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Australia\u2019s Parliament House turns 40 in 2028. Photo: AUSPIC, Department of Parliamentary Services.<\/p>\n
The chance to go behind the scenes at Australian Parliament House \u2013 and get paid to turn it into art \u2013 is now up for grabs.<\/p>\n
Expressions of interest are now open for a new Artist-in-Residence program as Parliament House prepares to mark its 40th anniversary in 2028.<\/p>\n
The successful artist will be given rare access to the inner workings of the building, including private areas usually off limits to the public, along with a workspace inside the Parliamentary Library.<\/p>\n
The temporary role will run across 12 months during the 48th Parliament, although the artist will not be expected to work on-site full-time.<\/p>\n
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The role includes access to parts of Parliament House normally off-limits to the public. Photo: AUSPIC, Department of Parliamentary Services.<\/p>\n
Parliament House Director of Art Collections Penny Grist said the role was designed to immerse an artist in the building and its history.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe artist in residence will come to experience what it\u2019s like behind the scenes at Australian Parliament House,\u201d she told Region.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey will get a workspace in the Parliamentary Library \u2026 and they will have access to all of the behind-the-scenes, private areas of Parliament House.\u201d<\/p>\n
The residency includes a $10,000 research fee, up to $30,000 to create a new artwork, and up to $15,000 for travel and accommodation.<\/p>\n
Artists from anywhere in Australia, at any stage of their career, can apply.<\/p>\n
But don\u2019t imagine it\u2019ll go to the artist who paints the King\u2019s portrait. An artist-in-residence has a more \u2026 abstract job.<\/p>\n
Applicants are being asked to develop a \u201cconcept\u201d connected to Parliament House, Australia\u2019s democratic processes or parliamentary history.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are many things that could inspire the artist,\u201d Ms Grist said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey might be being inspired by the gardens, they might be working with the beehives \u2026 they might be reflecting on 100 years of Hansard records.\u201d<\/p>\n
The final work could take many forms, including painting, sculpture, photography, ceramics, textiles, printmaking or glasswork.<\/p>\n
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Director of Art Collections Penny Gris. Photo: David Hempenstall, Parliament House.<\/p>\n
However, Ms Grist said some art styles would not suit the busy working environment inside Parliament House.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re not looking for audio-visual or site-specific installations or physically complex works because this building can become very busy and we want to make sure that everyone can enjoy this work,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
The program builds on the original vision for Parliament House when it opened in 1988, with art intended to play a central role in the building.<\/p>\n
More than 85 Australian artists were commissioned during its construction, helping to establish the Parliament House art collection, which now includes about 7000 works.<\/p>\n
Ms Grist said the new residency continued that legacy.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt seemed a good moment to start a program like this that\u2019s really reaching out to artists and supporting that development,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Speaker of the House of Representatives Milton Dick said the residency would offer a perspective few Australians ever see.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe residency offers a rare chance to see Parliament House from behind the scenes,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt gives an artist the opportunity to create new work that tells the stories of the places and people that have shaped Australia\u2019s democracy.\u201d<\/p>\n
Senate President Sue Lines described Parliament House as \u201can extraordinary place of ideas, history and daily activity\u201d \u2013 something worth capturing.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis program invites an artist to experience this environment first-hand and interpret it through their own creative lens,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Five shortlisted artists will progress to a second proposal stage before one artist is selected by the Parliament House Art Advisory Committee later this year.<\/p>\n
Expressions of interest<\/a> close at 11 am on 16 June 2026.<\/p>\n