From the Lord Mayor's Office
Botany and art make an eye-catching combination
If you only visit the Wollongong Botanic Garden one time this year, make sure it’s over the next month.
From today, Tuesday 1 April, Sculpture in the Garden Wollongong returns to the gardens for the fifth time.
While there’s never a bad time to visit the city’s botanic garden, this is a particularly special event which makes it well worth a visit.
Dotted throughout the gardens in the foothills of Mt Keira is the work of 18 artists whose sculptures respond to the outdoor space in which they’re displayed.
They’re spectacular works – chosen from more than 60 applications – and many of the artists have integrated plants into the sculptural processes.
All visitors need to do is wander through the gardens’ 13 living collections and “discover” these works as they explore the 27-hectare site. For those who want more, there is a program of events and workshops associated with the exhibition, and you can vote for the $3,000 People’s Choice Prize.
On April 10, we’ll announce the winner of the $30,000 Acquisitive Prize and the artist whose work will remain on permanent display in the Garden as part of Council’s public art collection. It’ll join the works of previous winners: Deborah Redwood (Banksia 2023), Fatih Semiz (Curious Dream of an Architect, 2021), Michael Purdy (Steel City, 2018) and Louise Pratt (King Coal, 2016).
This is an exhibition and an opportunity not to be missed. There is something beautifully calming about the greenspace that is the Wollongong Botanic Garden, and its various collections change dramatically as you move through the site.
When I visit, I do try to take a moment and walk through the rainforest section, which always feels so peaceful and quiet with its dappled light. However, I have to say, no visit to the garden is complete without a walk through the succulent collection. With my penchant for overwatering succulents, it’s a treat to see them in this resplendent location.
With Easter and school holidays around the corner, the Botanic Gardens are always a popular outing with families looking for a picnic spot and the chance to feed a few peas to the resident ducks.
Add Sculpture in the Garden Wollongong into the mix, and it’s going to be very busy few weeks there indeed! My pro tip is to give the morning walk a miss and head to the garden for some late afternoon sun. It’ll likely be quieter. Plus, if you catch the free Gong Shuttle from one of the nearby stops, it also takes parking out of the mix.
Whatever time you choose to go, just don’t miss this year’s Sculpture in the Garden Wollongong. It’s well worth a visit.
