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Winners Announced – OZ Minerals Copper Sculpture Award

Winners of the OZ Minerals Copper Sculpture Award were announced this evening.

The Award is part of the South Australian Living Arts (SALA) Festival and this is the first year the OZ Minerals Award has been offered.

OZ Minerals CEO Terry Burgess commented ‘we were incredibly impressed by the calibre of the entries and as a copper producer it is remarkable to see how copper is used in such beautiful ways. South Australia is really privileged to have such talented artists’.

The Hon. Paul Holloway MLC , Minister for Minerals Resources Development, supported the Award as one of the judges and said ‘Copper has long been part of South Australia with Australia’s first Copper mining commencing at Kapunda and Burra in the 1840’s. Therefore it is great to see resources and the arts working so well together in South Australia. The Award provides a wonderful showcase of both industries’.

There were three category winners.

Adelaide based Chris Ormerod took out the metro award. Chris creates striking copper sculptures that look like they have grown rather than being fabricated. Chris was very pleased to receive the award ‘I am absolutely rapt and I am very honoured to be selected – this is a tremendous opportunity.’

Rachel and Mark Young are based in Roxby Downs and have won the Regional Award. Rachel and Mark commented ‘creating and making objects is our passion and it is always a privilege to have an active role in the partnerships between industry, business and the arts while doing something that we love.’

Maggie Savage – Arts Coordinator at the Victor Harbor School accepted the schools award. For my school this is a great opportunity to create an artwork using copper. We intend to create a sign for our school that will also be a work of art.

Winners have until the 2011 SALA festival in which to create their works.

The OZ Minerals Award is similar to a commission. South Australian artists and schools are given the opportunity to submit ideas and apply for assistance in obtaining copper and production costs. Artists are then free to sell their works after next year’s SALA festival.

OZ Minerals operates the Prominent Hill copper mine in northern South Australia, located approximately 130 Kilometers from Coober Pedy. The mine has a preferential local employment policy and employs approximately 600 people of whom over 80 percent are from South Australia.

OZ Minerals is proud to be an award partner of the SALA Festival. This arts festival is a particularly good fit for our business as it encourages regional as well as metropolitan participation.