Exhibit at the Counihan Gallery

Artists and curators can apply for an exhibition at the Counihan Gallery or to exhibit in the annual Merri-bek Summer Show.  

Please email CounihanGallery@merri-bek.vic.gov.au or call 9389 8622 if you have questions about our application processes.

Apply for a Counihan Gallery exhibition

Applications are now closed for our 2026 exhibition program.

All applicants will be notified in October regarding the outcome of their proposal. 

In 2026, the Counihan Gallery will offer a $1000 honorarium to exhibitors. This honorarium is paid per exhibition space, not per artist. 

This year, we are also inviting applications for our Winter Night Screen. The Winter Night Screen faces Sydney Road and displays video work from 5pm to 11pm, nightly. Winter Night Screen exhibitors will receive a $250 honorarium for a two-week slot.  

For more information on how to apply, please download our Counihan Gallery Exhibition Application Pack. 

We held an Information Session on 15 May 2025 at Counihan Gallery. Click below to see the PowerPoint presentation.

If you would like to know more about what to expect as an exhibitor at the Counihan Gallery, you can download our Exhibiting at the Counihan Gallery information sheet (PDF 54Kb). 

The Counihan Gallery encourages applications from artists who identify as culturally and linguistically diverse, LGBTQI plus, d/Deaf and/or Disabled, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander. 

Apply to exhibit in the Merri-bek Summer Show

Applications for the Merri-bek Summer Show are now open!

The Merri-bek Summer Show is an annual exhibition held at the Counihan Gallery. Each year, local artists are invited to submit an artwork that explores a chosen theme.

The exhibition theme for 2025 is Love in Crisis.

This theme invites artists to explore love in all its forms as a powerful way to make a difference in our divided world. It can be interpreted in many ways – from small, individual acts of care to collective activism and standing together. Central to the theme is how love, kindness and compassion can help us resist, heal, and imagine a more caring future. More ideas are included in the Application Pack.

To apply for the Merri-bek Summer Show, please fill in the Merri-bek Summer Show Application Form on the SnapForms website. SnapForms is an online survey platform. 

For more information on how to apply, including conditions of entry, you can download an application pack. 

To enter the Merri-bek Summer Show you must be 18 years old at the time of entry. However, this year we are excited to introduce a children’s gallery and activity station alongside the exhibition. Young people can respond to the theme by creating postcard-sized drawings, which will be exhibited on the front windows of the Counihan Gallery throughout January. The activity station will be available in the Gallery during the exhibition and the completed drawings will be installed in the windows once the exhibition has closed!

Merri-bek Summer Show Awards

  • The Counihan Gallery is pleased to present the 9th Noel Counihan Commemorative Art Award.

    The Award celebrates an artist whose work explores the exhibition theme and engages with social, political, or environmental ideas. All exhibitors in the Merri-bek Summer Show are eligible for the Award.

    The Award recipient will receive $4000 and will be announced at the exhibition opening event on Saturday 8 November. This prize is generously sponsored by Merri-bek City Council. The Award is non-acquisitive.

    The Award is judged by Counihan Gallery staff, a member of the Merri-bek Arts Advisory Committee and an independent arts professional. The decision of the judges is final.

     

  • The People's Choice Award is a cash prize of $1000 and is proudly supported by the Sydney Road Brunswick Association.

    The Award is voted by visitors to the Merri-bek Summer Show and the recipient is announced at the end of the exhibition.

  • This award celebrates an artist whose work engages with climate justice ideas. The prize is a $500 CERES voucher.

Merri-bek Summer Show important dates

  • Submit your application before Saturday 27 September 2025, 5pm.

     

  • We will confirm that your application has been accepted from 15 October 2025.

  • If you are accepted into the exhibition, you must deliver your completed work to the Counihan Gallery between 11am and 6pm on Wednesday 29 October or between 11am and 6pm on Thursday 30 October 2025.

  • The Merri-bek Summer Show launch is on Saturday 8 November, from 2pm to 4pm.

    The winner of the Noel Counihan Commemorative Art Award will be announced at the event.

  • The Merri-bek Summer Show opens on Saturday 8 November at 2pm and closes on Thursday 18 December 2025 at 5pm.

    The Counihan Gallery is open Wednesday to Saturday, 11am to 5pm, and Sunday, 1pm to 5pm.

  • At the end of the exhibition, you are required to collect your artwork from the Counihan Gallery between 11am and 5pm on Friday 19 December 2025, or between 11am and 5pm on Saturday 20 December.  

    If you are unable to collect your work on these days, please arrange for someone to collect your work on your behalf. Works cannot be stored at the Gallery during the summer closure period.

  • Drawings for the children’s gallery will be displayed on the front windows of the Counihan Gallery throughout January 2026. Please note that the Gallery will be closed during this period and the drawings will only be visible from the outside of the building.

View Gallery 1 and 2 in the Counihan Virtual Gallery

It's not always easy to remember the layout of our gallery from home or the studio. Now you can explore Gallery 1 and 2 in 3D on the Counihan Virtual Gallery online platform.

You can also add your artworks to the space to see how they will look using online modelling platform SketchUp. You can access this online modelling platform on the SketchUp website. You will need to create a free SketchUp account to get started and download our SketchUp file (SKP 12.6MB) from the DropBox website.