The Association of Sculptors of Victoria is an inclusive, not-for-profit collective of contemporary artists whose purpose is to inspire,stimulate and advance the appreciation, creation, and exploration of three-dimensional art in society.

President's Letter for November 2014


 
Jan Indrans
 
I recently attended the Melbourne Prize for Urban Sculpture presentation at Deakin Edge, Federation

As I sat through listening and being made aware of the sculpture that had been short listed I could not but sense a dichotomy shaping between the art that was being promoted and my own artistic pursuits and dare I say those of some of the association I was representing. I had entered the domain of the conceptual where I was confronted with installation, performance, process and proposal art. I was in a world with no tangible structure that I could immediately relate to. I must admit that I had the preconceived notion that by going to this event I was going to see something more tactile. For me the term: Urban Sculpture conjures up a structure or form and sounds similar to: Urban Architecture, the two would seem to go hand in hand. 

Diary Dates coming up

  • 5 December 2014 entries close Herring Island
  • 7 December 2014 ASV Christmas Party
  • 17 January to 1 February 2015 Herring Island Exhibition 
  • 11 February monthly meeting
  • 20 February 2015 entries close MIFGS 2015
 

The ASV Christmas Party

 
Book now by contacting Liddy Wright

This year’s Xmas get together will be at the home of Liddy and Bob Wright, 41-43 Elgin Crescent, Park Orchards on Sunday 7th December next from 1.00pm. 
This is

still... the place...

for a party

 As agreed at the AGM there will be a cost of $10.00 per head and all the meat will be provided. Any left over funds will go to the Association. 

It will be appreciated if those attending could bring either some nibbles, salad or dessert to share. Please let me know if you are vegetarian (or other dietary requirements) so that we can cater for all. BYO alcohol. We hope that you and your husband/wife/partner/children will join us, a RSVP as soon as possible will be greatly appreciated Tel. (h) 9876 1332 (mob) 0424 519 116, email: wright_22@hotmail.com
 
 
 

Opportunities... Exhibitions to Enter, Studio space....


Entry forms are out for our next two exhibitions - Herring Island Summer Arts Festival 2015 and Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show 2015 - in fact you can enter online through the newsletter. Just remember that Herring Island is a members only exhibition. There are lots of other interesting things here so read on.....

Exhibitions to see

The Melbourne Prize for Urban Sculpture 2014 exhibition is over - followed now by the McClelland Survey - fortunately this one will run a bit longer - until 19 July 2015 - so we'll have the opportunity to see it and compare notes a bit more thoroughly.

Tweets and Alerts ... not to mention...

from Twitter
A lot of arts bodies are still Tweeting about important people announcing this or that - but there's
fascinating information in there as well:

President's Letter for October 2014

Jan Indrans
I joined the ASV back in 2001 to meet fellow kindred spirits and not feel so isolated in the suburbs. I have had since joining the opportunity to create and exhibit my wares with the added occasional bonus of a sale and even a prize or two. Having sat at intermittent shows I have had the pleasure of meeting and sharing ideas with fellow sculptors . I have constantly been amazed at the diversity of talent and conceptions at our seasonal exhibitions. Above all these shows have kept my nose to the grinding wheel to produce sculpture to deadlines and to not loose faith in what I do.

The AGM and October Meeting


We met our quorum - in fact it wasn’t too bad a turn out for our annual general meeting and we got through the business pretty well after an inspiring talk from Jonathon Mendez Baute.

The meeting proper ran quite smoothly - of course there was a massive vote of thanks to Gillian who as president, annual exhibition coordinator and activities officer has left impossible shoes to fill. Not to mention her work in keeping the website moving towards a working completion.

