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Castaways 2012: Entries Selected

More than 50 entries have been selected out of over 90 submissions for the Castaways 2012 Sculpture Exhibition, now in its fifth year. The City received almost double the number of submissions for this year’s competition and exhibition. 

More than 15,000 visitors attended Castaways in 2011, and record numbers are again expected at Rockingham Foreshore beginning Mother’s Day weekend, Saturday 12 May until Sunday 20 May.

Many regular exhibitors at Castaways were also selected to participate in Sculpture by the Sea this year at Cottesloe including Tania Spencer, 2010 major winner of Castaways, Toby Bell, Richard Hammer and Robin Yakinthou, all of whom have created new works for Castaways 2012.

Competition will be fierce with $17,500 in prizes across five categories. Curator Lyn DiCiero said visitors can expect the unexpected. “With such a wide pool of entries, the final selection of works is compelling. There’s a four metre high rocket ship made from salvaged aluminium from the decommissioned Prospector train, an oversized snail with a special recycling message in its silvery aluminium trail, to a matching set of birds with feathers made from old playing cards too worn to be reused.”

City of Rockingham Deputy Mayor, Deb Hamblin said Castaways is a major tourism drawcard for the City: “Seeing our beautiful foreshore come to life for the exhibition is a wonderful experience and Castaways carries a special message about recycling and creating these works from recycled materials presents unique challenges for the artists.

I would like to acknowledge all of the submitting artists this year, as competition for a place in the exhibition is getting tighter with each passing year.

“The range of works submitted was of a truly impressive nature and I am looking forward to visitors to the region seeing what is promising to be one of our finest Castaways exhibitions yet.”

The judging panel for Castaways will this year be headed by Amy Barrett-Lennard, Director of the Perth Institute of Contemporary Art.

Curator Lyn DiCiero said all successful artists had been notified: “Artists feel it is a great honour to be selected and have their work seen by so many people,”

For the second year running, a special Schools Award is also being held on the final weekend of the exhibition, with six entries from local schools in the running to win the BHP Billiton Perpetual Schools Award Trophy.
 
For the first time a new section has been devoted to combined groups such as sculpture students from Challenger Institute of Technology, led by tutor Shaaron du Bignon, and the Bentley Community Garden Group led by artist Charlotte O’Shea.

Also in its inaugural year is the Castaways Poetry Prize with more than 50 entries. Coupled with the Forum ‘Sculpture with a Conscience’, Castaways Sculpture Awards 2012 once again promises to bring a week of colour and imagination to the Rockingham Foreshore.
 
Visitors have a chance to be part of the fun with the inaugural Castaways Photographic Award. Simply take the best photograph of works on the beach and visit the City’s website for more information and guidelines of how to enter.

More Information and photo opportunites
Please telephone Lyn DiCiero, Castaways Curator on 9336 1861 or email art@artistschronicle.com.au
OR City of Rockingham, Community Capacity Building: Culture and Arts team on 9528 0386, or email  lee.battersby@rockingham.wa.gov.au.

Image: Displaced, polystyrene packaging, poly pipe, steel, wood and aluminium by Carol Clitheroe.
Image: Alan/Alana, recycled aluminium bicycle rims by Richard Hammer. 

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