Waste 2 Art 2025

4 July – 4 August 2025

Waste 2 Art Mid-Western Competition 2025
Educate, inform and challenge the way we look at waste!

Waste 2 Art is a community art exhibition and competition open to all local residents who reside in the NetWaste region. It engages the community and showcases creative works made from reused & recyclable waste materials.. Mudgee Arts Precinct hosts the popular annual local competition and exhibition on behalf of Mid-Western Regional Council residents.

Winning artworks from the local competition will go on to represent the Mid-Western region in the Regional Exhibition which is hosted by a different council each year. The aim of Waste 2 Art is to challenge people's perceptions about 'rubbish' and to celebrate the reuse and recycling of waste through arts and crafts.

Waste 2 Art offers an innovative approach to waste education, inviting individuals, schools, and community groups to take up the challenge and create new life for materials that would otherwise be discarded. Over the years, many materials have been used, including soft plastics, tin cans, bottle tops, plastic bags, scrap metal, and clothing—the options are endless. Instead of heading to landfill, these waste materials can be transformed into fantastic works of art.

The Waste 2 Art exhibition is crucial as it fosters environmental awareness and creativity within the community. By transforming discarded materials into art, it challenges the conventional view of waste, highlighting the potential for reuse and recycling. This exhibition not only educates the public about sustainable practices but also inspires individuals, schools, and community groups to think creatively about waste management. It serves as a powerful reminder of the impact of our consumption habits and encourages a shift towards more sustainable living. Through art, Waste 2 Art celebrates innovation and the beauty of repurposed materials, making a significant contribution to environmental education and community engagement.

2025 Competition Theme – Year of Toys

ENTER HERE

Each year a specific waste item is featured, 2025 is The Year of Toys. That doesn’t mean that you must use this material in your artwork, but the competition aims to raise awareness each year of one particular problem waste stream.

A few ways to embrace the theme

• You could use old or broken toys, that are destined for landfill to create works
• You could make a toy from materials destined to become waste
• You could make a work that celebrates the culture that surrounds toys – this might include, costumes, comics, puzzles, games and much more.

This year entrants will be asked to outline where their materials come from. NetWaste will not be accepting entries into the Regionals if they contain any purchased craft materials such as plastic eyes, glitter, pipe cleaners and foam modelling material etc. as that is against the heart of Waste 2 Art. Instead, get creative with materials already destined for the waste or recycling bin. The only new materials you should be buying are materials to put the works together such as glues, pins and paper tape.

KEY EXHIBITION DATES

Monday 30 June:  Entries close 5pm – online
Wednesday 2 July (between 9am and 5pm): Delivery of works
Friday 4 July 9am - 2.00pm: Judging
Friday 4 July 3.30pm: Exhibition officially opens.­
Monday 4 August: Exhibition closes
3pm Monday 4 August – 5pm Tuesday 5 August: Collection of works

ENTRY CATEGORIES

Individual or group entries are welcome in all categories.

Primary School (Includes preschool and early learning)
2 Dimensional
3 Dimensional
Functional

High School

2 Dimensional
3 Dimensional
Functional

Community (Open to non-professional artists)

2 Dimensional
3 Dimensional
Functional

Open (Professional artists may enter this category*)
2 Dimensional
3 Dimensional
Functional

*For the purpose of this competition a Professional Artist is defined as an individual who may not necessarily have formal art education but has a history of exhibiting in solo or group exhibitions.

TERMS & CONDITIONS

• All artworks must demonstrate the re-use and recycling of waste. 
• No new materials unless structurally required. 
• Although works must use recycled materials it is necessary that are clean, hygienic and uncontaminated in order to ensure the safety of gallery staff and the general public.
• Mudgee Arts Precinct will notify winners of the Mid-Western Waste 2 Art competition via the email provided on your entry form. 
• Results of the Mid-Western Waste 2 Art Competition will be announced on the Mudgee Arts Precinct website and social media channels.
• Results of the Waste 2 Art Regional Showcase will be announced on the NetWaste website. 
• All entrants grant permission to publish names, photographs and artworks. 
• Judges and their immediate families are not eligible to enter. 
• The Judges decision is final; no correspondence will be entered into. 
• Artworks and copyright remain the property of the entrant. 
• An artist’s statement will accompany each entry (MAX 300 WORDS) 
• Artworks must be safe for public exhibition and labelled with your name and council. 
• No packaged artwork to exceed a size of 1 meter in any one direction or a weight of 30kgs. 
• All artworks must be exhibition ready. Works to be hung require a hanging system, sculptures must be freestanding. Special display instructions are to be included on entry forms.
• Mid-Western Regional Council staff members or their immediate family members are ineligible to win a prize in the Waste 2 Art Mid-Western Competition however; their works will still be judged for eligibility to represent MWRC at the Waste 2 Art regional exhibition.
• If selected for the WASTE 2 ART Regional Showcase artworks must be delivered to Mudgee Arts Precinct, 90 Market Street Mudgee packed ready for transport by Wednesday 3 September. You will be notified by Mudgee Arts Precinct when your work is returned from the regional showcase exhibition and is ready for collection.
• The cost and means of transport to your local exhibition are the responsibility of the entrant. If you are a winner at the local exhibition your work will be transported to a Regional Exhibition free of charge once you have packed and taken it to the nominated collection point. The organisers will take all reasonable care in handling and dealing with works submitted, however the organisers will not be responsible for any loss or damage incurred to any of the artworks or materials.

MORE INFORMATION

Contact the Cultural Team at Mudgee Arts Precinct for more information.
PHONE NUMBER: 02 6378 2850
EMAIL: map@midwestern.nsw.gov.au