Dates for Your Diary

ASV meetings are being held in the Ashburton Baptist Church Meeting Rooms,
enter from the Marquis Street car park Melway 60D9
  • 5 December 2014 entries close Herring Island
  • 7 December 2014 ASV Christmas Party
  • 17 January to 1 February 2015 Herring Island Exhibition
  • 11 February monthly meeting
  • 20 February 2015 entries close MIFGS 2015

The ASV Christmas Party



This
is the place
for a party
Book now by contacting Liddy Wright

Exhibitions to Enter

Lots to do - and not all in the new year either so sharpen the tools and get the entries rolling in......

Exhibitions to see

Lots to see - not enough time to see them all - Sculpture by the Sea, McClelland Gallery, Yering Station, the Melbourne Prize for Urban Sculpture... we'll catch you on the run....

Members' News

We hardly knew Don McKinnon - just his work at exhibitions and then the long gap and his death - well here's a poem of his to remind us of him:

 

Tweets and Alerts

 Here is a short selection of items that came to notice since the last newsletter - some of what was received went out of date before publication this month. But remember to tell us about what we've missed and we'll do better next time. The ASV Tweets as @Sculptors_Vic. You don’t need to join Twitter - just go to our newsletter - now reached from http://sculptorsvictoria.asn.au by clicking on the Newsletter tab. On the right hand side of the page you’ll see the Twitter timeline.

President's Letter for August - September 2014



 For my presidents letter this month I am going to write the speech that I made at the opening. Partly because the PA system was a disaster and partly because I would like all members including those not present or even exhibiting to know how grateful I am for the help and support I received in setting up this exhibition. I will also talk a little about the awards that were presented on that night… So here we go:

Diary Dates

 


ASV meetings are being held in the Ashburton Baptist Church Meeting Rooms, enter from the Marquis Street carpark Melway 60D9


11 September to 7 October Tesselaar Sculpture Prize

8 October Annual General Meeting of the ASV




Notice is hereby given of the
ASSOCIATION OF SCULPTORS OF VICTORIA INC.


ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

7:30 pm Wednesday 8 October 2014

Ashburton Baptist Church Meeting Rooms Marquis Street Ashburton

Nomination forms, proxy vote forms and reports will be sent out closer to the meeting. If you have items for discussion please notify



The Secretary, John Bishop,
17 Edmonds Ave,
Ashwood, Vic 3147 or
secretary@sculptorsvictoria.asn.au

The August Meeting - a Visit to Coates and Wood

The August meeting was held on Tuesday the 12 at the Coates and Wood specialist sculpture foundry in Northcote.

Coates and Wood was started in 1999 by Ewen Coates and Mal Wood who are still very much hands
Ewen Coates explaining the finer details
of the wax application process.


on today. Our group was given a comprehensive explanation of the whole process by Ewen that was followed later by a metal pour by Mal who had arranged the pour to coincide with our visit.

Opportunities and Interesting Events

NAVA visual arts summit; Toyota Community Spirit; Still life with Fruit... read on...
 

All the Exhibitions Happen at Once - some are still open!


Don't miss more than you have to! Here are the ones that got away on the team here:


Robert Hague "Crush"
Robert Hague - New Exhibition CRUSH
http://www.roberthague.com/sculpture/crush.htm

Tweets and Alerts

The ASV Tweets as @Sculptors_Vic. You don’t need to join Twitter - just go to our newsletter - now reached from http://sculptorsvictoria.asn.au by clicking on the Newsletter tab. On the right hand side of the page you’ll see the Twitter timeline.

Lots of interesting items crossed the desk since the July newsletter - here's a random selection: 

Celebrating the Annual and Awards Exhibition




Friday 29th August at 120 Collins Street Melbourne was a glittering evening when the Association of Sculptors of Victoria celebrated its Annual and Awards Exhibition and presented prizes. Gillian Govan, president of the association, gave the welcome and introduction and Dr J. Patrick Greene OBE, CEO of Museums Victoria, gave the address.

President's Letter for July 2014

Hi Fellow sculptors and friends.,

Well things are hotting up here. Entries are coming in which means lots of work to do. Thanks to all
those who have offered their help so far.

