A new addition to the 2019 Envirofair was an art competition with a difference - Reimagine Waste.
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In keeping with the environmental theme of Envirofair, entrants were asked to express their creative skills by creating an artwork using items that were destined for the rubbish or had been used before. The competition was in partnership with the Manning Regional Art Gallery and MidCoast Waste.
The winner of the Open section, which was open to the general public, including community groups and business and industry, was the Northcott Disability Group with their sculpture Earth Landing Module.
Participants in the Northcott art group made the piece, with help from support worker and art teacher, Sue Sutherland.
"The idea was how would the planet would look from other beings' perspectives, so the beings have collected all of our junk and made a ship out of it and now they're coming to have a closer look," Sue explained.
"It was made from mostly stuff we had around the office. The base of it was twigs from a mulberry tree. We gathered up little things that people were throwing out from the cupboards and rescued things and turned them into an alien Earth landing module."
The Northcott group were awarded $500, which will go back into purchasing art and print making supplies for the group, which meets weekly.
"The reason it was chosen was because it used a lot of different things all together, and it was repurposed and painted upon, and we really dug the concept of it," Envirofair organiser Rosie Smith said.
Jaymi-Belle Aldridge from Great Lakes College took out the High School section with her sculpture Dog, winning $200 in the process.
Taking out the Primary School section was Chace Fletcher from Krambrach Publish School with a sculpture he titled We 'can' keep our bushland clean.
Chace made a native bird from recycled cans, wire, thumb tacks and an off cut of wood.
"Birds are cool and they shouldn't be hurt by rubbish. If you are fixing farm fencing, pick up your old wire. If you go camping or bushwalking, don't leave rubbish like cans as birds, snakes and other animals get stuck or hurt by it," Chace said.
Chace was surprised by the win, and feels very proud of himself. He was bowled over by the thought of winning $200.
Birds are cool and they shouldn't be hurt by rubbish. If you are fixing farm fencing, pick up your old wire. If you go camping or bushwalking, don't leave rubbish like cans as birds, snakes and other animals get stuck or hurt by it.
- Chace Fletcher
"I might spend a tiny bit, buy some new shoes and save the rest to go toward something really expensive," he said.
Also on offer was a prize of a fundraiser disco for the winning school group entry. The winner was an artwork called Dump Bin Crab, by Taree and District Preschool. We suspect The Wiggles will be on high rotation on the dj's deck.
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