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A panel displaying the work of local artist Val Parker took the brunt of the damage.<\/p>\n
“Somebody had really smashed into it,” Mr MacLeod said.<\/p>\n
“And, this is the really strange part, they had left a Bible. It was partially strapped onto the pier with the remnants of the cable tie that had previously held the panel.”<\/p>\n
Mr MacLeod said none of the damaged artworks contained any religious imagery and it was “anyone’s guess” why the Bible had been left behind.<\/p>\n
Now in its fourth year, this is not the first time the annual art prize has been vandalised.<\/p>\n
In its first year three artworks were stolen, with two disappearing the evening following their installation.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Last year, the approximately 500 solar lights that illuminate the exhibition were stolen.<\/p>\n “We’ll certainly continue,” Mr MacLeod said.<\/p>\n “There’s great enthusiasm for [the art prize] and I’ll do my level best to replace the works that were damaged as quickly as I can.”<\/p>\n However, he remains concerned that the exhibition may suffer further vandalism with ongoing vandalism threatening the future of the art prize.<\/p>\n “If there’s more damage, it just gets to a point where it becomes possibly too time-consuming and the artists will think ‘Well, we’d love to be in it, but my work might only be there for half the exhibition time’.”<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/static.timesnewsgroup.com.au\/prod\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/02\/426359724_3802512479961785_5208281264388914728_n-937x1024.jpg?_t=1708070976\")
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