Annual and Awards Exhibition 2014


Tina Wentcher medallion
You should have your entries in by now... if you need help committee members’ phone numbers are here.

Dates for Your Diary

ASV meetings are being held in the Ashburton Baptist Church Meeting Rooms, enter from the Marquis Street carpark Melway 60D9
  • 31 July entries close Annual and Awards Exhibition 2014
  • Next Meeting! 12 August - a foundry visit Coates and Wood Sculpture Foundry 11:00am at 2/239 Separation Street. Northcote
Please contact Gillian president@sculptorsvictoria.asn.au or 9579 1221 so that we know numbers. It is likely there will be a bronze pour!

  • August 25 to September12 The Annual and Awards Exhibition See the full article!
  • 11 September to 7 October Tesselaar Sculpture Prize
  • 8 October Annual General Meeting of the ASV

The July Meeting


Meredith in Bolin Bolin Gallery
The July meeting was hosted by Meredith Plain at the well known Bulleen Art and Garden (BAAG) centre in Manningham road East Bulleen. Meredith is a staunch member and supporter of ASV and a successful ceramic artist in her own right for the past 25 years. Due to the cold and rainy weather, the tour of the garden and grounds was abandoned in favour of a really fascinating slide show and talk by Meredith of her extensive coverage of sculpture gardens in many other countries including England, Denmark, Portugal, Spain, and France.

An alert from our alien artefacts expert - Rudi Jass

During recent test drilling for Melbourne’s new east west tunnel, the crew discovered what seems to be an ancient artefact.

Three Hour Pose

My name is Renee. I am an art teacher and have recently taken over the sculpture/mixed media class at Gasworks. I’m loving the vibe and the class, we even have a great soundtrack playing in the background every week. Gasworks has been amazing! I’m wondering if I can please advertise the class on your website and or newsletter. We have beautiful models and a wonderful group. I look forward to growing the class. Untutored 2.5 hr session with life model.

$75 for 3 consecutive classes or $30 for a casual visit. Book in for a 3 week pose.

Day: Mondays

Time: 9:30am-12:00pm (except public and school holidays).

Where: Arts and Crafts Room Gasworks Richardson St Albert Park

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Capturing-Form-at-Gasworks/826011550758007?ref_type=bookmark

Members' News

Don McKinnon Australiana
Sad news and good news here.

Geoffrey Riccardo at Australian Galleries


Tweets and Alerts and things that are on...

Lots to see here - from Australia and round the world - don't miss the 25 famous sculptures...

President's Letter for June 2014

 

Hi fellow sculptors and friends,
I hope you are keeping warm and have not been too badly affected by the windy weather. It is a good job we have some exciting times to look forward to. The entry forms and membership renewals have been posted. Thanks to Jenny Rickards, John Ride and Jenny Whiteside for doing the necessary to get them to your post box. We have started advertising for the Annual Exhibition and awards and have several people who have kindly agreed to sponsor the exhibition. Some of you have already volunteered to help and I am very grateful. I hope we will see some more offers when your entry forms come back to me.

Dates for Your Diary


ASV meetings are being held in the Ashburton Baptist Church Meeting Rooms, enter from the Marquis Street carpark Melway 60D9
  • 9 July We’ll visit Bulleen Art and Garden and the Bolin Bolin Gallery
  • 15 July entries close Tesselaar Sculpture Prize
  • 31 July entries close Annual and Awards Exhibition 2014
  • August - a foundry visit - still being arranged
  • August 25 to September12 The Annual and Awards Exhibition
  • 11 September to 7 October Tesselaar Sculpture Prize
  • 8 October Annual General Meeting of the ASV
  
 

The June Meeting

Jan Indrans gave us a delightful and inspiring talk last meeting - I’m not sure if he produced this summary on his own or with Gordon’s help - but it sums up my experience of the evening. Thanks Jan and Gordon and everyone else there.


