The three major acquisition winners of Mudgee’s Sculptures in the Garden exhibition have been announced, taking home a share in $45,000 worth of prize money.
Armidale, NSW, sculptor Francois Jaggi won the major $25,000 Sculptures in the Garden and Mid-Western Regional Prize for his artwork, Stallion, made from wire recovered from bushfire-ravaged farmland in Wollomombi. The semi-abstract sculpture stands three metres tall and captures the powerful image of a stallion in motion.
Francois Jaggi, Stallion. Photograph: Amber Creative
Cox Creek, NSW, sculptor Ludwig Mlcek won the $10,000 Friends of Sculptures in the Garden Prize for his sculpture The Bird Man. 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.”
Cardiff Heights, NSW, sculptor Bridget Whitehead was awarded the $5,000 Moolarben Prize for her Oamaru limestone work Familia, inspired by the importance of nurturing connection.
Now in its 12th year, Sculptures in the Garden is considered the most renowned outdoor sculpture exhibition in regional Australia. The exhibition will run until 23 October 2022 from 10am-4pm daily, with more than 270 sculptures on display and a packed schedule of art, music, food, wine and culture.
Annie Herron, Low Hanging Fruit. Photograph: Amber Creative
In addition to the winning three acquisitions, Annie Herron from Rydal, NSW, 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, local Mudgee artist and Deputy Mayor Sam Payne 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 at Rosby Wines in Mudgee.
