PASSIONATE about promoting awareness around the precariousness of our oceans, the Gowings events team has created the EcoART Challenge competition.

The challenge was set to local schools to create eco-friendly masterpieces to the theme of ‘The Ocean and its Marine Life’.

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The artworks are now on display at Level 1 Coffs Central, where the public is asked to vote on their favourite for the People’s Choice award.

“The People’s Choice winning school, determined by the artwork with the most votes, wins $2,000,” said Julia Harrison, Group Events Leader at Gowings.

The Runner Up Award, determined by Gowings Chief Sustainability Officer Byron Gowing, will receive a $500 Coffs Central gift voucher.

This award will be assessed on creativity and originality, message and impact, aesthetic appeal and artistic expression.

Julia explains how the EcoART Challenge was born.

“At Gowings Coffs Central, we are big believers that we can’t thrive unless our oceans do, and that’s why Gowings donates annually to ocean preservation initiatives and marine research via the Gowings Whale Trust.

“We are actively working towards the goal of protecting and preserving our oceans and marine life, and for this, education is key.

“So, we had thought up the concept of the EcoART Challenge because what better way to start, than teaching kids about the major issues we have with ocean pollution and encouraging them to renew, reuse, recreate and transform waste into works of art,” she said.

“We were particularly looking for big, impactful pieces to be displayed.”

This is the inaugural EcoART Challenge, however it will be part of an ongoing annual campaign.

Entries had to also include a short description explaining the artistic choices made and its connection to the ocean and its marine life.

The schools delivered their artworks on Thursday 11 July.

“As a team we assembled the exhibition, particularly envisioning it being a walk-through experience of being able to get up close with the artworks and look at all the detail that has been put in.”

On show are 35 individual artwork submissions from fourteen schools.

“We have been absolutely blown away at the incredible scale and quality of the artworks we received,” Julia said.

“Even the 100-word descriptions are so thought provoking.

“It is wonderful to see how the kids, through a child’s mind, have come up with such thought-provoking concepts.”

With the exhibition now on, the Gowings team encourages the community to visit Coffs Central to view the artworks and absorb their meanings.

“You can’t look at the exhibition and not see the huge problem that faces our oceans.

“We would love the community to come and vote for their favourite artworks,” said Julia.

By Andrea FERRARI