Next Meeting at Bulleen Art & Garden

Sean Diamond's work at Bulleen Art and Garden
We’ll meet in the gallery, maybe with a glass of wine - where there is an exhibition which largely consists of sculpture by Sean Diamond and some other works, We could then have a look around the shop and nursery - depending on the weather, and it will be fairly dark. We could then go to the classroom for a cup of tea and the meeting. We’ll see a short power point about some of the artworks around the centre, and talk about how our exhibitions work.


If people want to check out the exhibitions & artists we have they can go to http://gallery.baag.com.au/ or https://www.facebook.com/BolinBolinGallery, http://www.baag.com.au/ is about the centre in general, and how to get there: http://www.baag.com.au/?page_id=54



6 Manningham Rd W, Bulleen VIC 3105 7:30pm on 9 July 2014
 
 
 
 

The Annual and Awards Exhibition August 2014

25 August to 12 September
Our advertisement in National Gallery Magazine

Tweets and Alerts

The ASV Tweets - we have the handle @Sculptors_Vic and as of today we have 50 followers. You don’t need to join Twitter to know what is being put out or re-Tweeted in your name though - just go to our newsletter - now conveniently reached from http://sculptorsvictoria.asn.au by clicking on the Newsletter tab. On the right hand side of the page you’ll see the Twitter timeline. https://twitter.com/Sculptors_Vic

What's on and what's coming up?

Don't miss this section - Woollahra Sculpture Prize, Rutherglen Recycled Sculpture, Inge King's exhibition is still on... read on....

The Annual and Awards Exhibition 2014

For many years the Association of Sculptors of Victoria Annual and Awards Exhibition was held in public places in the city. The idea was that people would come upon it rather than having to go to a gallery. We had shows at the Rialto, 161 Collins Street, the AMP building and the Telstra Building. After a time foyer space became hard to find and we elected to go out of town – to the Manningham ArtSpace; Montsalvat; the Light Factory, Eltham and the Yarra Sculpture Space. In 2014 we are fortunate to find space in the city – at 120 Collins Street – and look forward to a grand exhibition to celebrate our return.

President's Letter for May 2014

Dear all,

Welcome to another Sculpere. Another month has flown by and progress has been made. The website issues are almost resolved, and the plans for the Annual Exhibition and Awards are well under way. Renewals for membership will be sent out at the end of June together with entries for the exhibition.

Dates for Your Diary

ASV meetings are being held in the Ashburton Baptist Church Meeting Rooms, enter from the Marquis Street carpark Melway 60D9
  • 11 June we will meet at the Ashburton Meeting Rooms - at home as it were - and we’ll have a mystery speaker - to be announced!
  • Membership renewals 30 June
  • 9 July monthly meeting
  • 31 July entries close Annual and Awards Exhibiton 2014
  • Coming up - the ASV Annual Exhibition, Tesselaar Sculpture Prize - and more!

The ASV Annual Exhibition

The Annual and Awards Exhibition 2014 - 23 August to 13 September



The Annual and Awards Exhibition 2014 will be at 120 Collins St (St Michael’s Church). The opening will be on Friday 29 August by Dr J Patrick Greene OBE, CEO of Museum Victoria. Entry forms and Conditions of Entry are being prepared and our publicity campaign is imminent. It is not too late to put your hand up to help! There are lots of jobs that can be shared - in social media and publicity generally, putting entry forms into envelopes, helping at set up, advice on building really good plinths - don’t forget a fresh coat of white paint! As he mentioned at our visit to his studio Andrew could organise plinth building when we cooperate to build plinths to good standard and share the work. Contact mail@sculptorsvictoria.asn.au or 0418 971 897 to join in.

Contact any committee member with suggestions and offers of help.

The May Meeting

The May Meeting


The May meeting of the ASV was held in the Newport studio of the well-known sculptor Robert Hague on Wednesday 21st.


