Yackandandah is a beautiful town in north eastern Victoria, between the tourist town of Beechworth and the regional cities of Wodonga and Albury. Population about 950. It is also the home of Agency of Sculpture, the business founded by artist-engineer Benjamin Gilbert, whose home in Yackandandah featured in the television program Grand Designs in 2016.
Agency of Sculpture has designed and is building the unique interactive play sculpture that will be the focal point of the new playground at Yarra Bank Reserve, a gift to the community from Rotary to mark the centenary of Rotary in Australia. Project Lead Past President Don Moore and PP Richard Blakeman visited Yackandandah on Tuesday May 18th to check on progress, and they weren't disappointed with what they found. To check out the photos, click on 'Read More'
The foundations for the play sculpture have already been laid at Yarra Bank Reserve and construction of the playground and work on landscaping is currently underway. So Benjamin and his team are working feverishly to get the work done, but are still reserving plenty of energy for their trademark creativity. Practical art is what Agency of Sculpture produce. Practical art? Until now, wasn't that thought to be an oxymoron?
ROTARY INTERACTIVE PLAY SCULPTURE UNDER CONSTRUCTION IN YACKANDANDAH |
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The Agency of Sculpture workshop in Yackandandah |
| Past President Don Moore, right, checks out the supports for the hull with Agency of Sculpture's Benjamin Gilbert |
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| Practising for launch day, Benjamin Gilbert (left) and PP Don Moore |
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PP Don Moore, right, checks out the play magnets that will form part of the sculpture |
| Welders at work on components for the sculpture |
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PP Don Moore checks out the unique rowing mechanism that will allow small children to move the huge oars that are the main feature of the sculpture |
| Artist-Engineer Benjamin Gilbert explains how the sculpture will be anchored. |
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