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  Sustainable Neighbourhoods Lake Macquarie
Selected Waste to Art works on display at the Living Smart Festival

View selected works from our 2018 exhibition and a sneak peak of some 2019 works at the Living Smart Festival, 28 and 29 September.

Jill Overton
Small Assassins
Sculpture from Styrofoam and small disposable items
This represents the small everyday items we dispose of every day.  They do not seem great in number but when multiplied by the millions of us who use these things, the collective amount is enormous.
Our world was created by tiny things, dust particles, bacteria, atoms, and we are now destroying our world with tiny things such as micro plastics, microfibres and excesses of toxic particles.
I have been inspired to impart information such as this since 1994 when I became involved in a training group called Earthworks which was started by Canterbury Council and the EPA teaching groups how to compost, worm farm and reduce waste in their daily lives.
The overwhelming images of destruction caused by our waste have been made apparent through various media outlets e.g. War on Waste, 1 Million Women, etc. and exhibits such as yours will hopefully, open more eyes to our planet’s plight.
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Olga Kalistratova
Bags from bags
A purse, a handbag, a backpack and two shoulder bags have been crocheted from plastic shopping bags.
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Angie Parkes
Seahorse Savvy
Sculpture from plastic straws
My sculpture examines the interplay between pollution and the survival of some of our most delicate sea-life. Drinking straws are transformed into sea-horses which ‘take hold’ and flourish: sea-horses 1, straws-0.

Loraine Micevski
Perspex tulips
Sculpture from Perspex off-cuts
My design uses off-cuts of bright coloured Perspex. This medium was extremely hard to work with. First, I drew an outline of the tulips and leaves on the Perspex and used a jugsaw to cut and create these artificial flowers. The tulips are arranged on a photo image of a flowerbed of tulips, which I took whilst visiting a London park in full bloom.
The harshness and sharpness of the manmade Perspex in vibrant colours contrasts with the soft, organic and seasonal display captured in the photo.
I wanted to create awareness of the importance of plastic recycling. Maybe off-cuts of building materials can create new forms of decoration?
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Gabby’s Family Day Care
Goanna
Sculpture from packaging, fabric and feather
Children aged 18months to 5years created our Goanna. Our inspiration is from Tjanpi Desert Weavers who make sculptures using natural grasses, we make bush toys from natural grasses and plants. We recycle everything we can, Lylah (5) suggested we use some “garbage” to make a sculpture instead of “plants that animals can live in”, and Gabby heard about this exhibition. The Goanna is made from Pringles chip packet, Chia Tea containers, Styrofoam, Pamphlets/scrap paper, Repurposed fabric, Yogurt lids, Milk lid inserts, Discarded/broken peacock feather.

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Dianne Powell
The writing box
Writing box from salvaged timber, marbles and inherited objects
Constructed from WRC Shiplap timber, coated with thick grey paint and previously used as bathroom cladding.
Enough was salvaged to construct the writing box and a 15" ruler.
A Christmas Day project with my brother, Wayne Powell. The marbles that form the pen rest are from my childhood. The S/S wire, hinges are found objects. The inkwell was inherited from Aunty Eileen the Opal from my brother Michael.
From roadside waste to a useful, beautiful thing, collectively forming family history too.

Melinda Hicks
Blue Wrap Couture
Couture dresses from surgical wrap
I wanted to prove that a recycled dress could be couture. The "material' is the surgical wrap we use to sterilise instruments for surgery. It all gets thrown into the bin. I have been sewing the dresses for 5 years now and am challenged by making something beautiful from something that had served its purpose.
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Isabella Turner
Owl Stance
Sculpture from cardboard and buttons from my Nan's old dressing gown
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Isabella Turner
THE DRESS
Dress from Woolworths gift cards
Inspired by the American Express gold card dress worn to the 67th Academy Awards in 1995 by Lizzy Gardiner.

Waste to Art 2019

Visit the 2019 Waste to Art exhibition - find out more.

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Sustainable Neighbourhoods Lake Macquarie
Our vision - Neighbourhoods that are empowered to live sustainably.
Our mission - Our work is to foster sustainable neighbourhoods and a healthy environment in Lake Macquarie
Our values - We are guided by our values of participation, inclusion, collaboration, empowerment and shared responsibility.
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The Lake Macquarie Sustainable Neighbourhood Alliance is registered as a not for profit incorporated association under NSW Fair Trading. Sustainable Neighbourhood activities are managed and governed by volunteers and financed through grants, collaboration and community fundraising.

We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land and waters on which we live, work and play, the Awabakal People, and acknowledge the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who now reside in this area. We pay our respect to Elders past and present, and future cultural knowledge holders.
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Sustainable Neighbourhoods is an initiative of Lake Macquarie City Council.
www.lakemac.com.au
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We are proud to be a Very Neighbourly Organisation and supporter of Neighbour Day.
www.neighbourday.org