Members were well aware that they were not only going to see the works of a highly accomplished sculptor in metal, but a multi talented artist with a high standard of works in drawing, draughtsman ship, print making and a new venture in ceramics.

Specialist Conservator

Jill Meggs Objects Conservator/Restorer

If any of your artists require some restoration work or general advice on matters such as which conservation grade materials are best for their artworks or advice on display, storage and packaging for their artworks they can contact me on 0411 290 586 and my email is jill.meggs1@gmail.com.

I am a member of AICCM (Australian Institute for the Conservation of Cultural Material) and fully insured.
 
 


Exhibitions to see...

Toorak Village, Inge King, Ola Cohn's Fairy Tree - it's all happening!

Tweets and Alerts and Opportunities

There are lots of alerts this month - but we'll put the Woollahra Sculpture Prize early so you know you shouldn't skip this section of the newsletter and then there's the Melbourne Prize for Urban Sculpture... read on as they say...

Late Extra: Life on the Yarra Project

An email from Melbourne Water arrived late - no time to check it so anyone interested in the project please take care.

News Flash! There will be a May Meeting!

We are pleased to announce that we will be visiting the studio of Robert Hague on Wednesday 21st May at 60 Mirls Street Newport Melways ref. 55 J 5 at 7.30pm

Robert Hague is a very accomplished Melbourne sculptor who works with bronze and steel.

His work is modern, abstract on a monumental scale as well as figurative and contemporary. He was born in New Zealand in 1967, and now lives and works in Newport, Melbourne Australia.
He has exhibited throughout Australia and New Zealand and won many awards. You only need to look at his website to know that you just have to take this great opportunity to visit Robert's Studio www.roberthague.com


Please rsvp Gillian : president@sculptorsvictoria.asn.au 0412 122 884 or
Jenny Jennyrickards@sculptorsvictoria.asn.au 9836 2738


Gillian will be happy to give a ride to anyone in Bayside area. I am sure other members would be happy to car pool too. See you there.

President’s letter for April 2014


 
Dear all,

The committee met to discuss the Annual and the website; followed a week later by a general meeting regarding the website for members to have their say. Only 2 people (One being Jenny Rickards) attended other than committee members which was very disappointing considering it is the members’ website. It was agreed by those present to do a short list of limited changes of work employing Alberto who designed and built the website and pay him for all future work. This was in preference to a complete rebuild which could meet identified problems but cost perhaps $15,000. This may still take some time and the website may still not be perfect for the volunteers involved in recording exhibitions etc. The anticipated work is aimed at 1. keeping exhibition management off the website. 2. Including non-member sculptors exhibits on the website thus making ASV exhibition records complete.

At this point I would like to notify all members that I will not be standing for re-election as president at the next AGM which will probably be held after the Annual Exhibition in September.

Please put your thinking caps on and nominate a new president or even put your hand up. Look forward to hearing from you.
Gillian Govan President

Dates for Your Diary


ASV meetings are being held in the Ashburton Baptist Church Meeting Rooms, enter from the Marquis Street carpark Melway 60D9

Coming up - the ASV Annual Exhibition, Tesselaar Sculpture Prize - and more!


Meetings B@#!*y Meetings

Gillian carries the work not only of president but also activities coordinator. This wouldn’t be too hard if it were only coordinating the offers to organise guest speakers or run discussions or do interesting things... but lately Gillian has been so underwhelmed with offers that she is feeling very lonely.... all our plans for May fell through. Oh dear!

This should be FUN - so who is offering to run a party in their studio? Gillian will bring the wine! We are all up for a good time and definitely in need of winter cheer - so plan ahead and let us know what wild and woolly ideas you would like to share with fellow members: mail@sculptorsvictoria.asn.au


Hooray Gillian has organised a meeting - and a beauty at that! See http://sculperenewsletter.blogspot.com.au/2014/05/news-flash-there-will-be-may-meeting.html

Toorak Sculpture Festival 1 May to 15 June


The media release for the festival reads - in part: "The 2014 Toorak Village Sculpture Exhibition is the most innovative and important annual event to take place in the Toorak Village, where we link the arts with business to form a unique cultural experience. During the entire month of May and 2 weeks of June, we exhibit contemporary sculptural works in the shop windows and on the sidewalks of Toorak Road, Toorak Village.

