2nd November – 2 December

by Open Media

There was a whole lot a BIG smiles and BIG love flowing at the official opening of the inaugural BIG Sculpture @ Veg Out competition on the 10 November 2019.

Co-curators’ Adrian Spurr, Mariella Del Conte and Rob Taylor and their team of volunteers have worked for the last eight months scrupulously tending to every detail and polishing every leaf at the magnificent Veg Out gardens in the lead up to this most presitigious art happening.

There were 40 entrants bidding for a position with 19 of Melbourne’s finest sculptors’ works selected, currently on display and available for purchase.

Local dignitaries in the Honorable Martin Foley Minister for Creative Industries, Judith Jackson (Aunty Jacko), Port Phillip Mayor Dick Gross, Counsellor Andrew Bond along with the three Judges in Max Delany Artistic director and CEO of Australian Centre for Contemporary Art, Cameron Macindoe from Fundere Fine Art Foundry and the Espy’s Matt Mullins joined forces to select, announce and present the prize pool to the winners.

The Grand ‘BIG Sculpture @ Veg Out’ prize of $5,000 was awarded to Mark Stoner for his 2019 stone piece ‘Geolife-1’ .

The Fundere Fine Art Foundry award of $2,500 went to Salvatori Lolicato for his 2019 ceramic piece ‘Metamorphosis’.

The Espy prize of $2,000 was awarded to Craig MacDonald for his 2017 piece ‘She Spins’.