Beautiful things come in small packages

Pyrmont will be buzzing with art-lovers and artists alike this Saturday May 3, as it hosts the City’s only short art festival.
Following the success of last year’s inaugural event, the second annual Pyrmont Art Festival will be held in the famous and inspiring Union Square.
This year’s theme, ‘Small is Beautiful’, encourages artists of all types to stretch their imagination and submit an artwork on a small canvas just 31 square-centimetres in size.
Thousands of visitors admired over 300 pieces of artwork on exhibit last year, while locals and tourists spent thousands of dollars purchasing art on the day.
Artists are asked to price the value of their own work and keep a 75 per cent share of the sale value.
Curator of the Pyrmont Arts Festival, Leslie Dimmick, managed the Tap Gallery in Darlinghurst for over 20 years. She says she is excited about the prospect of an even bigger and better Festival for artists in 2008.
‘The Pyrmont Arts Festival offers artists the opportunity to market their art directly to the public, while having the chance to win a number of prizes at the same time,’ Ms Dimmick said.
Participating artists include a range of established and emerging artists, working in a diverse range of mediums ‘ including paintings, sculptures, mosaics, photography and mixed media.
All entrants in the Pyrmont Arts Festival are automatically entered into the Pyrmont Art Prize, offering over $8000 worth of cash and prizes kindly donated by local businesses in Pyrmont and Ultimo.
Last year’s Pyrmont Art Prize was awarded to local artists Owen Ratner, for his stunning painting Pyrmont Wall.
This year, the Pyrmont Art Prize will be judged by local Pyrmont resident and director of the Museum of Contemporary Art, Elizabeth Ann Macgregor; the new director of the Powerhouse Museum in Ultimo, Dr Dawn Casey; and Ian Howard, the dean of the College of Fine Arts.
For all of those willing viewers, a special People’s Choice Award will also be selected from the entries.
Rain, hail or shine, organisers say the Pyrmont Art Festival will go ahead no matter what on May 3. In the case of looming rain on the day, the Festival will be held around the corner from Union Square in the pedestrian walkway at the southern end of the nearby Star City Casino. Pedestrian access to the Star City walkway is off Pyrmont Street, just north of Union Street.
The Pyrmont Art Festival is proudly sponsored by the Pyrmont-Ultimo Chamber of Commerce, City of Sydney, Star City, Alternative Media Group, TAP Gallery, Pyrmont Progress Inc., Harlequin Inn, McCourts Solicitors, Portfolio Realty, pyrmontvillage.com.au, Lady Kaz Jewellers, Atlas Servicd Apartments, Hugonnet Design Associates and the Pyramid Group.
For more information visit www.pucc.com.au