The Melbourne Prize for Urban Sculpture

http://www.melbourneprize.org/
From the Melbourne Prize Media release - for full information go to the prize website http://www.melbourneprize.org/
Notes from the media release for the Melbourne Prize 2014:

Inge King: Constellation at the NGV 1 May to 31 August 2014

The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia at Federation Square

 Open 10am–5pm Closed Mondays

 Information from http://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/whats-on/exhibitions/exhibitions/inge-king-sculptor

Now in her 98th year, Inge King is one of our most senior artists. This exhibition will present the most complete survey of Inge’s remarkable career to date.

Since arriving in Australia in 1951, Inge King has been a major contributor to the development of abstract sculpture in this country. She has exhibited her work consistently in solo exhibitions and has participated in many group exhibitions. Her work is held in all major national collections and through her numerous public commissions she has become one of Australia’s best known and most prominent sculptors.

This major survey of Inge King’s work will be installed in the foyer spaces over three levels at NGV Australia and will include work produced over an extraordinary period of almost 70 years. In addition to sculptures from the NGV and other public and private collections, the exhibition will include many works drawn from Inge’s personal collection.
 

Tweets and Alerts

A smaller offering this month - but worth checking out never the less. Remember you can follow the ASV on both Facebook and Twitter

Commissions for Public Art

We received this information from Richard Holt - check it out with the usual care:

Members' News

A welcome to new members plus some reports from the members and their activities...

Neerim Bower – Inspired by Birds

Neerim Bower Acquisition 2014 Up to $10,000 is available to purchase one or more sculptural pieces reflecting the theme of ‘’Inspired by Birds’’, to develop a collection of public art for installation in the township of Neerim South and is part of the ‘’Neerim Bower – Inspired by Birds’’ project. 

Under Autumn Sky

The Spa Country Sculptors Association is showing work around Lavandula - see their poster and enjoy their work!

Sculpture by the Sea, Bondi 2014

We are pleased to write to you introducing the 18th annual Sculpture by the Sea, Bondi in Sydney, Australia, which is being held from 23 October - 9 November 2014. Last year an estimated 500,000 people attended the exhibition over 18 days and 20% of the outdoor works sold.
As we begin the call for artist submissions for our 2014 Bondi exhibition, we are writing with the hope that will be able to inform your contacts, members and/or students about the exhibition.
For more information and to apply, please download our Application Form and Terms & Conditions. These documents can also be downloaded from our website: www.sculpturebythesea.com
Please note that the deadline for all submissions is
6pm, Thursday 1 May 2014.

President's Letter for March 2014

Hi All,


What a success! The Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show Sculpture Exhibition was brilliant yet again due to the hard work and commitment of Mark Cowie. I am sure all the exhibiting sculptors join me in expressing our appreciation. Congratulations to all participating sculptors especially to those who won prizes and sold works. Well done.

Dates for Your Diary

ASV meetings are being held in the Ashburton Baptist Church Meeting Rooms, enter from the Marquis Street car park Melway 60D9
  • 5 April. A4Art Australia opens on Herring Island. See more: www.herringislandfestival.org.au
  •  
  • 9 April We often skip the monthly meeting in April. However it is worth running this year so that we can give a report on the progress (and the lack of progress) on our website - bring all your questions and comments - we will attempt to explain what we have been up to in all this time and where we hope to be by the time the 2014 Annual Exhibition is held
  •  
  • 14 May - watch this space it will be amazing!
 
  • The Annual and Awards Exhibition 2014 23 August to 13 September
    The Annual and Awards Exhibition 2014 will be at 120 Collins St (St Michael’s Church) we need coordinator & committee. No venue hire charge & no commission except for the ASV. Opening on the Friday following setup.
     
