Every two years we present Sculpture in the Garden at Wollongong Botanic Garden. The exhibition includes a $30,000 Wollongong Acquisitive Sculpture Award, and a People's Choice Award.
Exhibition dates
18 March - 30 April 2023
Wollongong Botanic Garden
Free | Open daily during Garden opening hours
Don't miss our biggest exhibition yet, with 23 thought-provoking sculptures from local, national and international artists on display in the natural surrounds of Wollongong Botanic Garden.
This exhibition is brought to you as part of Wollongong City Council's Public Art Program.
Exhibition catalogue and map
2023 Sculpture in the Garden catalogue PDF, 3506.39 KB
2023 Sculpture in the Garden map
2023 Sculpture in the Garden Kids' Guide PDF, 4356.39 KB
Award winner
Congratulations to Deborah Redwood, who was awarded the 2023 Wollongong Acquisitive Sculpture Award for her work Banksia. This work will become part of the Botanic Garden's permanent collection of sculptures.
Highly Commended acknowledgements were also given to Camie Lyons for The Bush Custodians, and Selby Ginn for The Monolith of Contemplation.
Exhibiting artists
Finalists for the 2023 Sculpture in the Garden are:
Deborah Redwood, Camie Lyons, Bryn Jones (New Zealand), Danny Ivanovski, Janine Bailey, Juliane Brandt, Selby Ginn, Victoria Monk, Greer Taylor, Anthony Battaglia, Gary Christian, Tegan Georgette Russell, Ben Allen and Erin Arthur, Susan Reddrop, James Rogers, John Fitzmaurice, Michael Ferris, Malvika Satelkar (India), Katherine Castillo Alferez, Alice Nixon, Scott Marr, Kirli Saunders, and Robyn Rumpf.
Anna and Michael Rofka from Germany were selected as a finalist to exhibit, but sadly could not get to Australia to install their work Water Lily (#12 in the catalogue). Saskia Everingham’s work Bottoms Up! (#23 in the catalogue) was removed from exhibition due to unforeseen challenges with the Duck Pond site.
Sculptures and installations are displayed throughout the Garden, with the winning work becoming a permanent part of our city’s public art collection.
If you’d like more information about Sculpture in the Garden, email or call (02) 4227 7111.
People's Choice Award
Vote for your favourite sculpture and you could win a $100 prize!
Read our People's Choice Terms and Conditions, then use the button below to vote. Entries are open until 5pm, Sunday 23 April 2023.
Program of events
We have a series of FREE playful workshops, talks, guided walks, music and events for all ages and interests on offer.
You can also take part in growing a collaborative sculpture called 'The Fragile Forest' using clay and natural materials with Sculptor in Residence, Julie Nash.
Past exhibitions and the permanent collection
All previous winners can be viewed at Wollongong Botanic Garden during opening hours.
Winner: Curious Dream of an Architect by Fatih Semiz (below, photo by Tad Souden).
(located near the Japanese Tea House / grid reference L6 on the Garden Map PDF, 74.02 KB)
Three works were also highly commended:
- Splash by John Fitzmaurice
- Evolve by Laura Nolan
- My Greatest Lament by Mark Cuthbertson
The 2021 People's Choice Award went to Evolve by Laura Nolan.
2021 Sculpture in the Garden Finalists Gallery
Photographs by Tad Souden.
Ghost Trees by Greer Taylor
Sculptor in residence, Greer Taylor, invited visitors to 2021's Sculpture in the Garden to take part in an interactive growing, ephemeral sculptural work called Ghost Trees. Watch the video below to learn more.
Winner: Steel City by Michael Purdy
(located near the Kawasaki Bridge / grid reference L3 on the Garden Map PDF, 74.02 KB)
Winner: King Coal by Louis Pratt
(located in the Flowering Trees and Shrubs Collection / grid reference P6 on the Garden Map PDF, 74.02 KB)
