Media Release

Bay Chamber’s plan for an Underwater Sculpture Park

An underwater sculpture park – with no less than 20 living artworks that promote marine life – may be developed in the waters between Snapper Island and the Tollgates.

The proposal has been positively received by Marine Parks and is backed by the Batemans Bay Chamber of Commerce as a tourist attraction linked to the already successful Sculptures on Clyde.

The park will be established on the sandy ocean floor just off the coast of Batemans Bay and will be linked by a trail of sculptures to one of the beaches between Batehaven and Surf Beach. Sculptures will sit at depths of 20 – 2metres, accessible for both divers and snorkellers by land and by boat.

The sculptures will come from a variety of sources, including from community workshops where everyone gets a chance to be artistic, make a fabulous sculpture – and then sink it! Donations of living sculptures may also come from artists or from the Sculpture on Clyde exhibitions.

The benefits to the community are equally matched by the benefits to the marine environment. In many parts of the world, underwater sculptures are creating habitat for marine life and helping the recovery of destroyed coral reefs.

Batemans Bay’s Sculpture Walk is set to expand this year as plans for the second Sculpture on Clyde power up.

Keep the dates August 24 – September 3 clear because international as well as national and local artists are already expressing their interest in entering a sculpture of distinction, all vying for the $50,000 prize.

Last year’s Acquisition Prize winner “Bouyansea” at Mena’s Point has acquired celebrity status, stopping traffic on Beach Road, and “Duet” by Dora A. Rognvaldsdottir has been installed in the Stockland precinct for everyone to enjoy.

The 2018 winner will also be installed along our waterways and will add to our world class Sculpture Walk.

“There is enormous excitement and interest in our Acquisition Prize,” said Chamber of Commerce President and Sculpture on Clyde committee member, David Maclachlan. “We have had expressions of interest from well-known overseas sculptors.”

“Plans for the 10 day sculpture showcase are well underway and we hope the community will support this event as well as it did last year.”

The inaugural Sculpture on Clyde attracted many locals and tourists who were impressed by the diversity of talent on display. The event also aims to promote Batemans Bay as an Arts destination. Local restaurants and accommodation places are joining in with special packages for the event.

After the huge success last year of the first Sculpture on Clyde event, Batemans Bay is powering ahead with plans for the second competition to choose a suitable sculpture for our Sculpture walk.

August 24 – September 3 will see the town transformed into a vast sculpture park. The plan to create a world class sculpture walk in our town is underway, with the winner staying here and the winning artist taking home the $50,000 prize money.

Our first winner Dora A. Rognvaldsdottir’s shining welded aluminium sculpture “Duet” is in place in the Stockland precinct, and of course our octopus sculpture Bouyansea at Mena’s Point has been stopping traffic since its installation last year.

This year, the artists have been shown a plan agreed to by the Council, where the winner could be installed along our waterways. Both the landscape and the seascape influence the selection of these sites so that each new winning piece will be thoughtfully placed along our foreshores.

The town is gearing up for the expected visitors and many of our local restaurants and accommodation places are joining in with special packages for the event.