Eden sculptor Jesse Graham is becoming quite the favourite of Batemans Bay art lovers.
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His striking piece Pelicant proved so popular at the Sculpture On Clyde event held at the end of August it’s now been permanently installed.
Despite there being an official acquisitive prize through the Batemans Bay chamber of commerce, Mr Graham’s “won the public hearts”.
A crowd-funding campaign was launched to acquire both Pelicant and another popular sculpture, Portal by John Fitzmaurice.
They will join Dance by Japanese sculptor Haruyuki Uchida, which scored the prestigious $50,000 acquisitive prize at the 2018 Sculpture on Clyde.
The funds raised to purchase all three represent an unprecedented fundraising achievement for public art by a local community, equating to around $100,000.
Pelicant will join another of Mr Graham’s works, Buoyansea, which was acquired by the Bay chamber in 2017 as the inaugural piece for its planned sculpture walk.
The large metal octopus atop a marine buoy takes pride of place at Pelican Point on the Clyde River foreshore and has proven incredibly popular with the public and their ever-present cameras and smartphones.
After its installation, Mr Graham said “of all my public artworks, this one gets the most attention. I’m over the moon about it”.
Meanwhile, Pelicant has been installed on the breakwall at the Batemans Bay Marina. Given the success of the crowdfunding and donations collected to acquire it for public display, it’s sure to be another hit.
