Resource Cumbria : News and events : News : New careers from Junk Art

A blacksmith from Carlisle has been awarded top prize in the Recycle For Cumbria Junk Art competition at a prize-giving ceremony held at High Head Sculpture Valley in Ivegill.

And the owners of High Head were so impressed with the winning entry, they`ve asked 23-year-old Mark Rudd to create a piece to display in the sculpture valley.

Mark scooped the top prize of £100 in the `18 and over` category with a man created entirely from scrap metal, entitled `Nigel the Trumpeter` and is delighted to have been asked to create work for the sculpture valley. "I wasn`t expecting to win, never mind be asked to create work to show here," he said. "I`ll have a look around the park and see if I can take some inspiration from the work that`s on display, then go home and have a look for bits of scrap that I can create something with."

Ann Holmes from Workington took third place in the `Over 18` age group with her entry `And Then There Were None`, butterflies made from old drinks cans. Ann has had so much positive feedback about her entry she has decided to set up her own business selling her art-work.

Michelle Lawrence of Cockermouth was highly commended in the `Over 18` age group for her entry entitled "Time to Re-Create", a storage box made entirely from recycled materials and an old clock. Michelle, a freelance illustrator, enjoyed creating her piece so much she has decided to take a teacher training course so she can teach children and adults how to make their own art using recycled materials.

In the `12 to 17` category, 16 year old Sarah Morgan from Workington took the top prize for her corset made from plastic bags, scraps of material, magazines and drinks cartons. Deana Dobson, age 12, from Wigton was awarded third place for her `Junky Jewellery` rings.

Five year old Jasmine Dean from Cockermouth took third place in the `11 and under` category for `Fred the Robot`, which she made from cereal packets, toilet rolls and drinking straws. Ten year old Emma Wise from Mowbray was highly commended for her short-listed entry, `Pony`s Head`.

The competition was judged by Recycle for Cumbria`s Recycling Rangers and TV presenter John Craven, who remarked; "All the entries were very inventive, it was very difficult to pick the winners."

"The jazz man is remarkable, it really comes to life, and it`s all made from recycled material. It really is blowing the trumpet for recycling!"

"The butterflies are very delicate, making them out of drinks cans is a brilliant idea. The corset has been made from lots of recycled things, and lots of time and thought have gone into it. It`s an excellent use of recycled materials. The robot is very clever, and from a five year old too! Jasmine is obviously starting to recycle early!""

The Junk Art competition was open to people of all ages throughout Cumbria, with a top prize of £100. A total of 181 entries were received from around the county, and the standard of the entries was praised by Jack Richardson, chair of the Cumbria Strategic Waste Partnership, Resource Cumbria, who presented the winners with their prizes.

"I congratulate the people who came up with the ideas for their art," he said at the event. "The use of materials has been very innovative and the entries were absolutely incredible."

The 18 short-listed and prize-winning works of art will be on display at High Sculpture Valley`s exhibition room until the 17th August.