Sculpture by the Sea: Premier Roger Cook slams organisers as ‘ridiculous’ for not moving event to Scarborough

Roger Cook has slammed as “ridiculous” suggestions by Sculpture by the Sea organisers that Scarborough is “too flat” to hold the event. Speaking after The West Australian reported a push by the State Government to shift the annual exhibition to the City of Stirling to save it after a lack of Federal funding led organisers to cancel the 2025 event, the Premier said that there were other options available for future exhibitions. Sculpture by the Sea founding director David Handley said the proposal to move the event to Scarborough was not feasible because the artworks would be “swallowed” by its flat geography. Mr Cook dismissed the claim, saying it was clear that there was a need to re-envisage the event. “I wasn’t aware that they had made that observation but that’s ridiculous,” he said. “We’ve doubled our funding to Sculpture by the Sea over the last few years and there are other local government authorities that are looking to get involved in that sort of iconic arts event. “If we re-envisage what Sculpture by the Sea might look like I’m sure there are opportunities for funding pathways.” Stirling mayor Mark Irwin confirmed on Tuesday that he had been in conversation with the State Government over the future of the exhibition and a potential move to Scarborough. But in response, Mr Handley said Cottesloe’s environment was better for the showcasing of sculptures. In a media statement on Wednesday, organisers of Dunsborough’s Sculpture by the Bay said the loss of the Cottesloe’s exhibition was sad but would not affect their event. “It’s a major event on our Western Australian arts calendar,” spokesman Greg Banfield said. “Fortunately, in the South West we have strong community support for Sculpture by the Bay, held annually in Dunsborough. “Western Australian artists will be able to continue to exhibit their sculptural work here. “We are currently assessing how we can exhibit more sculptures than previous years to accommodate the applications.”