The Dunsborough Art Festival and Sculpture By The Bay is held every Labour Day March long weekend. As well as the sculptures on the stunning foreshore at Dunsborough, there will be the following:
Free Saturday and Sunday evening family concerts
Family-orientated activities
Local craft and art markets
Dunsborough Youth X Factor competition
The festival uses the natural environmental stage of the foreshore to attract locals and visitors to participate in and celebrate the local arts community and give opportunities for emerging and established artists to exhibit sculptural works in Dunsborough.
SCULPTURES BY THE BAY
Dunsborough have their own version of this event also held in Cottesloe and on the March long weekend, the Dunsborough Foreshore at the end of Dunn Bay Road is transformed into an avenue of sculptures, as artists provide a visual display of outdoor sculptural works for all to enjoy.
The event was first staged in 2010 with just 12 artworks on display, but now over 30 works are generally displayed each year.
One of last year's entries
Sculpture by the Bay is coordinated by local volunteers of the Dunsborough & Districts Progress Association.
The purpose of this is to:
Encourage interest in public artwork
To provide a venue for artists of outdoor works to exhibit
To develop a Sculpture Trail within the Dunsborough area
The public participation for this event has grown each year with over 4000 people viewing the display in March 2017. The local community wholeheartedly supports the event and many locals volunteer to assist both before and during the display.
This will be an opportunity to see fantastic outdoor sculptures in a relaxed, coastal park setting, just a few minutes walk from the centre of Dunsborough.
An interesting fish sculpture from last year
All works will be available for purchase and are eligible for various awards, including the Peoples' Choice Award.
Another clever sculpture from last year
So do come along on the 2018 March long weekend and vote for your favourite sculpture in the exhibition.
AWARDSSculpture By the Bay Sponsors generously contribute awards for the best sculptures in each category as follows:
$3,000 Dianne Laurance Open Award – Judged on its artistic merits as the Best Public Sculpture.
$5,000 City of Busselton Acquisitive Award – Judged on the criteria set out by The City of Busselton, to suit the location of the Dunsborough Sculpture Trail.
$1,000 Happs Wines Emerging Artist/s Award – For a work by an artist/s who has not previously exhibited their work publicly.
$1,500 Braeco Sales DarnArt Recycling Award – Judged as a work of sculptural merit constructed from more than 60% by volume recycled material.
$500 Dunsborough Soap Factory Award – Judged on the strength of its environmental message.
$500 JMW Real Estate Peoples' Choice Award – for a work judged by the Public to be the most popular piece of the exhibition, awarded on the final day of the exhibition.
This is a non-profit organisation run purely by volunteers and the committee consists of eight members, with monthly meetings being held on the last Thursday of every month at the Dunsborough Hall.
New members and volunteers are always welcome to join and the once-off $10 membership is very affordable!
Dunsborough is also a very interesting and relaxing place to spend a few days with the family, with bush walks and beaches as well as cafes and interesting shops.
Why not book in and stay for this long weekend - you will not regret it if you go while this exhibition is on!
WHERE
Geographe Bay Rd
Dunsborough Foreshore
WHEN
3rd to 5th March, 2018
TIME
9.45 am to 2.45 pm
