Click on images to enlarge
2011
21 September 2011
Rosby Vineyard to host sculpture exhibition
A private garden outside Mudgee will be the stage for one of the largest sculpture exhibitions in rural NSW next month.
Mudgee Support Group of Guide Dogs NSW/ACT will host Sculptures in the Garden in the grounds of the Rosby Vineyard and its mudbrick homestead on October 15 to 16.
Well-known artists including Sam Valenz, Nigel White, Al Phemister and Stephen Hall have created sculptures of recycled wood, metal, vintage machinery and found objects.
All sculptures will be for sale.
There will also be garden design presentations by renowned designers Gay Stanton and Tig Crowley, and presenter Sam Valenz, a lecturers at the Sydney Gallery School.
Local artists Maurice Berry and Peter Brooks will host hands-on 'recycled' sculpture workshops through the weekend.
Morning tea and lunches will be available in the Rosby gardens, as well as a selection of plants, fresh produce, olive oil, earthenware pots, gardening books and homewares for sale.
Money raised will help the Mudgee Guides Support Group ' the irony of which has not been entirely lost on volunteers.
'It is deeply ironic that we're celebrating visual beauty in sculpture and gardens to support the very people who can't necessarily see such things,' organiser Lesley Robertson said.
'But that's also the point - for people with vision impairment to gain the mobility and independence they need to share all those beautiful things in life.'
Rosby Vineyard is along Henry Lawson Drive, off Strikes Lane near the old Eurunderee School.
Exhibiting artists include Lean Ferris, Caz Haswell, Roshelle McKillop, Kay Rice, Susie Munro Ross, Jenny Skinner and Margot Stephens as well as emerging sculptors from Mudgee, Orange, Molong, Yass and the Sydney Gallery School.
The gardens will be open from 10am to 4pm each day.
Mayor Des Kennedy will officially open the event on Saturday, October 15, at 10am1 .
2012
28 August 2012
Sculptures in the Garden returns to Mudgee
One of the largest outdoor sculpture exhibitions in rural NSW will be held in Mudgee on Saturday October 13 and Sunday, October 14.
Sculptures in the Garden will be held in Mudgee, in Kay and Gerald Norton-Knight's garden, 'Rosby', from 10am to 4pm each day.
The event will be hosted by the Mudgee Support Group of Guide Dogs NSW/ACT and Rosby Wines.
The first Sculptures in the Garden, held in 2011, attracted 130 sculptures and more than 1000 visitors over the weekend and this year's event promises to be even bigger.
Well-known artists from all over Australia will be exhibiting sculptures of timber, ceramics, metal, bronze, stone, vintage machinery and found objects and all the sculptures will be for sale.
This is a wonderful opportunity for well-known and emerging artists to exhibit their work, and for visitors to see great artwork displayed in a beautiful rural setting.
Artists exhibiting work will include John Dahlsen, Lea Ferris, Alec Gill, Karen Herring, Roshelle McKillop, Brett Nutting, Al Phemister, Margot Stephens, Nigel White and Maurice Berry
Each day there will be a Sculpture Walk with the artists, a Garden Walk with Sandy Pratten and a Wearable Art competition and parade, as well as free children's activities.
Delicious morning tea, lunches and wines will be available, as well as an impressive selection of local plants, fresh produce, flowers, olive oil, gardening books and homewares, all for sale.
Entry is just $5 and all profits raised will assist the Mudgee Guide Dogs Support Group and a local arts initiative to create a sculpture walk in Lawson Park, Mudgee.
Sculptures in the Garden will be officially opened by Mayor Des Kennedy on Saturday, October 13, at 11am.
Sculpture walks will be held on Saturday and Sunday at 11.05am and 2.30pm and wearable art parades will be held daily at 1pm.
Kay & Gerald Norton-Knight's garden, Rosby, is at122 Strikes Lane, Mudgee, (10km from Mudgee on Henry Lawson Drive)2 .
2013
12 September 2013
Clover Moore to open Sculptures in the Garden
Lord Mayor of Sydney, Clover Moore, will next month open a Mudgee outdoor art exhibition that has become one of the largest across NSW.
