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Erica Zaino, ‘Who am I?’, 2023, plastic, aluminium, fibreglass. Image credit: courtesy the artist.The City’s iconic Castaways Sculpture Awards will be back this spring, taking over the Rockingham Foreshore from Saturday 21 October to Sunday 29 October 2023.  

Castaways is an annual outdoor sculptural exhibition showcasing artworks created from repurposed materials at the Rockingham Foreshore.

Castaways started in 2008 as a community arts project to raise awareness around the discarded items or ‘castaways’ washing up on local beaches and has continued to expand and evolve. Today, Castaways provides an important opportunity for emerging and professional Western Australian artists, schools and local businesses to be a part of a regionally-recognised arts program that continues to promote sustainable values.

Castaways Sculpture Awards consists of three exhibitions, with a prize pool of $27,000 (non-acquisitive):

Erica Zaino, Who am I?, 2023, plastic, aluminium, fibreglass. Image credit: courtesy of the artist

Phil Gamblen, 'Burst', 2023, aluminium, PLA plastic, LED’s. Image credit: courtesy the artist. Phil Gamblen, 'Burst', 2023, aluminium, PLA plastic, LED’s. Image credit: courtesy the artist.

Main Exhibition 

The Main Exhibition showcases large outdoor sculptures set against the backdrop of the Rockingham Foreshore.

Western Australian artists are invited to enter their sculpture for selection.

Sculptures must use recycled and repurposed materials, and must include a 30% visible aluminium component to be eligible for the Major Award. 

Phil Gamblen, Burst, 2023, aluminium, PLA plastic, LEDs. Image credit: courtesy of the artist

Maquette and Small Sculpture Exhibition

The Maquette and Small Sculpture Exhibition celebrates the intricacy of small-scale three-dimensional artworks.

Emerging and professional artists are invited to create indoor sculptures using recycled and repurposed materials.

The Maquette and Small Sculpture Exhibition is held at the Rockingham Arts Centre, just a short stroll from Rockingham Foreshore.

Liliana Stafford, Wistful Dreaming, 2023, grass tree wood, vines, recycled chrystalline tissue paper, fine copper wire, glass, fibre. Image credit: courtesy of the artist

South Coast Baptist College. ‘The Garden of New Life’, 2023, CD’s, plastic bottles, bottle tops, solar powered lights. Image credit: courtesy the artist. South Coast Baptist College. ‘The Garden of New Life’, 2023, CD’s, plastic bottles, bottle tops, solar powered lights. Image credit: courtesy the artist.

Schools Exhibition

Primary and secondary schools are invited to design and create a sculpture from recycled or repurposed materials for public exhibition alongside emerging and professional artists. A number of benefits have been reported by teachers, including student collaboration, belonging to a community event, and the pursuit of knowledge and new skills.

Castaways aims to introduce to young people to how values and important messages can be effectively promoted through engaging channels – important for future community leaders. The Castaways Schools Exhibition is displayed on the Rockingham Foreshore in Churchill Park, alongside the Main Exhibition.

South Coast Baptist College, The Garden of New Life, 2023, CDs, plastic bottles, bottle tops, solar powered lights. Image credit: courtesy of the artist

Guest Artist - Denise PepperDenise Pepper, ‘The Money Plant’, 2023, acrylic plastics. Image credit: courtesy the artist.

Each year Castaways invites a Guest Artist to exhibit alongside the Main Exhibition. This aims to facilitate an exchange of knowledge between emerging exhibiting artists and senior practitioners. Previously, Guest Artists have included world-class sculptors such as Greg James, Tania Spencer, and Gordon Mitchell. 

The Guest Artist for 2023 is Denise Pepper, who is known for works which are colourful, playful, innovative and elegant. 

Her work is seen in both outdoor sculpture and gallery shows, and she is the recipient of a raft of prizes both in Australia and overseas. 

In 2021, she was one of just 13 selected from thousands across the country to participate in the series Making It Australia, broadcast nationally on Network 10, where participants were challenged to create artworks within a time frame.

