WEDNESDAY 6 JULY - Sculpture by the Sea is pleased to announce Aqualand Australia as the new Principal Sponsor for the annual outdoor exhibition at Bondi from 20 October to 6 November 2016. The three year sponsorship is the most significant in the exhibitions history and will support the continued growth of the acclaimed Bondi event.
As part of the sponsorship, the $60,000 Aqualand Sculpture Award will be awarded to an exhibiting artist at the media launch and opening day of the exhibition. Thanks to Aqualand the sculpture will be gifted for permanent public enjoyment in Sydney.
Celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2016, the world’s largest annual free-to-the-public outdoor sculpture exhibition will greatly benefit from the support of Aqualand Australia with a three year sponsorship. The 20th Bondi exhibition features its 2,000th sculpture and over 100 new artworks from Australian and international artists, many of whom will be exhibiting at Sculpture by the Sea, Bondi for the very first time. Over 500,000 international, national and local visitors are expected to enjoy the 18 day exhibition.
Mr Jin Lin, Managing Director, Aqualand said it’s very exciting and a great privilege to be invited to be the Principal Sponsor of Sculpture by the Sea, which is such an iconic annual event in Sydney.
“Our aim at Aqualand is to inspire life; we think with our hearts to create better, smarter and more beautiful living environments and firmly believe that accessible public art is a key element of vibrant and engaged communities. It really is our great pleasure therefore to be associated with an innovative, iconic event that pushes creative boundaries and brings outstanding public art each year from countries all around the world to the people of Sydney, and its visitors.” Jin said.
David Handley Founding Director, Sculpture by the Sea said: “The Aqualand sponsorship is wonderful news for Sculpture by the Sea, Bondi. We were really sweating on securing a new Principal Sponsor. To have Aqualand join us for three years to help us stage Sculpture by the Sea, Bondi as a free exhibition, while enabling the placement of three sculptures for permanent public enjoyment over the next three years is a very significant act of corporate philanthropy for the people of Sydney and its visitors”.
This year’s exhibition features sculptures from 15 countries including China, USA, Japan and Brazil that were selected from some 500 submissions by this year’s Curatorial Panel: Deborah Edwards, former Senior Curator of Australian Art, AGNSW; Dr. Michael Hill, Head of Art History & Theory, National Art School, Sydney; Dr. Phoebe Scott, Curator, National Gallery Singapore; and Dr. Nien Schwarz, Artist & Senior Lecturer, School of Communications and Arts, Edith Cowan University, Perth.
The Curatorial Panel have selected this years $30,000 Helen Lempriere Scholarships and $10,000 Clitheroe Foundation Emerging Sculptor Mentorships.
As part of this year’s 20th anniversary celebrations, Perpetual, the managers of the Helen Lempriere Bequest, have made possible a fourth $30,000 Helen Lempriere Scholarship for Australian artists. This year’s recipients are:
Jennifer Turpin (NSW) – Senior Artist
Geoffrey Bartlett (VIC) – Senior Artist
Hanna Hoyne (ACT) – Mid Career Artist
Norton Flavell (WA) – Emerging Artist
The recipients of the three $10,000 Clitheroe Foundation Emerging Sculptor Mentorships are:
Sophie Clague (NSW)
Nicole Larkin (NSW)
Mitchell Thomas (NSW)
To look towards the next decade and as a continued part of Sculpture by the Sea’s aim to reach out to the world and across Sydney the not for profit organisation will announce a new exhibition in the coming month and is initiating the ‘Sydney Sculpture Conference’ at the Sydney Opera House on 27 October. Thanks to funding from Federal Ministry for the Arts Catalyst program and presented in partnership with world renowned Yorkshire Sculpture Park (England), the ‘Sydney Sculpture Conference’ will create a platform for discussion and critical thinking featuring leading international and Australian speakers who will consider the challenges, impact and possibilities of ‘Sculpture: In Public Space’. Early Bird Conference tickets go on sale 9am Monday 11 July via www.sydneyoperahouse.com