This year marks the third annual Sculptures in the Garden at Rosby Vineyard's garden and it is being hailed as a flagship event.
More than 100 sculptors have lined up to exhibit and, after showing interest in Mudgee region sculptures at the Pyrmont Festival of Food, Wine and Art this year, Mrs Moore will open Sculptures in the Garden on October 12.
What was once a Mudgee artist's pipe dream is now a creative force in regional NSW.
When renowned Mudgee artist Kay Norton-Knight told her family she wanted to host a sculpture exhibition in their garden, they couldn't imagine how quickly the event would take on a life of its own.
The second of four daughters, Amber Norton-Knight said Kay is always looking for new things to do in the vineyard, or the garden, or the mud hut, or the guesthouse. Amber also manages Rosby's busy year-round schedule of wine launches and art workshops.
As the owner of the local vineyard, Kay's approach has always been underpinned by her love of regional art, open-air sculpture, and iconic Mudgee landscapes. Her creative flair has complemented Rosby Premium Wines for 30 years.
This is the perfect event for so many different kinds of people. It's an opportunity to see our beautiful garden, offset with amazing sculptures and artworks,' Amber said.
All sculptures are for sale. Many people don't even think about how special a sculpture or piece of art could be in their own home until they see it at ours, which is very rewarding.
We also have the added benefit of being able to support a local charity in Guide Dogs NSW/ACT and the development of the regional art scene.
Last year Sculptures in the Garden attracted 250 sculptures, by 60 different artists, displayed creatively around the garden. All the sculptures were for sale, with prices ranging from $40 to $26,000. Over 100 sculptures were sold for a total of almost $70,000, and the 20 per cent commission on sculpture sales was donated to the Guide Dogs NSW/ACT charity, and an arts initiative to create a sculpture walk in Lawson Park, Mudgee.
According to Amber Mid-Western Regional Council recently committed to match funds raised from the event for a public sculpture walk.
Entry to Sculptures in the Garden is $5 and all profits raised from the sale of the sculptures goes to the Mudgee Guide Dogs Support Group and towards funding a new 'sculpture walk' in Mudgee's town centre.
More than 100 sculptors are already lined up to exhibit at Sculptures In The Garden on October 12 and 13 to a crowd of thousands.
From 9am to 4pm across on both days of the exhibition, visitors will experience unique and original sculptural artworks ranging from small, delicate garden 'objets d'art' to large-scale collaborative pieces.
Twice-daily garden walks will be led by local horticultural and art experts and visitors can also learn how a blind person finds their horse in the wet with Paralympic equestrian Sue Ellen Lovett giving a glimpse of her life with her horse and her guide dog, Prada.
Even the non-sculptural will be entertained with a raft of on-site attractions: a wearable art parade; chainsaw workshop; coffee; gourmet food by the local Guide Dogs Committee; art displays from local schools; children's activities, as well as an impressive selection of local plants, fresh produce, flowers, olive oil and gardening books.
Credit: Darren Snyder3
2014
7 October 2014
Sculptures in the Gardens to feature over 200 works
There will be horses of course, birds and other animals, pieces to make you think, and pieces that look pretty, all spread throughout the gardens at Rosby Vineyard when Sculptures in the Garden returns to Mudgee this weekend.
In a repeat of last year, Lord Mayor Clover Moore, will open the exhibition on Saturday, October 11 before taking a tour of the 200 sculptures presented by well-known local and New South Wales artists for the event.
Like our local community, Clover Moore is a big supporter of public art. While the City of Sydney is doing it on a bigger scale, there is certainly a similar public art movement in Mudgee. Like the City of Sydney, our Council is continuing to invest in public art for the region. Council matches the contribution made by Sculptures in the Garden to purchase sculptures to be put on public display,' Amber Norton-Knight form Rosby said.
Clover Moore said the event has a great appeal for Sydney-siders, and was hoping many of them made the trip to Mudgee to take part in the event.
Sculptures in the Garden is a fantastic event with great cultural merit. It is clearly becoming a flagship exhibition and is a very valuable promotion of public art. Public art, like great architecture, can make a place memorable. It can shape a town or city's image and make empty spaces exciting, engaging and unique,' she said.
