14 October, 2025

Textiles will take centre stage when Gunnedah’s Waste into Art exhibition goes on show on Friday, 19 December.

Artists, students and community groups are invited to create unique works of art from waste products and items for this community exhibition that will run over the Christmas holidays.

Gunnedah Shire Council hosts the triennial competition in partnership with Northern Inland Regional Waste to promote the reduction of waste and includes $1000 in Gunny Money as prizes.

The Waste into Art 2025 competition includes the following categories:

• Early Childhood/Preschools
• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools
• Collaborative Work
• Open – Most Creative
• Open – Best suits theme of textiles
• Open – Functional Art
• Gallery Organiser’s Choice – the artwork voted best by staff
• People’s Choice Award – the artwork voted “best” by patrons

“This is a great opportunity for locals to use their ingenuity and resourcefulness to come up with innovative concepts to repurpose waste materials into something original and inventive,” Council’s Cultural Precinct Team Leader Danny Hankinson said.

“Examples of inventiveness in past exhibitions are dogs made from paper shopping bags, a female bust adorned with gold bottle screw caps, and a sheep created from a wheel hub cap and yoghurt containers.

“I’m excited to see what will be created this year for the 2025 exhibition.”

Artworks will need to be delivered to the Gunnedah Bicentennial Creative Arts Gallery (81 Chandos Street) with a completed Artist Submission Form by 5pm on Monday, 15 December. Submission forms are available on The Civic website: www.thecivic.com.au/art--exhibitions.

Waste into Art will open at the Creative Arts Gallery at 6pm, on Friday, 19 December, 2025 and continues until Friday, 30 January, 2026.

Caption: Gunnedah High School Visual Arts teacher Louise Hill and students with ‘The Alpha Pack’ – dogs they created from paper shopping bags for the 2023 Waste into Art exhibition.

ENDS

Media and communications team contact: (02) 6740 2100 or communications@gunnedah.nsw.gov.au