Yesterday, my wife and I ‘took the day off’ to enjoy the possible last day of good weather in Melbourne, with a picnic at Montalto Vineyard & Olive Grove in Red Hill on the Mornington Peninsula.
Apart from being a beautiful part of the world, Montalto supports the arts with an annual sculpture prize and exhibition between February and May each year.
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The Mitchells of Montalto share a passion for wine, food, nature and the arts. Montalto was borne out of a desire to share this with others.
The Montalto Sculpture Prize and Exhibition is an essential expression of this spirit, designed to encourage artistic pursuit, and to allow guests to enjoy the natural beauty of the property in association with the wonderful creativity of the sculptures.
The 2011 Montalto Sculpture Exhibition is the ninth instalment of the annual event, and continues their journey to develop a permanent collection linking built form, vines and groves with wetlands and grasslands.
The 29 finalists forming the exhibition were selected by the judging panel from many submitted works and proposals, with the winning sculpture being acquired by Montalto in exchange for the $20,000 prize.
All at Montalto and the judging panel were inspired by the skill and creativity expressed in this year’s show. The Montalto Sculpture Prize is open every day until 1 May 2011.
(text from Montalto’s flyer, http://montalto.com.au/sculpture/prize.php)
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For those of you who cannot make it to Red Hill before 1 May, here are some hipstamatic shots of 30 of the artworks.
Do you have a favourite?