Waste 2 Art Regional Competition and Exhibition

Published on 08 August 2024

Parkes Shire Council is excited to be hosting the Waste 2 Art Regional Competition and Exhibition, opening this Saturday 10 August at 10:30am.

Over 120 winning artworks from the 14 councils, ranging from Broken Hill to Lithgow, that participated in this year's Waste 2 Art will be on exhibit.

Waste 2 Art is a community art exhibition and competition open to all residents of the NetWaste region, showcasing creative works made from reused waste materials. The aim is to challenge peoples’ perceptions about ‘rubbish’ and to celebrate the reuse and recycling of waste through arts and crafts.

Mayor of Parkes Shire, Cr Neil Westcott, highlighted the importance of the event.

"Hosting the Waste 2 Art Regional Competition and Exhibition is a fantastic opportunity for Parkes Shire to showcase the incredible creativity and innovation of our community. This event not only outlines the importance of recycling and waste reduction but also demonstrates how art can inspire and educate. We are proud to support an initiative that turns 'rubbish' into remarkable works of art," said Mayor Westcott.

Waste 2 Art provides an innovative approach to waste education, invites individuals, schools and community groups to take up the challenge and create a new life for materials that would otherwise have been thrown away or considered useless. Over the years many materials have been used, items like soft plastics, tin cans, bottle tops, plastic bags, parts from rusty farm machinery, scrap metal, and bread tags. The options are limitless. Instead of ending up in landfill, these waste materials can be turned into incredible works of art.

This competition gives aspiring and professional artists the chance to explore and share their “waste reduction message”.

A specific waste item is featured as part of Waste to Art each round to highlight problem issues, and this year is the Year of Packaging.

Everyone is invited to attend the opening where winners will be announced, and refreshments served. Bookings for the opening can be made through Humanitix: https://events.humanitix.com/waste-2-art

This exhibition is proudly sponsored by Sims Metal, NetWaste, and Parkes Shire Council.