     

The March Meeting

Just a small group gathered at Ashburton for the monthly meeting but it was interesting and informative and good to meet new members.

Gillian Govan read a short review of the last executive meeting informing members of our comfortable financial status, Membership was discussed with the membership secretary, and progress with the website and the Annual exhibition was reported followed by vigorous discussion on sponsorship and prize money, funding the website and publicity for the ASV in general and the Annual exhibition in particular.

Most of the members present brought along some work or photographs of work finished or in progress. There were also some useful and interesting hints and tips exchanged.

The Annual and Awards Exhibition 2014 23 August to 13 September

The Annual and Awards Exhibition 2014 will be at 120 Collins St (St Michael’s Church) we need coordinator & committee. No venue hire charge & no commission except for the ASV. Opening on the Friday following setup.

The ASV Website

All arts groups and not-for-profits spend energy defining what they want from a website and how to achieve it. We have been doing this since 1998.

The website is our main permanent asset. We do not maintain premises – when our exhibitions are over we would cease to exist in the public eye. We would have nothing but catalogues (with no images) to show potential sponsors and donors and nothing to indicate to prospective members what sort of work they might consider exhibiting in our shows. We would suffer even more from corporate amnesia.

Tweets and Alerts

Here's a random collection of stuff that came in over the month:

Things to do and See

As the heading suggests - exhibitions to see or to enter... enjoy!

Wrapping Up MIF&GS 2014

 

Mark - did he really sleep there?
Mark Cowie puts in an amazing effort organising MIFGS - we think we are tired just getting our work up to scratch and into the exhibiton - but we don’t know the half of it! Here is Mark’s latest email to exhibitors - just as a demonstration of his professional attitude to caring for our work.

"I would like to thank you all for being a part of a most successful exhibition, which just happens to be Australia’s second largest outdoor sculpture exhibition. The level of interest displayed by the tens of thousands of viewers of the 90 sculptures was extraordinary. At the close of the exhibition almost 25% (22) of all works had been sold, creating sales of over $25,000...............

The level of interest in the exhibition resulted in more than 8,800 votes for the People’s Choice Award being lodged over the five days, which was an excellent effort given some of the inclement weather early in the week and some spaces in the sitting roster. The extent and spread of the voting across the entire range of sculptures is testimony to the level of engagement you created for the viewers.
Alastair Mason's "Chook Chaser"

I am pleased to announce the recipient of this year’s $500 People’s Choice Award – sponsored by the International Management Group - is Alastair Mason for his work, ‘Chook Chaser’. Congratulations Alastair. ....Completing the top five people’s choices were: Pimpisa Tinpalit’s ‘The Strangers #1’, Todd Stuart’s ‘Shhh ... Don’t Tell Anyone’, Lawrence Marshall’s ‘Wake-up Call’ and Nicole Allen’s ‘Off The Face Of It’.

As I have previously commented, the diversity of your individual expression and the collective creativity of the exhibition have been inspiring and an absolute pleasure to curate. I have thoroughly enjoyed the spirit and energy that has been generated while interacting with you all.

I wish you every success in your sculptural practice and creative pursuits over the forthcoming year and the Association looks forward to your continued support of and participation in the ASV MIFGS Sculpture Exhibition in 2015."
 
Read on to see the rest of the prize winners here


 
 
 

A Sparkling Presentation Evening - MIFGS 2014

Instead of a red carpet the sculptors graced the plastic temporary footpath of the Central Boulevard of the Carlton Gardens. The mood was happy as would be expected of a well received exhibiton - we had made 9 sales by the close of business of the first day of the exhibition. The guest viewing of the exhibition took place after 4pm on Wednesday 26th March at the Gardens and then we all moved on to the East Imperial Restaurant to celebrate and to hear our Judge, Rod Sanders give his verdict on the prizes.

