Come face to face with awe-inspiring sculptures by local, national and international artists at the
17th SWELL Sculpture Festival 13 – 22 September 2019.

Stay a little longer and discover a range of unique experiences; guided twilight walks through the artworks, artist talks next to the sculptures and artist led workshops.

Swell Sculpture Festival inspires and captures the hearts and minds of all who visit.

Video

Please watch the video below for an impression of the artwork and vibe during the SWELL Sculpture Festival on the Gold Coast – Video by Andrew James – YouTube Channel [Video Length 2:29 minutes]

YouTube player

A bit of History about the SWELL Sculpture Festival:

In 2002, Natasha Edward and Kylie Mitchell-Smith shared the idea to create art in an accessible environment and it eventually evolved into SWELL Sculpture Festival, a free, outdoor sculpture exhibition on the beautiful beaches of Currumbin.

Six thousand people visited the first SWELL Sculpture Festival on a sunny September weekend in 2003, enjoying 23 sculptures on display.

The SWELL Sculpture Festival strengthened its presence on the Queensland art circuit in 2004 with an exhibition of works that included high calibre artists such as Christopher Trotter (Queensland) and international artists such as Andy Scott (Scotland) and Nick Horrigan (UK).

In 2005, the festival extended to ten days and introduced the popular SWELL Smalls Gallery.

A passionate team of local creatives, who shared the visionary energy of SWELL were now involved in developing the exhibition along with the founders and the kids education program was initiated, music was introduced on the weekends and SWELL’s team of loyal volunteers was growing!

Now one of Queensland’s major cultural events, SWELL has played a key role in telling the cultural story of the Gold Coast through the widely used stunning imagery of sculptures set against the backdrop of the Gold Coast skyline.

Fourteen years on, SWELL Sculpture Festival now delights 265,000 visitors annually, exhibits work from up to 55 artists with a value of $1 million and runs a dozen workshops and inspiring beachside art activities.

Access to the SWELL Sculpture Festival:

The majority of the exhibition can be seen from the path along the foreshore. There is limited access to sculptures positioned on the beach and on Elephant Rock for wheelchair or pram users. The best option for access is midweek with better parking accessibility and reduced visitor numbers for ease of manoeuvring. Disabled parking is available near the Information Hub (adjacent Murraba Street), the Alley car park and the southern end near the Surf Club.

Dogs at the SWELL Sculpture Festival:

Your on-leash dog is welcome at SWELL. The majority of sculptures can be viewed from the path and beach areas with your dog by your side. There are exclusion zones at the northern end of Currumbin Beach so please refer to the map provided at the City of Gold Coast website. Dog are not allowed within 200 metres of the flagged patrol areas. Please pick up after your dog. For any other questions, please contact City of Gold Coast directly on 1300 465 326.

Food & Drink

You are most welcome to bring a blanket and a packed picnic lunch, sit amongst the sculptures and enjoy the exhibition!
The walk is 1km in length so a bottle of water is a good idea for each member of the family. There are several cafes along the sculpture walk and the Currumbin Surf Club at the southern end of Currumbin Beach.

Free Weekend Park & Ride to the SWELL Sculpture Festival:

On the weekends, PARK OPPOSITE THE CURRUMBIN RSL and use the FREE Park & Ride to SWELL.
The FREE Park and Ride service will operated between 9am to 4pm on both weekends.
The bus will depart approximately every 30 minutes from the car park opposite the Currumbin RSL located at 164 Duringan Street, Currumbin. The bus will drop you to Wallace Nicoll Park.
To return to your car, catch the return bus back from Wallace Nicoll Park. Last shuttle leaves at 3.45pm.

SWELL Sculpture Festival contact details and location map below…

Click through for more details: SWELL Sculpture Festival

SWELL Sculpture Festival

Location SWELL Sculpture Festival Pacific Parade Currumbin QLD 4223 Phone: +61 7 5525 0503 Website: http://www.swellsculpture.com.au