Wagga Wagga Art Gallery has won a major award for GREEN 2023: Year of Environmental Exhibitions and Programs at the 2024 Local Government Week Awards held last week in Sydney.

The Gallery received Highly Commended recognition in the Leo Kelly OAM Arts & Culture Award for its series of collaborative, environmentally focused exhibitions and programs curated and presented throughout 2023.

Council’s Art Gallery Director Dr Lee-Anne Hall said the award was recognition of the Gallery’s innovative work in creating, organising, and managing the year-long program.

"GREEN 2023 featured 20 exhibitions, with associated programs throughout the year, including a play titled Said Han, in reference to John O'Brien's poem ‘Said Hanrahan’,” Dr. Hall said.

“During 2023 we held workshops for children, teenagers and adults that explored waste and sustainability, single-use plastic and upcycled materials.

“Artist Hayden Fowler’s eco-installation Turtle Island exhibited on Wollundry Lagoon featuring a live video feed of local wildlife inhabiting the installation. The year also saw the exhibition Hand Me Down, Style Me Up, led by Wiradjuri Elder, Aunty Cheryl Penrith, with a focus on preloved clothing and sustainable fashion.

“The success of GREEN 2023 is primarily due to the dedicated staff at Wagga Wagga Art Gallery, as well as our incredible contributors, including Hayden Fowler, local artist Juanita McLauchlan, and writer Ang Collins.

“Thanks also go to our extraordinary partners, including ABC Riverina, the University of Western Sydney, ADFAS, the Civic Theatre and the Museum of the Riverina.

“We also hosted residencies, where artists utilised our workshop area. One of these residencies was in partnership with Earth Canvas, an organisation that connects artists with regenerative farmers to explore creative solutions for environmentally conscious farming practices.”

Dr. Hall noted that the public’s reaction was overwhelmingly positive.

“The exhibitions and programs all had strong attendance, from school groups and locals to visitors from across Australia.

“They enjoyed and appreciated the fact that GREEN 2023 identified the environmental challenges we face globally, but also suggested how we might take action at a local level.

“What GREEN 2023 demonstrated was that our Gallery can be a safe space for difficult ideas.”

Whilst GREEN 2023: Year of Environmental Exhibitions and Programs is complete; the Wagga Wagga Art Gallery continues to explore and host exhibitions and programs with socially and environmentally conscious themes and ideas.