Sculptures in the Garden regularly attracts more than 200 sculptures, with the aim of raising money for Guide Dogs NSW/ACT and a local arts initiative to develop a sculpture walk in Mudgee's Lawson Park. Each of the sculptures in the exhibition are put up for sale on the day, with over 100 sculptures at the 2013 event raising nearly $60,000.
Sculptures in the Garden is an annual sculpture exhibition in the garden of Mudgee winery, Rosby. This year the event will be held from 9am ' 4pm on October 11 and 124 .
2015
14 August 2015
Mudgee's Sculptures in the Garden Event organisers are calling for Dubbo artists to take part.
There is less than a month to go for sculptors to submit their works and take part in the annual event at Rosby Vineyard.
For one weekend of the year, the large garden of the Rosby homestead fills with hundreds of sculptures in every shape and media, ranging from scrap metal to cast bronze.
Entries will close on Friday, September 11, one month before Sculptures in the Garden is held on October 10 and 11.
Sculptures in the Vineyard is one of the Mudgee region's biggest art events and one of the biggest sculpture exhibitions in rural NSW.
Last year more than 270 sculptures were exhibited in the Rosby garden under the Eurunderee hills, and organisers expect around 30,000 visitors through the gate in 2015.
The event allows local sculptors to exhibit alongside celebrated artists from around Australia, and to sell their work - in 2014 more than half the sculptures sold, including pieces purchased by Mid-Western Regional Council for public display in Lawson Park.
The best Mudgee sculptors feature alongside artists who have produced public works for the City of Sydney, and others who have featured in Sculpture by the Sea.
This year for the first time, Dame Marie Bashir will open the event and announce the winners of the acquisitive prizes on the Saturday morning.
Sculptures in the Garden is a not-for-profit event, with proceeds going to the Mudgee Support Group of Guide Dogs NSW/ACT and the purchase of public art for a sculpture walk in Mudgee's Lawson Park.
Last year's event raised more than $20,000 for the Mudgee Support Group for Guide Dogs NSW/ACT.
Entry forms can be found on the Sculptures in the Garden page at www.rosby.com.au5 .
2016
16 September 2016
The sixth annual outdoor art exhibition, Sculptures In The Garden
The sixth annual outdoor art exhibition, Sculptures In The Garden, is set to turn Mudgee into a cultural epicentre on October 8-9, with hundreds of nationally recognised and regional artists already submitting works.
Former Art Gallery of NSW director Edmund Capon will officially open the 2016 event and has already expressed his excitement at the calibre and diversity of submitted works.
"Sculpture is no longer the poor cousin in the story of Australian art but a lively, thriving centerpiece," he said.
Featured artists for this year's event include Sculptures By The Sea exhibitors Jimmy Rix and John Fitzmaurice, MONA exhibitor Greg Taylor, local artist and former Sculptures By The Sea exhibitor Nigel White, and Vivid exhibitor Alan Rose, among many others.
SIG artistic director Kay Norton-Knight said she was particularly pleased that more than half of this year's submissions are from new artists to Sculptures in the Garden.
"It is very exciting that the exhibition is attracting some big names in the Australian and international art world, but we are even more thrilled that SIG is a way for emerging artists to have their work displayed and their name in front of potential buyers and curators," she said.
Hosted in the gardens of Rosby vineyard, organisers are expecting more than 3,000 visitors this year, with the Mudgee Support Group for the Guide Dogs NSW/ACT assisting throughout the two days running the gate and providing catering for the event.
A discussion panel will be a new feature of the 2016 event, with Mr Capon taking a seat alongside architect and arts philanthropist Susan Rothwell, local sculptor Nigel White, Minister for the Arts Troy Grant, and Orana Arts regional development officer Alicia Leggett to discuss the benefits of public art.
The panel will be hosted by artist and Scenic World's Sculpture exhibition manager, Justin Morrissey, on Saturday October 8, at 1pm.
Other highlights include the return of the popular Kids Sculpture exhibition, live music and garden tours6 .
