Wollombi Valley Sculpture Festival is a biennial celebration of art, nature, and community held in the heart of the Wollombi Valley.
In 2026 it will run from 12th – 27th September.
Nestled among the rolling hills and historic charm of the Wollombi Valley, the Wollombi Valley Sculpture Festival invites visitors to experience contemporary sculpture in a uniquely immersive setting. Held every two years, the festival transforms the valley into an open-air gallery where visitors can wander through scenic vineyards, explore curated indoor exhibitions, and engage with a dynamic calendar of events.
The Wollombi Valley Sculpture Festival is NSW’s longest-running and largest-scale regional festival. Since its inception in 2002, the festival has grown into a vibrant cultural event that showcases the work of both leading and emerging Australian artists across vineyards, village spaces and indoor galleries.
The Wollombi Valley Sculpture Festival is a community-driven, not-for-profit initiative, supported by over 100 passionate local volunteers. The festival is proud to have Her Excellency the Honourable Margaret Beazley AC KC, Governor of NSW, as its Patron. Each festival features the prestigious Governor’s Prize, with the winning sculpture exhibited at Government House for 12 months — an honour that reflects the festival’s commitment to artistic excellence and public engagement.
Visitors are encouraged to stay, explore, and enjoy the valley’s boutique wineries, cafés and accommodation while discovering the transformative power of sculpture in nature.
Join us for an experience where art, wine, and landscape converge — in less than two hours from Sydney.
OUR PATRON
We are thrilled that Her Excellency the Honourable Margaret Beazley AC KC Governor of New South Wales agreed in 2020 to become The Patron of the Wollombi Valley Sculpture Festival.
The Governor’s prize was initiated after Her Excellency the Honourable Margaret Beazley AC KC visited the 2020 exhibition. Read more…
Photo: Governor Beazley at Stonehurst Cedar Creek Winery with sculptor Ayako Saito in 2020, standing in front of Ayako’s work Lunar Shadow. Photo credit Nick Glover.
OUR AMBASSADORS
ARMANDO PERCUOCO A.O.M.
As an original sponsor of Sculpture by the Sea Armando shares his passion for sculpture as a valued supporter of The Wollombi Valley Sculpture Festival.
In recent years Armando has been one of our Festival Judges and led Guided Sculpture Tours for local school children.
Photo: Armando Percuoco at his Laguna property Valleyfield
PAUL SELWOOD
Paul Selwood is acknowledged by the Australian art world as one of our finest sculptors of the past forty years.
He has his studio and an outdoor sculpture park in the Hunter Valley devoted to the display of large scale sculptures, many of which have been exhibited in Sydney at Sculpture by the Sea, The Royal Botanic Gardens, and NSW Government House and on the harbour foreshore at Sawmillers Reserve. Internationally he is represented In the UK, USA, New Zealand and Denmark.
JENNIFER WINTEN
Jennifer was fortunate to grow up surrounded by art, in a family of art lovers, collectors, gallery owners and benefactors, gradually building up her own collection of paintings and sculptures. As an ambassador, she aims to build on the connections she has with artists, sculptors and members of the art fraternity to further promote the Wollombi Valley Sculpture Festival and to provide ideas and inspiration with the goal of further enhancing the Festival.
Jennifer has assisted, in various roles, with the general organisation, administration, guided tours and sales coordination of the festival and was a foundation donor in 2019.
GUEST ARTIST IN 2024
In 2024 renowned British Sculptor Isabel H Langtry, Principal of Hampstead School of Art in London, was our distinguished guest.
Isabel produces large-scale sculptures for public places and has exhibited works on Hampstead Heath, Berkley Square, and has sculpture permanently installed in Beijing, London, Mallorca, Saudi Arabia, Chile, Slovenia and Spain.
Isabel has delivered a series of public lectures entitled Sculpture in the 20th Century at the Tate Gallery in London, which then toured to galleries and museums around the United Kingdom and Europe.
During the 2024 festival, Isabel exhibited sculptures from her ‘Kiss’ Series, and awarded the London Sculpture Prize to Ayako Saito for her sculpture ‘From Here to There’. Ayako won a solo exhibition at the HSoA Gallery part of the Hampstead School of Art, which will run in 2026.
ORGANISERS
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE 2026
President – Chris Books
Vice President – Peter Elms
Treasurer & Public Officer – Rick Jirsch
Secretary – Annie Cossins
Vineyard Representatives – Jane Hamshere, Laura Heslop-Shaw
Ordinary Committee Members – Sheena Duncan, Sioux Garside, Raymer Jones, Alice Parsons, Anthony Parsons.
FESTIVAL ORGANISING COMMITTEE 2026
The Wollombi Valley Sculpture Festival is organised entirely by dedicated volunteers. We appreciate our 2024 team and over 100 volunteers for their support, and are now forming the 2026 organising committee.
Festival Executive Director:
Sheena Duncan
Festival Co-ordinators:
Deb Harrod
Alice Parsons
Artistic Committee:
Lead – Raymer Jones
Curator – Wendy Black
Sioux Garside
Ant Parsons
Stephanie Vella
Administration:
Wendy Wong
Development & Events:
Sheena Duncan
Marketing Committee:
Lead – Deb Harrod
Annie Cossins
Heather McMullen
JUDGES 2026
Isabel Langtry – Principal Hampstead School of Art
John McDonald – Art Critic
Jane Watters – Director, S.H. Ervin Gallery / Director Galleries, National Trust of Australia (NSW
PRIZES 2026
| PRIZE | AMOUNT |
|---|---|
| Open Prize | $35,000 |
| Highly Commended Prize | $10,000 |
| Small Sculpture Prize | $5,000 |
| London Sculpture Prize, Australia | $5,000 |
| Youth Prize | $500 |
| NEW PRIZES FOR 2026 | AMOUNT |
|---|---|
| Emerging Artist Award | $5,000 |
| Excellence in Mixed Media | $5,000 |
| Excellence in Metal | $5,000 |
| Excellence in Stone | $5,000 |
| Excellence in Timber | $5,000 |
| People’s Choice Award | $1,000 |
| Local Sculptor Prize | $1,000 |
(All Prizes Non-Acquisitive)
All donations to our organisation are tax deductible.
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AUSTRALIA DAY AWARD 2022
The Wollombi Valley Sculpture Festival has been recognised as the ‘The Australia Day 2022 Community Event of the Year’ by the Cessnock City Council at an Australia Day Awards Ceremony.
Festival Director Susan Leith-Miller, Festival President Graham Skeates and Festival Founding Members Phillipa Heslop and Jane Hamshere attended the Australia Day Ceremony and were delighted to accept the award on behalf of the Committee and local volunteers who have kept Sculpture in the Vineyards running since 2002.
2022 is the 20th Anniversary of The Wollombi Valley Sculpture Festival and preparations are already underway for what we are expecting will be a huge celebration.
MEDIA PARTNERS
Photo above: Opening Ceremony 2019. Photo courtesy of Chris Southwood.