Stephanie Quirk and Dr Virginia Keft (Muruwari) have been announced as this year's winners of the 2025 Sculpture in the Garden Wollongong Ephemeral Prize and People's Choice prize, respectively.
Ms Quirk won for her artwork I Belong Under the Sun, You Belong Under the Sun with the judges noting how visitors engaged with the work whether by walking through it or watching from a distance and how it stood out in the garden's landscape.
While Dr Keft won over those attending the exhibition with her work Nuwa ganda (Look up).
Image: Stephanie Quirk, I Belong Under the Sun, You Belong Under the Sun, Photo by Oliver Risi
Image: Dr Virginia Keft, Nuwa ganda (Look up). Photo by Oliver Risi
The artists celebrated their win at the Gardens today, Tuesday 29 April, and follow the announcement earlier this month of the $30,000 Acquisitive Prize by Melbourne artist Jenny Reddin with her eye-catching work Affinity.
"It has been an extraordinary month at Wollongong Botanic Garden with this biennial event bringing more than 66,000 people through the gates over the past four weeks,'' Lord Mayor of Wollongong Councillor Tania Brown said.
"It has been fabulous seeing people return or discover this space and its natural beauty – as well as the diverse works that have been dotted through the Gardens.''
All up, 18 artworks have been on display during the month-long exhibition which attracted more than 60 applications to exhibit. It's the fifth time the event has been held at the Garden.
"I think for many people in our community coming to see Sculpture in the Garden is a must-do,'' she said.
"Exploring this beautiful area at the foothills of Mount Keira is a lovely way to spend your time.
"I love that this year we've added an Ephemeral Prize to the mix. These works have drawn specific inspiration from the Garden itself and many use natural materials sourced onsite. By their very nature, they only last the duration of the exhibition so if you don't catch them now, you've missed out!'
"I also think the fact that the winner of People's Choice was one of the Ephemeral Sculptures demonstrates how these works were embraced by attendees to the exhibit."
