Expect some novel hay bale sculptures to start appearing on Naas Street over the next few weeks as the Autumn Festival's hay bale competition gets underway on the Rosenhof Cafe property, but it's vital that teams start organising and get registered now.
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With a nod to the district's agricultural roots, the hay bale sculpture aspect of the festival is designed to catch the eye of visitors to entice them back to town for the Easter activities, and to ramp up local interest in the lead-up to the festival.
Rosenhof's Christian Uhrig agreed to host the art park, given the accessible location (just down from Tenterfield Hospital) so that progress can be seen from the road.
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Christian advises teams to allocate maybe four to five hours all up to create their sculpture, but they're welcome to invest as much time over the coming weeks as they like as long as things get underway by next Saturday, March 6.
Work can start on March 5 and has to be completed by March 22. Touch ups and repairs can be done during Rosenhof opening Times (Thursday-Sunday).
Judging and the announcement of winners will take place onsite during the festival at 11am on Sunday, April 4. Christian is hoping to form a panel of local judges along with a celebrity or two. (Are you free, Shannon Noll?)
Once teams are happy with their creation they're also encouraged to mount their own online campaign to get in votes for the People's Choice. There are great prizes in both categories including a $500 cash prize and lots of vouchers from supporting businesses.
There's room for a maximum of 15 teams. Each will have three large round bales and four small square bales to work with, although they don't all have to be used and they can be unbaled.
ThriftyLink is supporting the event with free paint starter packs, and teams are invited to bring along other items to incorporate into the sculpture (to be removed after the festival).
The emphasis is strongly on producing a sustainable art piece, integrating other natural and sustainable/recycled materials. Entries include a short essay on 'the story behind the art'.
There's no set theme, not even an Easter one, so teams can let their imaginations fly. Christian's advice is not to Google ideas, but to instead think outside the box for something truly unique to impress the judges.
He said perhaps a Kent Saddlery team could tether a horse to a bale and let it eat its way through and call it 'performance art'. Or a Hilliers team could line up the bales and paint them as a bus.
Teams advertising their business is part of the fun.
It's $30 to register a team, to contribute towards insurance with any proceeds donated to the RFS.
For more information and to register contact Rosenhof Cafe on 0439 640 512 or christian@rosenhof.com.au.
