Barwon Water is excited to have joined forces with Geelong Gallery to exhibit the artworks of talented local children who entered the 2023 National Water Week Poster competition.
Open to the public from 21 October (to coincide with National Water Week, October 16-22), the exhibition will be on display until February 2024.
Barwon Water Managing Director Shaun Cumming said this year’s National Water Week theme, “United by water”, underscored the vital role water plays in connecting people, communities, and all life on Earth.
“Water is central to all our lives, and it is vital for vibrant and healthy communities and the environment,” Mr. Cumming said. “This National Water Week is an opportunity for us to reflect on the importance of water in our lives.”
Nearly 200 school students from across the region entered the competition this year with Barwon Water and Geelong Gallery delighted to showcase their entries at the gallery.
Geelong Gallery Director and CEO Jason Smith said that he was impressed by the creative talent and visual storytelling ability of the competition entrants and was delighted to have them on display at the Gallery.
“Storytelling and activism are important themes in art, and I enjoyed the students’ responses to the theme ‘united by water’. The artworks resonate with passionate messages about the value of water and how it connects us all,” said Mr Smith.
The Learn Space at Geelong Gallery will be open to the public from Saturday, October 21, until Sunday, February 25, 2024, providing an extended opportunity for the young artists, their families and the community to appreciate the artistic expressions of local students.
The winners of the regional Barwon Water competition, representing the best in each category, advanced to the statewide National Water Week poster competition.
Three students from the Barwon Water region secured prizes in their divisions in the state competition, with Frida J from Bellaire Primary School coming second in the year 1-2 division, and Teddy R from Lisieux Catholic Primary School and Jordan C from Bellaire coming first in the year 3-4 and 5-6 divisions respectively.
Winning students will receive prize packs, and as part of the celebration, five local schools – Colac, Bellaire, Torquay Coast, Nazareth Catholic, and Wangala – have been randomly selected for a $500 education voucher.
For more information on National Water Week and to view the winning entries from the poster competition, visit Barwon Water’s National Water Week page.
