Julie Owens (Parramatta, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

An amazing organisation called Bower Reuse and Repair Centre are just finishing up hosting ART from TRASH, which is exactly what it sounds like—an exhibition of art made from trash. ART from TRASH is actually a trademark of Hobart's Resource Work Cooperative, but it's on exhibition in Parramatta through the month of October, and it's hosted by the Bower. It has a range of fantastic local artists in it.

I was really lucky to meet the winner of the Judges Award, Julz Strykowski aka—and I'll slow down for her name—'PluckFastic'. Her work Message on a Bottle is really worth seeing, and she is as outrageous as her name. There's also a People's Choice Award; voting is open until this Sunday at 3 pm, so I suggest to anybody listening that they go online and vote. You really won't regret it. The artists are truly amazing.

There's Annette Innis's reproduction of the Sydney Opera House, which is fashioned out of discarded stationery items, and—I kid you not—the base of the Opera House is made out of pencils and the sky is made out of old wooden rulers, and it's just amazing. It has a light coming off these plastic pens in the sails themselves. It's really amazing. It's an unbelievable work and you really should see it.

Then there's the artwork by 'The Bowerbird Herd'—Nichola Bryant, to her family—Sing, Maggie, a tribute to the artist's father and a humorous but respectful nod to Australia's favourite bird, the magpie. I swear it's made out of old bicycle tubes. I think I recognise them from my days on the road! So, really, go online, have a look and vote. You won't regret it.

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