Sculpture by the Sea cancelled for 2025
Iconic outdoor art exhibition Sculpture by the Sea have just announced the annual event won’t return in 2025.
The decision was made following the end of federal arts funding packages the Catalyst Fund and the RISE Fund, leaving Sculpture by the Sea with an operational shortfall of $700,000.
Celebrating its 20th anniversary last summer, Sculpture by the Sea‘s Founding Director David Handley has stated that even if new funding was to be sourced, it’s now too late for 2025’s event to go ahead in March.
Normally running for 18 days each March, the free exhibition brings 230,000 visitors to Cottesloe Beach each year – only 11-13% of which are from the western suburbs, according to Handley.
“Thank you to the people of Perth and WA for making Sculpture by the Sea, Cottesloe such a wonderful community and cultural event for the last 20 years. Thank you to the artists from WA, across Australia and around the world for their artworks that captured the imagination of so many people year after year.”
“We have really enjoyed staging the exhibition despite the financial challenges and hope the federal government will support the exhibition to enable it to return in 2026.”
Over its 20 year history, Sculpture by the Sea, Cottesloe has hosted 596 artists from 44 countries, exhibiting a total of 1,329 sculptures.
Of the event’s substantial operational costs, approximately $1M is contributed by exhibiting artists, half of whom do not recoup any costs from sculpture sales, awards prizes or subsidies. In spite of this, 95% of WA artists who have been in the exhibition four or more times have co-signed a letter to Federal Arts Minister Tony Burke.
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“This feels like a funeral,” said WA artist Dr Jon Tarry.
“We can’t believe it’s happening and how anyone responsible for the public arts in Australia could let this happen. Sculpture by the Sea is what every city in the world would love to have.”
“Sculpture by the Sea, Cottesloe was a game changer for my career as a sculptor,” added Denise Pepper, a Perth sculptor who has been a part of the exhibition 10 times since 2009.
“For once, I could engage in a conversation with the people of Perth about my work and for once the Western Australian arts sector finally got an exhibition that showcases sculpture!”.
Cover image credit: Norton Flavel, ‘Bulk Carrier’, Sculpture by the Sea, Cottesloe 2014. Photo Jarrad Seng.