The annual Waste to Art competition is always a sight to see in Parkes.
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Saturday's opening and winners presentation in the Coventry Room didn't disappoint again with some spectacular talent shining across all categories.
The exhibition was opened by Cr Bill Jayet with Cr Neil Westcott and Cr Marg Applebee assisting.
Waste to Art is a community art exhibition and competition open to all local residents who reside in the NetWaste region. It aims to engage the community and showcase creative works made from reused and recyclable waste materials.
All the councils involved host a local competition and the winning artworks are then transported to a Regional Exhibition which is hosted by a different council each year. This year it will be held on July 22 at the Blayney Railway Station.
"Waste to Art's aim is to challenge peoples' perceptions about rubbish and to celebrate the reuse and recycling of waste through arts and crafts," Parkes Shire Council's Cultural, Education and Library Services Manager Kerryn Jones said.
Waste to Art provides an innovative approach to waste education, invites schools and community groups to take up the challenge and create a new life for materials that would otherwise have been thrown away.
This year's theme is Textiles and Fast Fashion.
"Fast Fashion is cheap disposable clothing that ends of in landfill after only short use. Australia is the second highest consumer of textiles per person in the world and each Australian disposes on average 23 kilograms of clothing to landfill each year," Ms Jones said.
"And the fashion industry is one of the highest polluting industries on the planet.
"Fast fashion is an environmental issue that the planet needs to tackle and something each of us can make some choices about in terms of the clothing we buy and the recycling, repair and upcycling of clothing."
And so, Ms Jones said it was great to see so many of our entries this year, almost 70 per cent, incorporate this theme.
"This year we had 65 entries across 13 categories, thank you to all who entered," she said.
The exhibition will now run until Saturday, July 1.
The people's choice nominations will be taken during this time and the winner announced after the exhibition concludes, so don't forget to vote for your favourite piece.
This year's winners:
Community 2D - Scrappy Circles, Raeleen Rout.
Community 3D - Brian the TAFE Critter, Julie Dearden.
Community Functional - Festive Spirit, Parkes Multicultural Art Group.
OPEN 2D - Owl & Swan at the Museum, Christine Somers.
OPEN 3D - Hare Today, Gone Tomorrow, Michelle Hazelton.
OPEN Functional - Silk Merino Sandwich Jacket, Beryl Twardy.
HIGH SCHOOL 2D - Blue Eye, Siara Horsburgh.
HIGH SCHOOL 3D - Birb, Samuel Mortimer.
HIGH SCHOOL Functional - Fairytale Fascinator, Chloe Amery.
PRIMARY 2D - Rainbow of Colours, Milla Harris.
Primary 3D - Wicked Queen, Briley Farrell.
Primary Functional - Miss Patches, Emily Wild.
Creative Repair/Restore/Refurbish - Party Dress with Decorative Felting, Beryl Twardy.
Yearly Theme - Fast Fashion - Party Dress with Decorative Felting, Beryl Twardy.
PSC Dept of Planning & Community Services Award - Digger, Trundle Central School.
Packer's Prize - My Marvellous Coat, Benson O'Donnell.
Highly commended: George Hendry, Parkes East Primary School, Victoria Street Children's Centre, Evangeline Brown, Parkes Christian School, Milla Harris, Maya Williams, Trundle Central School, Sienna Danaher, John Grady, Helen Standen, Sharyn Presig and Michelle Finnegan.
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