Turning waste into art
Photo: Winner of the 2021 People’s Choice Award Pamela Evans with one of her creations.
Not everyone can look at a pile of old CDs and see a dragon. Hervey Bay artist Pamela Evans did and won the People’s Choice Award at the Fraser Coast Regional Council 2021 Waste to Art competition.
The multi-media artist is now searching around the tip shops, sheds and second-hand shops to find materials to create an entry for the 2022 competition.
“The Waste to Art competition challenges the way we see waste,” Fraser Coast Mayor George Seymour said.
“Many of the items that end up in landfill can be reused, repurposed, upcycled or turned into art.
“The competition challenges people to find new ways of using our cast offs and challenges residents to relook at what they are throwing away to see if it can be reused, repurposed or upcycled rather than ending up in landfill.
“In the competition we have seen metal offcuts turned into fish sculptures, old radiograms and guitars turned into beautiful furniture.
“The winner of the 18 years and over category last year, Darren O’Brien from Glenwood, created a 1-metre high sculpture of Bitza the junkyard dog from CDs, broken sunglasses, batteries, toys and bric-a-brac he found in his kitchen drawers.
“The competition is free to enter and open to all budding artists, giving them an opportunity to showcase their creations.”
Artworks must be made from recycled or re-purposed items and materials sourced from Fraser Coast Regional Council Reuse Markets, op shops or second-hand shops on the Fraser Coast.
Application forms can be found on the Council website www.frasercoast.qld.gov.au/waste-to-art
The competition offers a prize pool of $3,500 across four age categories and people choice awards:
- Category 1 (18+ years)
- Category 2 (12-17 years)
- Category 3 (8-11 years)
- Category 4 (under 8s)
- People’s choice award for senior exhibition
- People’s choice award for junior exhibition
The Waste to Art exhibition will be staged at Gatakers Artspace in Maryborough from November 11 to January 8.
Cr Seymour thanked the sponsors who helped Council stage the competition: Cleanaway, Hyne Timber, Reuse & Recycle Group and NuGrow.
“These companies have an interest in recycling, upcycling and repurposing materials which otherwise would be considered waste,” he said.
