After a couple of years hiatus Bogan Shire Council this year ran a Waste 2 Art competition with 19 creative entries. 

From Superhero dogs, apologetic dogs, merry-go-round horses, jelly fish, and butterflies, tables, chairs, – all made from rubbish, the entries were creative and innovative and allowed entrants to look at waste in a whole new way. 

Waste2Art is a community art exhibition & competition that challenges the way we look at waste. Each council holds a local competition with the winning artworks then sent to the Regional Exhibition which is hosted by a different Council each year.  



Bogan Shire Council Competition co-ordinator and Director of Development and Environmental Services, Cathy Black, was impressed with the imagination employed by local artists to create their artworks. 

“The Waste 2 Art competition was held at the 2022 Nyngan Show in the hope it would help raise awareness about reusing and recycling used products,” said Ms. Black. 

“This competition gave local artists an opportunity to display their skill and creativity to produce artworks from a range of materials. The Nyngan Show was the chosen exhibition location with the aim to reach as many members of the community as possible.”  

“We received a range of entries from the community, 19 in total of which 9 were selected to progress to the regional exhibition in Lithgow. Of these art works, 3 of the entrants won prize money while a 4th received a highly commended certificate, a great result for a small community!” 

Regional NetWaste co-ordinator Sue Clarke was impressed with the number and quality of entries. 

“This is the first Waste 2 Art competition in Bogan Shire for quite a few years, so I was impressed to see so many entries, and from people of all ages,” Ms Clarke said. 

“This is a really good way to teach people about recycling, and to have fun at the same time. There were entries from kids at preschool and kindergarten, right through to local artists,” according to Ms. Clarke. 

From this competition 9 artists were selected to represent the Bogan Shire at the Waste 2 Art regional finals in Lithgow earlier this month.

Entries came from 12 Councils across the Net Waste region showing a wide range of inventive and original concepts. 

'Butterfly High' won Lianna Maber the Primary Functional prize in Lithgow.

Taking to the floor in the regional competition the following artists were successfully awarded prizes for their work:  

Highly Commended  

Andrew Fernando, Coonamble Shire  

Primary - Three Dimensional  

'Snake’  

Winner  

Lianna Maber, Bogan Shire  

Primary Functional  

‘Butterfly High’  

Highly Commended  

Annabelle Harris, Coonamble Shire  

High School - Three Dimensional  

‘Totem Pole’  

Highly Commended  

Donna Pumpa, Bogan Shire  

Community - Two Dimensional  

‘Three Little Fishes’  

Winner  

Abigail McLaughlin, Bogan Shire  

Community - Three Dimensional  

‘Superhero Dogs’  

Highly Commended  

Sonja Sands, Coonamble Shire  

Community - Three Dimensional  

‘New Blossoms’  

Nyngan Men's Shed with their 'Like New - Table and Chairs'

Highly Commended  

Nyngan’s Men’s Shed, Bogan Shire  

Creative Repair, Restore and Refurbish  

‘Like New – Table and Chairs’  

Winner - Herb Clarke Memorial Award  

Nyngan’s Men’s Shed, Bogan Shire  

Creative Repair, Restore and Refurbish  

‘Like New – Table and Chairs’  

Winner - Curator’s Award  

Annabelle Harris, Coonamble Shire  

Community - Three Dimensional  

‘Totem Pole’ 

Waste 2 Art Participant Winner Abigail Mclaughlin told the App, “I’ve always loved the Waste 2 Art concept. I enjoy looking at ways to repurpose things in a creative way,” she said. 

“My entry ‘Superhero dogs’ were inspired by dogs I know! They’re made from plastic bottles, takeaway containers, lids off chemical drums, bottle lids and wire. I paper machined them and painted them and then cut out and sewed a dog food bag into little capes,” said Mrs McLaughlin. 

“I was stoked they won the competition because I didn’t expect that at all. There were some amazing creative things entered by some very clever people.” 

“I’m already thinking of what I can make next year! I might start a bit earlier because the dogs took a lot of hours," said Mrs Mclaughlin.  

Donna Pumpa's 'Three Little Fishes'

Bogan Shire resident Donna Pumpa was also thrilled to be awarded Highly Commended for her entry ‘Three Little Fishes”.  

“I was so glad that council decided to run the Waste 2 Art Competition this year,” said Ms Pumpa. 

“I really only entered to show what can be created from scrap metal and certainly didn’t expect to win prizes, even at our local level.” 

“Then to have my work entered into the Lithgow Regional Competition and receive a Highly Commended was totally unexpected and such a surprise to me,” Ms Pumpa said.   

Preparations are well in hand for the 2023 competition and organisers urge people from all walks of life to put on their thinking caps and look to waste to produce the next amazing entries.