The Hunter Valley’s largest sculpture festival, Sculpture in The Vineyards, has received a makeover with the appointment of Sydney-based curator, Christiane Keys-Statham, who took on the challenge of putting together this year’s event. The result? Over 60 of Australia’s most innovative sculptors exhibiting their work in four vineyards across the spectacular Wollombi Valley from Saturday 25 October to Saturday 29 November 2014. Sculpture in the Vineyards is a large scale and outdoor site specific sculpture along the Wollombi Valley Wine Trail.
With an illustrious career that spans three continents, Christiane has lived and worked in Germany, the Netherlands, Outer Mongolia, Thailand and the UK, in various places and institutions. These include London art book publishers Thames & Hudson, the Arts Council of Mongolia in Ulaanbaatar, small galleries in Germany and the Netherlands and on outdoor performance art events and public art installations across the UK and Wales. She was co-curator of this year’s SafARI exhibition in Sydney before her appointment to Sculpture in The Vineyards.
I’m inspired by the artists who have proposed for this year’s event and really look forward to working with them. We have a mix of previous entrants and newcomers, emerging and established artists, from urban and regional areas.
I want Sculpture in the Vineyards 2014 to be inclusive, interesting, dynamic and open to all. My vision is to show the diversity of contemporary sculptural practices in Australia and to provide audiences with an opportunity to enjoy sculpture within one of the most beautiful landscapes in the world – the Wollombi Valley.
Christiane Keys-Statham, Curator
Participating artists are vying for the chance of winning $5,000 in prize money and professional development opportunities, such as a 10-day artist residency at Wollombi Wines.
Exhibition open daily from 10am – 6pm and features over 100 outdoor sculptures and exclusive boutique wines, join us and enjoy the hospitality and natural beauty of these exceptional venues and the breadth of talent from our juried selection of artworks along the Wollombi Valley Wine Trail.
The Wollombi Valley is located at the southern gateway to Hunter Valley Wine Country, just two hours drive from the Sydney CBD, and one hour from Newcastle and the Central Coast.
Over 500 artists have exhibited at Sculpture in the Vineyards over the years including some highly distinguished practitioners as well as experimental and emerging artists. We encourage and celebrate diversity in practice while maintaining an ethical and environmentally sustainable exhibition and events giving artists the opportunity to share their work with the general public, and giving art and wine lovers the chance to experience something truly unique.
A visit to Sculpture in the Vineyards offers a chance to explore beyond the scenic Great North Road and delve into hidden corners of this picturesque valley. The Wollombi region is rich in history, ranging from Aboriginal rock engravings to the convict built Great North Road and historic buildings of the Wollombi village. Sculpture in the Vineyards is a not for profit association governed by a board and produced by a committee of dedicated art professionals.