Sculpture in the Valley 2023 was an outstanding success! Hosted at Wilburra Estate, Barrengarry has proven to be a grand success for Arts in the Valley. Both visitors and artists have passed on rave reviews of the exhibition with several describing it as a ‘world-class standard exhibition’.
Around 3,000 visitors made their way to this picturesque estate in Kangaroo Valley. The feedback was unanimous - the event was nothing short of phenomenal!
Sculpture in the Valley will return in September 2025.
WINNER OUTDOOR
Akira Kamada
BIRTH
Prize $20,000
Outdoor Sculpture winner, with a prize of $20,000 is Akira Kamada’s work Birth. The judges described the work as simultaneously physically present and ephemeral. The large work is a suspended nest of interwoven organic materials, including bamboo, discarded local grapevines, wire, recycled copper wire, and twine. It reflects Kamada’s creative background in responding to the natural environment through his lived experience in Japan and now Jervis Bay, as a zen garden designer and a ceramicist.
HIGHLY COMMENDED
OUTDOOR
Greer Taylor
COLLECTING TEARS
Prize $5,000
Outdoor Highly Commended was awarded to South Coast artist Greer Taylor for 'collecting tears' a beautiful work between the natural world and the artist, around the area of grief. The work has also been a crowd favourite with people able to interact and lightly touch the work up close.
PEOPLE'S CHOICE
OUTDOOR
Megan Waud
BANKSIA
Prize $3,000
WINNER INDOOR
Ingrid Morley
TALL TALE
Prize $7,000
The indoor sculpture winner with a prize of $7,000 was Central Tablelands sculptor Ingrid Morley with her four ceramic pieces in the series ‘Tall Tales’. The judges describe it as an evocative and poetic work that shows gentle mastery of the ceramic process.
HIGHLY COMMENDED
INDOOR
Edwardo Milan
MOMENT
Prize $1,500
Indoor Highly Commended, was awarded to Newcastle artist Edwardo Milan for his work ‘Moment’ a sculptural montage that plays between imagery and materiality, an eloquent sculptural conversation.
PEOPLE'S CHOICE
INDOOR
Ulan Murray & Rachel Burns
UMBRA
Prize $2,000
photo competion winners
There was such a variety of captivating images submitted to the photo competition , all displaying their own unique way of reflecting the artistic talent and sheer joy the event offered its visitors, the judges have chosen three Highly Commended entries.
 Marion Redmond is the winner of the Sculpture in the Valley 2023 Photo Competition with their photo of John Fitzmaurice's work Splash |  Katie LoCastro - David Ball - Passage |  Deb Grahame - Edward Wilson - Autumn Fade |
|---|---|---|
 Sabrina Rose - Michael Purdy - A Seat of Learning |
Sculpture in the Valley provided a gallery in nature.
Seventy-five of Australia’s talented artists produced more than fifty eye-catching sculptures which were scattered across the rolling hills and dams of the property. Another fifty indoor sculptures were displayed.
Curator: David Ball
Judges: Janet Laurence and Michael Snape
Sculpture Director: Stuart McCreery
Sculpture in the Valley would like to thank the following without whose cooperation this show would not have been possible:
Andrew McKindlay & Susan Teasey for allowing us the use of their lovely property and preparing it so beautifully.
John Smart for allowing us to use his paddock as our car park, and slashing it for us.
Dave Selby, for undertaking various essential earthworks.
David Ball for volunteering his services as curator, and for providing his soft-tempered forklift to allow sculptures to be placed in their ideal locations.
Kennedy’s Bus & Coach of Nowra whose drivers carried our visitors up and down the steep driveway without incident.
Hertz, who were very flexible in hiring us extra buses.
Nowra Traffic whose team led by Catherine manned the intersection of Grahams Rd and Moss Vale Rd to ensure traffic moved safely.
Kangaroo Valley Golf Club for the loan of a golf buggy which proved invaluable in moving people and things on this tricky terrain.
Scots College Jazz Combo for coming down from Sydney to play for us, is another outstanding example of the community spirit shown by Scots College.
Jeremy Sawkins & Trio and Sunday Lemonade for their musical contributions to the pleasant atmosphere.
Scot from All Events Medical Services whom we did not have to trouble for first aid but whose presence was a solid reassurance.
Angie of Angie’s Foods and Pam Russell for the coffee cart.
Create NSW and the NSW Government for their grant for our intended exhibition in 2021, and for being flexible in allowing us to apply it to this one.
And of course, to our marvellous team leaders and volunteers without whom the show would not have been possible, nor half as enjoyable!
The owners of Wilburra Estate, Andrew McKindlay and Susan Teasey deserve heartfelt thanks. Their generous decision to lend their property for the exhibition provided a stunning backdrop and showcased their support for arts and culture in the region. Their meticulous preparation of the venue played a pivotal role in elevating the entire experience. It has become one of the most distinguished properties in the valley and provided exactly the right combination of varied landscape elements to give curator and sculptor David Ball the opportunity to place each sculpture in the right spot to show it to advantage.
Without Kangaroo Valley’s famed volunteers, the exhibition would not have been possible. Nearly all the feedback mentioned how pleasant our visitors had found their experience and attributed it in large part to the excellent organisation and friendly volunteers.
For the sculptors, the opportunity to display their works in such a perfect location was a delight. And around one-third of the works displayed were sold.
CONTACT
Enquiries regarding Sculpture in the Valley, please contact
Stuart McCreery, Sculpture Director
sculpture@artsinthevalley.net.au
