Gippsland Sculpture Exhibition - 2025

The Main Streets of Yinnar have been transformed with an abundance of sculptures for the fifth biennial Gippsland Sculpture Exhibition which officially opened recently.

With the exhibition going for six weeks and the interior gallery at ARC open daily, there is plenty of opportunity for people to view the sculptures and vote for the People’s Choice awards. With record number of entries for both interior and exterior exhibitions, music each Sunday along with free sculpture workshops, there are plenty of reasons to visit Yinnar over the period.

“We are delighted with the number and quality of entries for this year’s exhibition” said Committee Chair, Nicole Allen. “The judges had quite a challenge in selecting the winning entries with the beauty and complexity of the works and the wide variety of subject matter and mediums used. While some are very eye catching, other contemporary works challenge one’s thinking about sculpture and nature.” Ms Allen added, that “with over 135 sculptures to view, it may take a few visits to be able to absorb all the works.”

Congratulations to the five prize winning sculptors, particularly Darren Gilbert who took out the major exterior prize with his work Embrace Circle, as well as Peter Schipperheyn who once again provided an interior piece that stirred the emotions, Autumn Leaves. The Glover family prize went to local artist Kristy Mills, Emerge and See, while the Textiles prize for A Star is Born went to Domenica Wallace. Hayley Close won the Emerging Artist award for her interior pieces, Mosses and Mushrooms and Resting.

Apart from the exhibits, live music will be performed by local musicians each Sunday afternoon from 12 noon to 3 pm in Centenary Park, or ARC if the weather is inclement. Free sculpture workshops will also be offered each Sunday from 11 am to 4 pm in Main Street. The workshops are held in a marquee next door to Cafe 3869; participants will learn a variety of techniques in various mediums and complete small creative, fun, artistic projects which are free with materials supplied.

Volunteers are in ARC daily from 10 am to 4 pm to guide visitors through the exhibits, provide a detailed catalogue, advise on how to purchase merchandise, as well as your dream sculpture. Local businesses are also open daily for a variety of food and drink options, meat, your hardware and garden supplies as well as fuel if needed.

The exhibition has garnered an enormous amount of support locally and from across the region with funding provided by organisations like Latrobe City Council, Bendigo Bank, Mirboo North and District Community Foundation and Marinus Link, to name a few. Ms Allen added, “many individuals, local community organisations and businesses, including throughout Yinnar and district, have got behind us in providing support in a variety of ways. These contributions and investments, the hard work of the organising committee and the involvement of all local schools have enabled us to showcase sculpture and bring people together, which has been two years in the making. The sculpture pieces created by local children provide an additional point of interest”, Ms Allen added. “While many exhibits are from renowned artists from across Victora and interstate, the calibre of works produced by local artists match these standards and showcase the capability of our Gippsland sculptors.”

The Gippsland Sculpture Exhibition organising committee is keen to let visitors know how they can support the exhibition in future years, to ensure it continues in 2027. New volunteers and members will be very welcome.

You can follow Gippsland Sculpture Exhibition on Facebook and Instagram, check out the website, donate, and take your chance with purchasing a raffle ticket to win some terrific prizes. Viewers are also reminded to keep a look out for details on how you can join the auction of Rob Bast carved chainsaw sculptures which will be produced at a workshop scheduled for the following Sunday.

Enquiries to: Info@gippslandsculptureexhibition.com or
Phone Nicole Allen, Committee Chair 0416 435 070.