A month celebrating our beautiful Botanic Garden and talented artists from across the country is now in motion, with the Sculpture in the Garden Wollongong Exhibition officially opening on Tuesday (1 April).
The biennial exhibition runs for the month of April and features the work of 18 artists, including the Garden's Sculptor in Residence, with 11 in the running for the $30,000 Acquisitive Prize, and a further six looking to claim the inaugural Ephemeral Prize for artists who use organic and non-durable materials to create their work.
While the official launch and naming of the Acquisitive Prize winner will be held at the Botanic Garden on 10 April, the various works are all freshly installed onsite, with Lord Mayor of Wollongong Councillor Tania Brown getting her first look at the works on offer on Monday.
"It's a very unique opportunity to experience and be inspired by the many brilliant art works on show, while also appreciating the beauty of nature and our environment at the same time," Cr Brown said.
"There are some truly outstanding works on display, and they can be enjoyed by a wide range of people of all ages and interests, including those who might not be ordinarily inclined to wander into an art gallery.
"I always encourage anyone to enjoy a walk through our Botanic Garden at any time of year, but there's certainly no better time that right now with this biennial exhibition on show. You won't be disappointed if you take the walk, so don't miss out."
The 17 artists were chosen from more than 60 quality submissions, with the $10,000 Ephemeral Prize drawing the attention of artists whose proposal drew specific inspiration from the Wollongong Botanic Garden.
The natural setting is what inspired Stephanie Quirk to create her work I Belong Under the Sun, You Belong Under the Sun in the Ephemeral category.
"I applied for Sculpture in the Garden Wollongong because I wanted to work on an idea I've been making, creating, iterating and it's about belonging," she said.
"The idea came from the site here in the Garden and I started to think about the place and belonging and it was sparked from a memory I had as a child when you're under the washing clothesline at home and you've got the sheets and the smell of the fabric, and the dappled sunlight coming through.
"That feeling of safety and belonging in that moment. I wanted to recreate that here in my artwork. I think the best thing about this show is the setting it's in.
"As I've been installing the work, I've had spiders crawling on me and birds sit on the artwork … it's really bringing nature and the artwork together to almost talk to each other."
The $10,000 Ephemeral Prize and $3000 People's Choice prize-winners will be named at a special event at the Botanic Garden on 24 April, bringing the overall prize pool for the event to $43,000.
There will be a free inclusive public program running alongside the exhibition for schools, families and individuals including walking tours, workshops, interactive sculpture building, a kid's exhibition catalogue with activities, after dark nocturnal walks, and buggy tours.
These opportunities and opening hours for the exhibition are available in the official program, available here