2017
29 August 2017
One of Australia's finest abstract sculptors to open Mudgee's Sculptures in the Gardens
Paul Selwood, one of Australia's finest abstract sculptors, and a previous Sculptures by the Sea winner will open this year's Sculptures in the Gardens at Rosby Vineyard, Mudgee.
The outdoor sculpture exhibition is on the weekend of October 7-8, 2017 and each year showcase hundreds of artworks in the setting of the Rosby homestead and vineyard outside Mudgee.
Guest speakers in previous years have included former director of Art Gallery of NSW Edmund Capon, Professor The Honourable Dame Marie Bashir and Lord Mayor of the City of Sydney Clover Moore.
Paul Selwood lives and works in the sculpture park he established on the outskirts of Wollombi, in the Hunter Valley.
He has received many awards for his sculpture including the winner of Sculpture by the Sea, Bondi in 2011 and the prestigious Balnaves Foundation Sculpture Prize the same year.
Entries for Sculptures in the Garden are open online at www.sculpturesinthegarden.com.au7
2018
9 October 2018
Garden of delights at 2018 Mudgee Sculptures in the Garden
Sculptures in the Garden, was held at Rosby winery in Mudgee over the weekend with over 3,500 people attending, an increase of one thousand people from last year.
Special guest and revered patron of Australian art, Wendy Whiteley opened the exhibition, which showcased the largest ever collection of works for the event.
With three major acquisition prizes up for grabs, winners included; Hui Selwood from Hill End who took out the major $25,000 Sculptures in the Garden and Mid-Western Regional Council prize with his work, 'Pentad'.
Matt Hill from Melbourne who won the $10,000 Friends of Sculptures in the Garden prize for his work 'Jack Thompson (Cleo Centrefold circa 1973)' and Richard Nagel, a Mudgee local was awarded the $5,000 Moolarben prize for his work, 'Flame Within'.
These acquired works will be included in Mudgee's sculpture walk in Lawson Park joining the 14 sculptures already featured.
After officially opening the event, Wendy Whiteley spoke about how impressed she was with the talent.
"I was blown away by the entire event and the level of talent on display. I was so honoured to be involved in the proceedings and urge anyone interested in art, gardens and a magical country setting to make sure they put this exhibition on their must-do list," she said8 .
2019
19 September 2019
Mudgee vineyard hosts art exhibit
Sculptures in the Garden is arguably the largest and most renowned regional sculpture exhibition in NSW. Set among country gardens and vineyard vistas at Mudgee, it provides the perfect backdrop for the over 100 artists exhibiting more than 250 pieces of work.
In its ninth year, it is expected to be the biggest year yet with author and photographer, Annabelle Hickson scheduled to host a book signing and talk on the Sunday of the two-day exhibition held on October 12 and 13.
Sculptor Stephen King has been confirmed to open this year's event in Mudgee. King, a sheep and cattle farmer, is well-known for his oversized carved and constructed wood sculptures and takes influence from farm life and issues around the environment and humanity.
He has won an array of prizes including Sculpture by the Sea's major prize in 2013. All of King's creations tell a story about life on the land with his messages spreading far and wide including to Denmark where he was invited to exhibit at Sculpture by the Sea Aarhus, an exhibition set up by Prince Frederik and Princess Mary in Denmark.
Proceeds from the weekend exhibition will be used to purchase public art for the Mudgee Sculpture Walk in a joint venture with Mid-Western Regional Council. Revenue collected at the gate and from catering will go to Mudgee Support Group of Guide Dogs NSW/ACT9 .
2020
7 April 2020
A decade of 'Sculptures'
It's hard to imagine that Sculptures in the Garden will celebrate a decade this year. A staple of the Mudgee arts calendar, Sculptures has seen dozens of local and national artists bring their best work to Rosby Wines for the two-day event.
Kay Norton-Knight reflected on the last decade and what is next for the event.
"In the early days I was going to art school and we had to stage an exhibition. I majored in sculpture myself so we had to stage an exhibition to get that diploma certificate but we couldn't find a venue in Sydney - I was doing the fine arts course in Sydney - so I said, well, why not Mudgee? Thinking it will just be the students and the teachers probably and a few other locals and yeah that's actually how it all started," Kay said.
