4 – 28 OCTOBER

In October 2019 Gang Gang Gallery will be holding an exhibition, The Zig Zag Steam Art Prize, to celebrate the 150th Anniversary of the first steam train to traverse the Great Zig Zag Railway and arrive in Bowenfels. Artists residing in NSW are invited to enter up to three artworks for consideration in the exhibition. A prize of $1500 will be awarded to the most outstanding artwork along with a $500 People’s Choice Award.

On the 18th October 1869 the first steam train traversed the Great Zig Zag Railway from Clarence to Bowenfels. Built to transport farming and mining goods from the Central West across the Blue Mountains to Sydney, the The Great Zig Zag was the first of its kind ever built and was regarded as one of the engineering wonders of the Victorian age. In 1910 the Ten Tunnels Deviation was built and the Great Zig Zag reverted to bushland. Then in 1975 the railway was reopened as a tourist destination. There are endless wonderful stories regarding the construction and running of the Great Zig Zag Railway many of which will be told over the coming months as the 150th anniversary approaches. The Zig Zag Steam Art Prize aims to tell these stories through visual mediums.

Artists are encouraged to explore the theme of the The Great Zig Zag Railway through their favourite medium for their entries in this exhibition. There are many aspects of the railway to consider including: its construction, the trains run on the line, the viaducts and stations, passengers, train staff, the environment, construction, crashes and its time as a tourist endeavour. Realistic and abstract interpretations are both encouraged.

 

CONGRATULATIONS

SHANE MONAGHAN

2019 Zig Zag Art Prize

Peoples Choice Award