Sculpture by the Sea 5.49

The Sculpture by the Sea exhibition in Sydney and Perth is Australia's largest annual outdoor sculpture exhibition. This exhibition was initiated in 1997, at Bondi Beach and it featured sculptures by both Australian and overseas artists. In 2005, a companion event was established at Cottesloe Beach in Western Australia featuring over 70 artists. In 2009 it was announced that Aarhus in Denmark would host the first Sculpture by the Sea exhibition outside of Australia.This exhibition is held annually during spring in Australia, from late October to early November for three weeks. Over 100 local, interstate and international artists participate every year. Sculpture by the Sea is incredibly popular and draws considerable crowds. In 2014 Waverley Council estimated that between 450,000 to 500,000 people would visit the sculptures during their exhibition in Sydney.HistoryIn 1995, David Handley, founder of Sculpture by the Sea, was living in Prague. He visited an outdoor sculpture park in Klatovy, Northern Bohemia. He was inspired to do something similar in Australia. On his return to Sydney in 1996, His friends suggested the Bondi to Tamarama coastal walk as a suitable location. At first, he planned on having paintings as well as sculptures, naming this exhibition "Art by the Sea" but dropped the idea as the weather can be unpredictable on the coast. This is how Sculpture by the Sea came into being.