Sculpture by the Sea officially kicks off its 30th year
Sculpture by the Sea celebrates its 30th anniversary, turning the Bondi to Tamarama coastal walk into a sprawling open‑air gallery that draws half a million visitors each summer.
The show began in 1997 as a modest, volunteer‑run affair from founder David Handley’s lounge room, with a $100 bank balance, $11,500 in raised funds and a $400 marketing budget. That first season attracted 25,000 onlookers, a modest start that set the tone for a cultural institution.
Today the exhibition stretches along the cliffs of Bondi, spills onto Perth’s Cottesloe Beach, and showcases around 100 works by Australian and international artists. Highlights include Emma Anna’s luminous DREAM_N, Lu Lu’s soaring Ascent, and Harrie Fasher’s thought‑provoking Unveiling the Edges.
Financial pressures remain acute. In late 2025 the organization issued an urgent $200,000 appeal, raising $138,000 in a single day, while artists themselves underwrite roughly a quarter of the total cost. Safety concerns have also surfaced after a recent workplace injury, underscoring the challenges of mounting such a large‑scale outdoor event.
Among the more poignant pieces is Stephanie Quirk’s sky‑borne message of love, projected above Bondi each Saturday as a response to last year’s tragic massacre, reminding visitors that art can both commemorate and heal.