Sustainable Waste to Art Prize (SWAP)

Categories and Prizes- About the Art Prize - Important 2020 Dates - Terms and Conditions - Submit Your Application - More Information 

The City of Ryde’s annual Sustainable Waste to Art Prize (SWAP) is back for its 10^th year! With larger prizes and more opportunities to get creative, this environmental art competition is not to be missed.

SWAP is a chance to express your creativity through re-purposing rubbish and recovered materials. At a time when reducing waste is more important than ever, SWAP presents a fun opportunity to learn new skills and explore the artistic potential of items you would usually throw away.

Make an artwork and submit it for consideration in the 2020 SWAP exhibition at See Street Gallery, Meadowbank TAFE. There’s $5,000 in prize money up for grabs across six categories – Open (18+ years), Youth (14-17 years), Junior (10-13 years), Functional, Schools Participation and People’s Choice.

Categories and Prizes

SWAP | Open Category

Winner $1,800 / Second prize $600
Open to artists, designers and members of the community who are 18 years and over.

YEP | YOUTH ENVIRONMENT PRIZE

Winner $750 / Second Prize $250
Open to young people aged 14 to 17 years as at 16 September 2020.

Junior YEP | Younger Category

Winner $300 / Second Prize $100
Open to young people aged 10 to 13 years as at 16 September 2020.

Schools Participation Award

Winner $200
Awarded to the school with the highest number of entries (maximum two entries per person).

Functional Award

Winner $500 / Second Prize $250
Judged from across all disciplines in SWAP Open category, YEP and Junior YEP categories. Awarded to the design object which best uses reclaimed material to form a functional piece.

People’s Choice Award

Winner $250
Open to all applicants who are selected for the exhibition in any category. Audiences will have the opportunity to vote for their favourite artwork or design object in the exhibition.

About the Art Prize

What kind of art can be submitted?

• Artworks and design objects submitted to SWAP must relate to sustainability or waste themes and be made from used or recovered waste materials.
• Works can be two or three dimensional. They can be an artwork (such as a sculpture, assemblage, collage or textile piece) or a functional object you can wear or use.
• Works must be no larger than 150cm in width or depth. This includes the frame or any other display devices.
• Three dimensional works can be free standing or wall mounted. If wall mounted they cannot exceed 20kg in weight.
• Original (non-waste) products can only be used for assembling the work, including for binding, bonding, adhering and painting.
• All entries must be an original work of the exhibitor and created within two years prior to 16 September 2020. Art and design objects previously exhibited in other prizes and exhibitions are still eligible.
• For cultural sensitivity reasons, artworks that contain certain unauthorised use of indigenous symbols, motifs or styles are not eligible.
• Works that are considered offensive will not be selected. Council reserves the right to refuse to exhibit artwork that does not align to Council’s community values.

Who can apply?

All entrants must either live, work, study or play in the City of Ryde.

City of Ryde staff, Councillors and those employed or volunteering on the SWAP 2020 project are eligible to apply and be selected for exhibition but are not eligible to win any of the prizes, with the exception of the People’s Choice Award.

Please note a maximum of two artworks may be submitted per person.

Important 2020 Dates

Terms and Conditions

Entry Criteria

It is anticipated that around 80 art and design objects will be selected for the exhibition. All entries must be original work of the exhibitor and created within 2 years prior to Wednesday 16 September 2020. Art and design objects previously exhibited in other prizes and exhibitions are still eligible. For cultural sensitivity reasons, artworks that contain certain unauthorised use of indigenous symbols, motifs or styles are not eligible. Works that are considered offensive will not be selected. Decisions in regards to works selected for exhibition and final judging by the curatorial panel will be final and no correspondence will be entered into. Plinths for smaller sculptural works will be supplied by the gallery.

Exhibition

A selection of art and design objects will be chosen for exhibition at See Street Gallery, Meadowbank TAFE, See Street, Meadowbank. The exhibition will officially open on Wednesday 16 September 2020, 6.00 – 8.00pm and will continue until Thursday 1 October 2020.

