The Montalto Sculpture Park
There are 20+ permanent sculptures sensitively sited throughout the Montalto grounds, monumental works sited in open spaces, through to more intimate pieces to discover amongst the wetlands and vines.
The abundant birdlife, wetlands and gardens add to the experience as you meander the Sculpture Trail.
From January through to May, this permanent collection is joined by at least another 20 works which form the annual Montalto Sculpture Prize.
The Annual Montalto Sculpture Prize Award
The Montalto Sculpture Prize is an acquisitive award open to all artists working in any medium, and runs from February to October each year.
The Mitchells share a passion for wine, food, nature and the arts. Montalto was borne out of a desire to share this with others. The Montalto Sculpture Prize is an essential expression of this spirit, designed to encourage artistic pursuit, and to allow guests to enjoy the natural beauty of the property in association with the wonderful creativity of the sculptures.
The judging panel selects a shortlist of finalists from all of the entries in early November. The Finalists are then invited to install their work towards the end of January, at which time the judges will determine a winner, announced at the opening in February. The winning sculpture wins its creator $30,000 and Montalto acquires the work. All of the Finalist works form the Exhibition which remain in place until end October. All of the non winning Finalist works are available for purchase. Visitors can also vote for their favourite work, the artist whose sculpture receives the most votes receives $1,000.
Visiting the Sculpture at Montalto
The grounds at Montalto are open daily between 11am – 5pm Please allow 1 hour to enjoy the Sculpture throughout the property.
We recommend you start the trail no later than 4pm, checking in at the cellar door prior to the walk is advisable, you are welcome to purchase a glass of wine to take on the walk with you. The trail is approx 1km and suitable for most ages and abilities, it meanders over grassy lawns, gravel pathways through vines and boardwalks through wetlands. The grounds are undulating, and reasonably steep in sections, there are benches dotted along the walk, for a well earned rest as you go, and usually situated amongst the bush. On hot days the wetlands provide a welcome cool shelter. We recommend wearing walking shoes, and gumboots through the wet winter period.
The trail is manageable with off-road push chairs. Unfortunately the Trail is not suitable for wheelchairs, however with advanced notice we can arrange transport to various sections of the trail.
Children must be supervised, as there are open areas to water. We ask for your co-operation in protecting our works of art, as well as the safety of our visitors by not touching or climbing on any sculptures.
All sculptures that form the Montalto Sculpture Prize are for sale.
We look forward to your visit and hope you enjoy a memorable day of art and wine, in a beautiful setting.
