By Melissa Blewitt

It’s the year of aluminium and steel cans for the Sims Metal Waste to Art and design 2021 competition.

Waste to Art is a community art exhibition and competition open to all local residents who reside in the NetWaste region. It showcases creative works made from reused and recyclable waste materials.

Lachlan Shire Council is inviting all community members to let their imaginations go wild and create amazing artworks to be in the running to win a variety of prizes.

Mayor John Medcalf OAM invites schools, community groups and local individuals to take up the challenge this year and give new life to materials which would otherwise have been thrown into the dump.

“I encourage everyone to get creative and be involved in this year’s Waste to Art competition, with the theme material of cans, and am looking forward to seeing all the various entries,” he stated.

A different waste item is featured part of Waste to Art each year and in 2020, the public is encouraged to use aluminium and steel cans.

The Competition includes categories which aim to challenge and stimulate the imagination.

Competition Categories include: Two-Dimensional – Poster/Painting/Collage/Drawing; Three-Dimensional – Sculpture/Installation/ Video /Soundscape; and Functional – furniture, craftworks and wearable items made from recycled materials.

Within these categories, there are sections for pre-school, primary school, secondary, community, open (professional artist).

Prizes will be awarded for the most inspiring artwork in each section/category.

Artworks do not have to use the theme waste, but an additional prize will be given to an artwork featuring this material.

To get people into a creative mood, workshops will be hosted at Western Plains Regional Development Centre, Condobolin on 13 and 14 April between 10am and 1pm and Lake Cargelligo Youth Centre on 16 April between 10am and 1pm.

Everyone is welcome to attend and have some fun creating a potential modern art masterpiece!

Entrants will be able to enter their completed artwork for the competition between Thursday, May 27 and Friday, May 28.

Competition winners will be announced during the exhibition’s opening night at Condobolin Community Centre on June 4.

The public exhibition will be on display at the Condobolin Community Centre from June 4 to June 12.

Winning entries will be entered in the regional finals and then exhibited at the Lake Cargelligo Library.

Entry Forms are available at Lachlan Shire Council, or can be downloaded from Council’s Website. The competition is subject to public health advice as the year proceeds