The exhibition is in three sections:
Carved Work - work in marble, timber, limestone and alabaster was shown. Carving generally takes the longest and is a more difficult skill - and this is reflected in the fact that there are twelve works in the section.



 
Jenny Whiteside "Amber"
Our judge's choice here was for First Prize Jenny Whiteside's "Amber" - a work in alabaster

Jenny Whiteside "Amber"
Jenny Whiteside "Amber"












Carmel Ritchie "Flowers"
Second in this section Rod placed Carmel Ritchie's limestone work "Flowers"
Kevin Free "Torso"
Kevin Free "Torso"
And one Highly Commended award was given for this section to Kevin Free for his limestone work "Torso"
 
The second section is devoted to formed work where the sculpture is modelled in a softer material and then fired or cast or coated as the material requires. There is a huge range of work shown from bronze to mosaic with a similar diversity of techniques and ideas.

Aleida Wright "Musicians"
Aleida Wright "Musicians"
 First prize in this section was given to Aleida Wright for her "Musicians" - a work in raku fired clay. As a musician himself Rod was interested to know what these three would be playing next.


Second prize went to Kay Steventon for her fairy tale "The Frog Prince" again a unique work in raku fired clay.



Kay Steventon "The Frog Prince"


Kay Steventon "The Frog Prince"

There were two Highly Commended awards made in this section: Todd Stuart's "Shhh.... Don't Tell Anyone" and silicone bronze and stainless steel and Graham Duell's "Elder" in fired terracotta clay.
Graham Duell "Elder"
Todd Stuart "Shhh.... Don't Tell Anyone"





The third section is devoted to assembled or fabricated work - here the artist can indulge in scale at a price unobtainable in other techniques - and can incorporate recycled materials and found objects to their heart's content.
Mark Cowie "Somewhere Out in the Universe"
First Prize in this section went to Mark Cowie for his "Somewhere Out in the Universe". This work is made from mild steel and red gum.

Todd Stuart "Organic Pebble"

Second Prize was awarded to Todd Stuart for his polished stainless steel "Organic Pebble".





 Rod Sanders awarded three High Commendations in this section:
to Lawrence Marshall for his cutlery "Wake Up Call",
Lawrence Marshall "Wake Up Call"
to Alastair Mason for his recycled metal work "Chook Chaser" and to Rudi Jass for his Cosmos #2 in Corten and stainless steel.

Alastair Mason "Chook Chaser"








Rudi Jass "Cosmos#2"




Acknowledgements are owed to our curator Mark Cowie, to the support of IMG - the organisers of the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show, the committee of the Association of Sculptors of Victoria and the volunteers who worked to make it happen, to Bulleen Art and Garden who sponsor prizes and have this year and for the past few years supported the demonstration events and the People's Choice Award. Also Art Services for sponsoring prize money and the presentation event. This year we employed a professional photographer - who supplied these images and the rest of the show which will be posted on the main ASV website shortly.



Sculptors at the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show 2014: The Set up

It's great being back in the Carlton Gardens setting up for the Flower Show - a meeting place for sculptors who live in far flung places in Victoria and a return to the sight of the Royal Exhibition Building and its grand fountain.

The work came in over the weekend - and by Sunday afternoon was ready for Judge, Rod Sanders to assess the work. You'll have to wait until the presentation on Wednesday evening to find out the winners in the three sections. We will be Tweeting @Sculptors_Vic and on Facebook Association of Sculptors Victoria.


Mark Cowie with "Somewhere Out in the Universe"
Our curator has been flat out naturally - but a busy, creative person can always fit work in - so here is Mark with his sculpture.

Clad in Hi Viz jackets the sculptors came and went and the exhibition grew. Here is John Bishop with "Embrace #3"


John Bishop "Embrace #3"





Saeed Shojaee produced a serious work - the personification of grief as an older woman with the changes of time marking the depths of despair.

Saeed Shojaee "Untitled 2014"