All works selected for the exhibition will remain on display until 4.00pm on the last day of the exhibition. The gallery hours are Tuesday to Saturday, 11.00am – 4.00pm.

Selecting and Judging

Artwork and design objects for the exhibition will be selected by the judging panel. The City of Ryde reserves the right to change the judges without notification to the entrants. Artists and designers selected for the exhibition will be notified by Monday 31 August 2020.

The winners of the major prize categories will be chosen by the same judging panel. The winners of the major prize categories will be announced at the official opening on Wednesday 16 September 2020, 6.00pm – 8.00pm at See Street Gallery.

Curatorial Panel

Curator and Convener:
Nick Vickers, Meadowbank TAFE

Judges:
A panel of three expert judges will select the SWAP category winners. The final judging panel will be advertised on the City of Ryde website prior to the opening event on Wednesday 16 September 2020.

People's Choice Award

The winner of the people’s choice award will be determined by the artwork with the highest number of votes cast by the public. The winner of this award will be published on Council’s website after the conclusion of the exhibition on Thursday 1 October 2020.

Delivery of Artworks

Selected works are to be delivered to See Street Gallery, Sydney Gallery School at the Meadowbank Campus of the Northern Sydney Institute – part of TAFE NSW on Thursday 10 September, Friday 11 September 11 and Saturday 12 September 2020 between 10.00am – 6.00pm. Two-dimensional works must be dry and ready for hanging with D-rings secured to the back. Wire is not accepted. Three-dimensional works that are to hang must have a suitable hook or feature to hang the work from. Works of art that contain more than two separate elements, must be accompanied by instructions/diagrams for display. The position of placement of art and design objects within the gallery is at the discretion of the Curator.

Transportation

Artists and designers are responsible for the transportation of their works to and from the gallery.

Security, Liability and Insurance

Artists and designers exhibit at their own risk. Insurance for the submitted works is the artist’s responsibility. The City of Ryde and See Street Gallery, The Northern Sydney Institute – part of TAFE NSW will exercise reasonable care with all works selected for exhibition, but will not be responsible for loss or damage to the work while in their custody, during transit or on exhibition.

Sale of Artworks

Any sales will be made directly between the artist and the buyer. Sold artworks cannot be removed from the exhibition until after it closes on 1 October 2020. City of Ryde and Meadowbank TAFE do not take any responsibility for facilitating the sale of SWAP artworks.

De-installation

Art and design objects selected for the exhibition must be picked up in person with photo ID or receipt of entry on Friday 2 October 2020 between 10.00am – 6.00pm. Works that are not collected by Friday 2 October 2020 may be disposed of. Collection of works by other parties requires arrangement with the curator prior to Wednesday 16 September 2020.

Copyright and Photographs

Artists and designers own the copyright of their work and licence the City of Ryde to use the submitted images and take photographs of the exhibition that can be used for the exhibition catalogue, publicity, press releases and other promotion in print or on the City of Ryde website for the 2020 and future Sustainable Waste 2 Art Prizes.

Interpretation of Terms and Conditions

In the event of a dispute regarding the interpretation of these terms and conditions, the decision of the City of Ryde shall be binding on all parties.

Signing of Declaration

In signing the Declaration on the Application Form, the artist/designer acknowledges they have read, understood and accepted all the terms and conditions of this agreement.

Submit Your Application

There is a limit of two entries per person. A separate application form will need to be completed for each entry. Each entry can only be entered into one category. There is no entry fee to apply for the prize and exhibition. Each artwork submitted requires two good quality photographs or high resolution JPEG images (minimum 300dpi). Read our tips on how to photograph your artwork.

Application forms must be submitted by Monday 17 August 2020.

Entry form

Click here to view form.

If you need assistance with completing your application form, please call 9952 8222 or email CoR.SWAP@gmail.com.

More Information

All queries regarding the exhibition and the application process can be made to City of Ryde's Waste Project Coordinator on 9952 8222.