"So that was the very first one and a lot of the teachers came who were sculptors sculptors themselves so they participated. And it's grown from there which is pretty exciting but these days we'd probably get a third of the sculptors from Victoria and a third from around New South Wales and a third, a local people exhibiting. So, it has changed considerably."
Sculptures 2020 is set for October 10-11. Kay said she hopes things have gone back to some sort of normality by then.
"I know the exhibition brings a lot of tourists dollars to Mudgee," she said.
"It's a not for profit exhibition and you know, it's this lovely thing. We've been through a disastrous year with the drought and the bushfires and smoke, you know, all our grape crops had smoke damage, we lost all those, and so did everyone else in the district.
"But this is our 10th year and we're going to - after this year we're going to stage it somehow in a different format but we just we don't quite know how yet.
"Hopefully it'll go ahead and and have a great boost to the economy."
Funds raised at the event go to Guide Dogs NSW/ACT. So far, Kay estimates about $160,000 has been raised for the organisation in the last ten years.
Proceeds raised from the exhibition also go towards a local arts initiative to create the sculpture walk in Lawson Park10 .
8 May 2020
Call-out for submissions for Mudgee's tenth annual Sculptures in the Garden
Regional NSW's largest outdoor sculpture exhibition, Mudgee's renowned Sculptures in The Garden, is now open for submissions for its 10th anniversary event.
SIG provides artists an opportunity to exhibit their works and showcase them alongside local, regional, metropolitan and interstate artists. Last year was the biggest collection of works exhibited in the history of the event and over 3,500 visitors are expected to visit in 2020.
Artists will also be in the running for a number of the acquisition and non-acquisition prizes, with a total value for 2020 of over $43,000.
That includes the top prize of $25,000 for the Sculptures in the Garden and Mid-Western Regional Council's acquisition prize. There is also a new prize this year being the Artistic Merit Prize for Small Sculpture.
READ ALSO: Restrictions will not be lifted before Mother's Day in NSW
READ ALSO: Organisations encouraged to apply for funding to get community projects built
READ ALSO: Community Transport needs volunteer drivers, numbers impacted by COVID-19 situation
All works that are acquired will be showcased in Council's public art collection and displayed within the Lawson Park Sculpture Walk. The exhibition has contributed 20 acquisitive works to the walk over the years, which is visited and enjoyed year-round by both locals and visitors to the region.
Furthermore, the walk acts as a legacy of the SIG event and all it has achieved for arts in the Central West.
In 2019, over 50 per cent of works from the exhibition were sold and more than $20,000 was raised for the local branch of Guide Dogs NSW/ACT.
Organisers will be looking to pull out all the stops to celebrate the 10-year milestone this year.
Not to mention, sculpture and art can be such a fantastic distraction for both the creator and its audiences - which hopefully has been the case for artists over these past few months.
Entries close August 21, visit sculpturesinthegarden.com.au/info-for-artists11
2021
11 November 2021
Mudgee's premier outdoor art exhibition showcases local artists from the state: The opening of Mudgee's Sculptures in the Garden coincided with the state's eased travel rules for regional areas, as hundreds of visitors came through the gates to celebrate.
n Mudgee, regional Australia's largest outdoor sculpture exhibition is celebrating its 11th year.
Saturday's opening of Sculptures in the Garden coincided with the state's eased travel restrictions for regional areas, and more than 700 visitors came through the gates to celebrate.
The 16-day, not-for-profit event at Rosby Vineyard gardens is expected to revitalise interest in the region with proceeds going to Guide Dogs NSW & ACT.
More than 285 sculptures by well-known local & NSW artists are on display across the expansive grounds.
The event's artistic director, Kay Norton-Knight, said her vision was to provide a venue for emerging artists to display their works & encourage visitors to the region.
"We've got wonderful works from right around Australia. Everyone's so excited," she said.
"The pandemic hit us hard, most of our business was shut from July. We're just hoping it's a chance for people to get back out & see what the region has to offer."
Steel-sculpture artist Adam Humphrey, from Duri near Tamworth, said it was an opportunity to showcase art against the backdrop of Mudgee's rolling hills.
