us so on your entry form.

There will be tables for 3-dimensional art and boards for 2-dimensional art.

Art Sales to Buyers

If you want to sell your art, you can mark the sale price on your description of the art along with your phone number.

The sale of the work will be negotiated directly between you and art show attendees.

Set-Up and Artist Check-In

We will set up the hangings and tables on Friday 29 May. Artists may check in between 9:00 and 11:00 on Saturday 30 May.

Each piece in the main Art Show will have a bid sheet/ID tag with information about the piece, and space for written bids. Pieces may also be marked for display only as “NFS” not for sale.

The Art Show convenor will provide items to assist in hanging the art, such as binder clips, scissors, peg hooks, pens, power strips, sharpies, signage, knives, etc.  

Artist Check-out

You must remove your unsold art between 4:00 and 5:00pm on Monday 6 June 2027. 

If your art has been sold, the buyer should pick it up at this time. 

Awards

We are happy to continue the tradition of awarding prizes for exemplary artwork. 

• Adult category (aged over 18) – People’s choice (voted on by attendees).
• Adult category – Judge’s choice (usually a guest)
• Junior category (aged under 18) – People’s choice
• Junior category – Judge’s choice.

Security

The Art Show is usually supervised, but Swancon cannot provide insurance coverage for art entered in the show. You should ensure that your own insurance will cover your art while it is at the show.

Disclaimer

While we fully intend these to be the rules that actually govern the Swancon Art Show, we reserve the right to make changes or interpretations if unforeseen circumstances arise. Any interpretations will be guided by the spirit, rather than the letter, of these rules.

Contact Us

All set and ready to sign up? 

• Use the Online Art Show registration form;
• Use the online Art Show payment system to pay for your entries. 
• Or contact the art show at ehawkes@iinet.net.au