Garden sculpture to inspire children: future custodians of planet
13 November 2008
Minister for Climate Change and the Environment Carmel Tebbutt today launched a major new competition aimed at inspiring younger generations to develop a love of plants and an interest in conserving the natural environment.
"I would like to invite Australian artists to create a centre piece for a new children's garden," Ms Tebbutt said.
"A series of four themed children's gardens, each with a sculpture and integrated landscaping, will be designed as fun and educational places for children to play in the picturesque Mount Tomah Botanic Garden in the Blue Mountains.
"The first of the children's gardens will be called the 'Garden for Laughing Children' - its purpose will be to stimulate children's natural curiosity and make learning fun.
"Deep habits are developed in childhood and a pattern of visiting gardens at this time can have life-long benefits," she said.
The Breen Sculpture Competition, a Botanic Gardens Trust initiative, has been generously supported by Tom Breen (Managing Director of Breen Holdings Pty Ltd). The winner of the competition will receive a $20,000 award; an additional $30,000 is provided for fabricating the sculpture and further funds are available for installation and landscaping. The competition is open to artists in Australia aged 18 or older. Competition closes 27/02/2009. For details visit: www.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au.
The theme for the Garden for Laughing Children is Exploring - getting close to nature. To nurture a love of nature in children and adults through their experience of interacting with the sculpture and the landscape it inhabits.
The sculpture is to be of high artistic merit and must engage with children in an interactive way, as well as be relevant to the mission of the botanic garden - to inspire the appreciation and conservation of plants.
Breen Holdings Managing Director Tom Breen said the magic setting of the Garden for Laughing Children at Mount Tomah Botanic Garden provides the perfect backdrop for children to play, have fun and learn to value the environment.
"As a father and grandfather myself, I can say with certainty that our children must be given every opportunity and encouraged at an early age to enjoy and relate to the beauty and spirit of the natural world, an increasingly difficult task in these times of computer games, 'reality' TV and other such generational distractions of the material world in which we live," Mr Breen said.
"Historically my family has a significant and ongoing commitment to the creation of 'sustainable beauty' in the region, as expressed in the creation of our garden estate, Breenhold, at nearby Mount Wilson," he said. "So it is apt that we are now also playing a part in this challenging and inspired project at Mount Tomah Botanic Garden."
Botanic Gardens Trust Executive Director Dr Tim Entwisle said the wonderful initiative will not only bring more public art into the botanic gardens, but also more children - children who will become excited about plants, and learn about their importance to life on earth.
"I'm thrilled that thanks to the generosity of the Breen Family we can add to the magic of the Mount Tomah Botanic Garden," Dr Entwisle said.