"There's something for everyone in the garden, no matter what your style is," Mr Humphrey said.
Artist Richard Nagel, who has exhibited for Sculptures in the Garden since its inception in 2011, hoped the exhibition will bring visitors back to the state's Central West.
"Hospitality has been something that's really suffered here. Places such as wineries, restaurants & pubs that are the essence of Mudgee couldn't function"
"With accommodation also drying up, hopefully this will give tourists another reason to come to the region," he said.
As the event geared up for additional visitors from NSW & now Victoria, Ms Norton-Knight says the event would follow COVID-19 guidelines.
"We were lucky enough to get the event approved, so now we're ready to bring Mudgee back!" she said12 .
2022
8 October 2022
ALL kinds of stunning, intricate and intriguing sculptures will be on display in Mudgee in October, and among them will be the works of two talented Bathurst artists.
Sculptures in the Garden has now become the largest and most well-known sculpture exhibition in regional Australia.
The annual event, which is in its 12th year, will feature the work of 130 artists and is expected to attract 5000 visitors.
Bathurst artists Stephen Hogan and Tony Smith will have their work on display at the 2022 event.
Mr Hogan is a full time sculptor who uses scrap steel to create pieces that respect and preserve the original, while giving them new form, life and meaning in a modern context.
Mr Smith on the other hand works primarily with Corten steel.
His interest in welding and creating steel sculptures developed after many years working in the construction industry.
Sculptures in the Garden will open at Mudgee's Rosby winery on Saturday, October 8, with the event to run over two weeks, though to October 23.
Musical entertainment will add to the ambience.
The Sydney Bach Society will be at Rosby for the first weekend of Sculptures in the Garden, and there will be musical performances throughout the exhibition from Matt Boylan-Smith and friends.
Mudgee café, The Corner Store, will be providing food throughout the exhibition to complement the wines served from the Rosby Wine Bar.
Tickets to the event can be purchased from www.sculpturesinthegarden.com.au.
Entry fees will be donated to The Mudgee Support Group for The Guide Dogs Association, with proceeds going directly to the charity.
Together the event and the support group have raised over $175,000 for the cause13 .
13 October 2022
Three artists take out $45,000 in prize money at Sculptures in the Garden exhibition
Armidale-based sculptor Francois Jaggi won $25,000 for his artwork titled "Stallion", which was made from wire recovered from bushfire-ravaged farmland in Wollomombi.
Ludwig Mlcek of Cox Creek who won the $10,000 Friends of Sculptures in the Garden prize for his sculpture 'The Bird Man', and Bridget Whitehead from Cardiff Heights won the the $5,000 Moolarben prize for her piece 'Familia'.
Indigiearth finds a new home and a new focus Mayor calls for patience as roads remain closed and Windamere swells to 102.6% Group 10 JRL boss sees positives in controversial rule changes that include no-tackle games Winner of the top prize Francois Jaggi said he had goosebumps learning he was awarded the top prize.
"Sculptures in the Garden is in my view the best exhibition in the country due to its diversity. It is a fantastic celebration of creativity and I'm honoured to have received this acknowledgement out of so many deserving artists," Mr Jaggi said.
The second major prize was awarded to Ludwig Mlcek of Cox Creek. The inspiration for his carved wood sculpture was a childhood memory.
"As a child, my grandma told me a story from Wallachian mythology about a bird man, that lived with and could speak the bird language and this is how I visualised and dreamt about him. Then and now," Mr Mlcek said.
Bridget Whitehead won third prize for her Oamaru limestone sculpture, 'Familia', which is inspired by the importance of nurturing connection.
In addition to the winning three acquisitions, Annie Herron from Rydal received the $5,000 Buchanan Acquisition Prize for hanging sculpture for 'Low Hanging Fruit' which will be hung in the grounds of the Mudgee Hospital.
During the next two weeks of Sculptures in the Garden, artist and Deputy Mayor Sam Paine will be leading guided sculpture walks through the exhibition for any visitors who would like a more informative experience. The walks will begin at 11am from the Rosby Gallery.
The exhibition runs until Sunday 23 October at Rosby Vineyard 10am-4pm daily.
CREDIT: Benjamin Palmer14