The City of Ryde proudly presents the 2019 Sustainable Waste 2 Art Prize (SWAP) exhibition. Bringing together works made from repurposed waste material, this exhibition explores the theme of sustainable living.
Exhibition
The 2019 SWAP exhibition features work by 78 short listed artists and community members who live, work, study or play in the City of Ryde. See waste transformed into insects and animals, landscapes and portraits, fabulous fashion and much more. Come along and vote for your favourite artwork or design object on show.
Exhibition period: Thursday 19 September to Thursday 3 October
Gallery hours: Tuesday to Saturday, 11am - 4pm
Entry into the exhibition is free. School groups are encouraged to attend but are asked to first contact Council so we can ensure adequate staffing at the gallery is available.
Opening Night
Join us for the announcement of prizes at the exhibition opening.
Date: Wednesday 18 September 2019
Time: 6pm - 8pm
This is a free event but RSVP is essential.
RSVP for the Opening Night
Selection Criteria and Judging
Selection into the exhibition will be based on innovative and creative use of waste materials to make art or the up-cycling of waste materials into an art or design object (creating a better quality object or one of higher environmental value).
The winners of the major prize categories will be chosen by a panel of expert judges. Decisions in regards to the selection of works for exhibition and the category prizes are final and no correspondence will be entered into.
2019 SWAP Judges
Marina Debris - Australia’s leading waste to art practitioner
Sydney-based artist Marina DeBris has been picking up trash along beaches and creeks for almost twenty years. Her mission began when she moved from Bondi Beach to Los Angeles. “In the beginning I would just pick up stacks of styrofoam cups and bring them to the local 7-Eleven, but I soon realized that this wasn’t really attacking the root problem. I needed a creative way to draw attention to it. The whole idea of making beach detritus into art began in 2009 with the realization that the waste we create always comes back to haunt us."
Trained as a graphic designer at Rhode Island School of Design, Marina’s interest in the intersection of art and the environment has been a constant. “My first goal is to provoke viewers into thinking about the consequences of our habits and how we can change them. My second goal is to get rid of all the garbage in my garage! In a responsible way, of course.;
Oliver Watts - Chief Curator, Artbank
Oliver Watts is a contemporary artist, lecturer and theorist. He is Chief Curator at Artbank. Oliver completed his PhD in art history and jurisprudence at the University of Sydney in 2009 and lectures at UNSW Art & Design.
He has been a selected entrant in prizes including the Mosman Art Prize, the Helen Lempriere Travelling Scholarship and the Brett Whitely Scholarship Exhibition and won the Noel Chettle Art Prize. He was a founding member of the Chaser Team as a cartoonist and a illustrator.
Dave West - Founder and National Policy Director, Boomerang Alliance
Dave West is the Founder and National Policy Director of the Boomerang Alliance and is one of the most experienced waste campaigners in the world. Dave has been involved in extensive environmental investigation operations including tyre waste over the Vietnam/Chinese border to prove the extent of Australian recyclers involvement in illegal smuggling, and the exposure of fraudulent share offerings from the public company Carbon Polymers. Dave has also been instrumental in the Container Deposit schemes in NSW and QLD and is currently striving for the future adoption of schemes by all States and Territories. In a career spanning 25 years in the environment sector, Dave has worked for virtually every major environment group in Australia across a range of campaign sectors including toxic, nuclear energy, waste and corporate sustainability. Dave's experience is complemented by degrees in Economics, Valuation and Natural Resource Management along with a Masters in Business.
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 18 September 2019.
Junior YEP | Younger Category
Winner $300 / Second Prize $100
Open to young people aged 10 to 13 years as at 18 September 2019.
Functional Award
Winner $500
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 exhibitions in any category. Audiences will have the opportunity to vote for their favourite artwork or design object in the exhibition.
Important 2019 Dates
Tuesday 4 June
Applications open
Sunday 18 August
Applications close
Monday 2 September
Successful exhibiting artists are notified by email and will be posted on the City of Ryde website.
Thursday 12 September, Friday 13 September and Saturday 14 September
Delivery of artwork required. Selected artworks to be delivered to See Street Gallery, Sydney Gallery School at the Meadowbank Campus of The Northern Sydney Institute - part of TAFE NSW, between 10am and 6pm.
Wednesday 18 September
Opening event and announcement of winners at See Street Gallery, Meadowbank, 6pm - 8pm.
Thursday 19 September to Thursday 3 October
Exhibition Period
Gallery open days and times: Tuesday to Saturday, 11 am - 4pm.
Friday 4 October
Collection of works from See Street Gallery between 10am - 6 pm.
More Information
All queries regarding the exhibition and the application process can be made to Councils City of Ryde Arts and Cultural Development Coordinator on 9952 8222.