The Wollombi Valley Sculpture Festival has adapted to the current COVID-19 situation in NSW and will become an online event in 2021.
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The virtual festival launches on September 1, with a catalogue of works by 150 artists available to view and purchase online.
A prominent event on the NSW arts calendar, the festival was set to run at a number of indoor and outdoor sites across the Wollombi Valley from September 11 to 26.
The finalists had already been selected when NSW was plunged progressively into lockdown from late June.
Rather than deprive the community of the fantastic collection of works that had come together, the organisers decided to run an online version, giving sculpture lovers the chance to view the entries and providing the finalists with an opportunity to sell their work.
It's the second major art event in the Wollombi Valley to move online this year, following last weekend's Laguna Art Show.
According to curator Wendy Black, the range of sculptures on display will be "better than ever", and there are a number of exciting exhibitors including well-established figures on the sculpture scene, previous prizewinners and some interesting new and emerging artists.
"The sculptures include abstract, figurative, representational and hyper-realistic works using a wide variety of materials such as steel, wood, stone, bronze, fibreglass and woven fibres," she said.
The festival has reduced its usual commission to maximise the income for the artists, and all sculptures selected this year will be automatically eligible for next year's exhibition - which will be the event's 20th anniversary.
The online festival will run at sculptureinthevineyards.com.au throughout September.