13 November 2024
Rockingham Beach Education Support Centre students have been awarded the Alcoa Primary School Award at the Castaways Sculpture Awards which celebrates art created from trash.
The winning artwork, I’m a peliCAN, not a trash CAN, was named Arbie and made from a lampshade, wire fruit baskets, vacuum parts, milk bottles, tyre tubes, and a gym ball.
Rockingham Beach Education Support Centre students were awarded for their sculpture I’m a peliCAN, not a trash CAN. Photo supplied by City of Rockingham.
“Discarded fishing lines and rubbish all have a devastating effect on our wildlife. This artwork highlights the literal struggles faced by our sea birds when they get tangled in our mess,” the artist statement read.
Run by the City of Rockingham, the awards are an annual outdoor sculptural exhibition showcasing artworks created from recycled or repurposed materials.
With a dedicated schools category, the Castaways Sculpture Awards encourages students to develop their artistic skills while establishing a sense of belonging within their local community.
It aims to show young people how values and important messages can be effectively promoted through engaging channels such as art.
Rockingham Beach Education Support Centre principal Julie Pullen said the award provided students the opportunity to showcase their artistic talent within the community.
“Students were incredibly excited to be able to share their work with their families, friends and the wider community,” she said.
“Offering an avenue to communicate and express ideas through various mediums, art projects provide students of all abilities the opportunity to shine.
“Having Arbie standing proudly on the foreshore just down the road from our school has ensured our message of sustainability has been a talking point in many households.
“Being a coastal community, we loved creating our pelican and learning about how we can make oceans safer for wildlife. We hope Arbie helps spread the message of keeping our beaches and oceans clean.”
Endeavour Schools and Settlers Primary School were highly commended in the awards. Bungaree Primary School, Charthouse Primary School, and Ridge View Secondary College also featured in the exhibition.
The Castaways Schools Exhibition was displayed on the Rockingham Foreshore in Churchill Park, alongside the Main Exhibition from Saturday 26 October to Sunday 3 November 2024.