Gunnedah Bicentennial Creative Arts Gallery will be a hub of upcycled, innovative creations from Friday, 2 June 2017, featuring Gunnedah’s Biennial ‘Waste into Art’ Exhibition.

Every two years, Gunnedah Shire Council asks residents to use their imagination and repurpose waste items into art. This year, the ‘Waste into Art’ Exhibition is expanding, allowing entries from throughout the New England North West to further spread the reduce, reuse, recycle message.

The theme for Waste into Art 2017 is ‘Technologic’. Each year Australians dispose thousands of broken, unwanted or upgraded electrical items into landfill. This exhibition is encouraging people to demonstrate imaginative uses for these discarded items. Artworks should incorporate the re-use or recycling of waste or pre/loved materials and/or may link to the theme ‘Technologic’.

The categories include:

• Section 1 – Early Childhood / Preschool (Group entries)
• Section 2 – Primary Schools (Group entries)
• Section 3 – Secondary Schools (Group entries)
• Section 4 - Individual under 16 years (Individual entries)
• Section 5 – Open Community (Group and Individual entries)
  • 16 years and over- Most Creative
  • Best suits theme of ‘Technologic’
  • Functional Art (Furniture/Homewares/Inventions)
• Section 6 - People’s Choice Award
  • An artwork voted the best by the guests attending the Exhibition will be awarded at the end of the Exhibition period.

The prize money for this year has increased, with winners of each category receiving $150 prize money. One entry will also be selected to be permanently displayed at the Gunnedah Waste Management Facility to promote the recycling message and to celebrate innovative waste turned into art.

“The message of recycling is important for our future. Discarded and preloved items can be transformed into art. We are constantly looking for innovative ways to turn waste into worth and this exhibition is just one way Gunnedah Shire Council is spreading the recycling message,” Gunnedah Shire Council’s Arts and Cultural Officer Lauren Mackley said.

“Waste into Art is a great way to get the community thinking outside the square and into a mindset that focuses on waste reduction. Every year we are continually amazed at the innovative and imaginative creative entries” Gunnedah Shire Council’s Senior Environmental Health Officer Sue Cox said.

Entry forms are available for download below and hard copies can be picked up at the Gunnedah Visitor Information Centre and The Gunnedah Shire Council Office at 63 Elgin Street.

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For enquiries contact Gunnedah Shire Council’s Arts and Cultural Officer, Lauren Mackley on (02) 67 402 100. All entries are required to be submitted to The Visitor Information Centre, 81 Chandos Street Gunnedah before 5:00 pm on Friday 26 May 2017.

The exhibition will officially open at 1:00 pm on June 2, 2017. Community members are invited to come along and place their vote for the People’s Choice Award. The winner will be announced at the close of the Exhibition on Monday, 3 June 2017.

ENDS

Media Contact: Eliza Gallen 6740 2100.