Denise Pepper, The Money Plant, 2023, acrylic plastics. Image credit: courtesy of the artist

2023 Finalists

Main Exhibition

Richard Aitken, Kerrie Argent, Chorus Ability Arts, Jeff Cork, John Dakin, Tom de Munk-Kerkmeer, Tich Dixon, Catia Dolzadelli, Moira Fearby, Paul Fontanini, Phil Gamblen, Janet Gray, Chris Harding, Joan Johnson, Rene Lehner, Rachael Lemon, Scott Michell, Coster Mkoki, Sheila Monahan, Tony Pankiw, Kim Perrier, Linda Rae, Bjoern Rainer-Adamson, Kelly Robbins, Heloise Roberts, Liliana Stafford, Darren Smith, Ed Stafford, Nicole Steenhof, Nicholas Thompson, Jill Warnock, Dennis Wilson, Erica Zaino and Len Zuks.

Maquette and Small Sculpture Exhibition

Neda Bahrem, Sherri Brown, Carol Clitheroe, Moira Court, Tom de Munk-Kerkmeer, Lisa Dymond, Paul Fontanini, Jacqueline Gibson, Sarah Green, Louise Grimshaw, Adam Hisham-Ismail, Joan Johnson, Kay Manolas, Janice O'Meara, Richard Peterson, Ed Stafford, Liliana Stafford, Christopher Williamson, Rima Zabaneh and G.A. Züchner-Mogall.

Schools Exhibition

Primary Schools

Bungaree Primary School, Charthouse Primary School, Living Waters Lutheran College, Rockingham Beach Campus, Settlers Primary School and South Coast Baptist College.

Secondary Schools

Alta-1 College, Kolbe Catholic College, Rockingham Montessori Adolescent Program and SMYL Community College - Tesla Campus.

Curator, Schools Exhibition Facilitator, Selection Panellists and Judges

  • Castaways Curator Lyn De CieroCastaways Curator Lyn Di Ciero is a visual arts writer, curator and filmmaker who established the Artist’s Chronicle in 1991, the longest running independent visual arts magazine in Western Australia’s history. Di Ciero is also a former Visual Arts Feature Writer for The West Australian newspaper (2010-16). She was the Australian Manager for the School of Colour in the1990s, which included operating distance education courses across Australia, and has documented several art collections including the City of Belmont, City of Rockingham, Town of Mosman Park and Perth Airport.

    She has curated the City of Rockingham Castaways Sculpture Awards since its inception, as well as the annual Soroptimist International of Fremantle Help the Homeless Art Auction which raises funds for critical services for the homeless and at-risk homeless in the community. From 2020-2022 she was curator of the Mandorla Art Award, Australia’s most significant thematic Christian art prize. 

    Since 2013 she has explored filmmaking as another form of storytelling in the visual arts, with her filmography including commissions from the Art Gallery of Western Australia, the City of Rockingham and St John of God Health Care.

  • Jacq ChorltonCastaways Schools Exhibition Facilitator Jacq Chorlton is a local artist working predominately in the medium of clay. She works part-time both as a professional artist with an online ceramic business and as a visual arts technician at a Rockingham high school. 

    She has been involved in many art projects and exhibitions over the years including Wearable Art Mandurah, public and private murals and exhibiting her art both in Australia and overseas.

    Chorlton has been involved in Castaways since 2009. She has entered large scale works winning two major awards and in 2010 won the People’s Choice Award.

    She has been involved in every aspect of the school’s component of Castaways, from early sculpture workshops, to working with students on their pieces to now, facilitating the school program.

  • Selection Panellists

    Paul Caporn, Artist

    Tania Spencer, Artist

    Main Exhibition and Maquette and Small Sculpture Exhibition Judges

    Lyndall Adams, Edith Cowan University Associate Professor

    Peter Dailey, Artist

    Schools Exhibition Judges

    Mikaela Castledine, Artist

    Sophie Jaques, Art Educator

See also

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