Ceramic Break Sculpture Park is the brainchild of bronze sculptor, Kerry Cannon.
Ceramic Break Sculpture Park opened August 16, 2003. It is a relaxing place to appreciate art and enjoy the scenery of rural NSW.
The park features three galleries; the largest gallery boasts a mezzanine with an art library. The galleries exhibit both paintings and sculptures by Kerry and many local artists. There’s also a sculpture walk and a bush walk which leads to “Ceramic Break”.
Ceramic Break is an uninspiring rock mound where a participatory artwork is in progress. People are encouraged to bring a ceramic pot to the mound and break it!
What is Ceramic Break?
Ceramic Break is a sculpture park located on a pastoral property in northern New South Wales, 15 km from the town of Warialda on the Bingara Road or 25 km from the town of Bingara on the Warialda Road. This area of NSW and southern Queensland is known as the borderline region. Ceramic Break is about 150 km directly south of Texas, QLD. The name Ceramic Break refers to a place in the sculpture park where people are encouraged to bring a ceramic and break it, as a way of participating in creating an art work.
How do I get there?
The Sculpture Park is about an hour drive from Moree and Inverell, or two hours from Armidale or Tamworth. It is a convenient 7 hour drive from Sydney, 5 ½ hours from Brisbane. or 14 from Melbourne. The nearest airport is Moree with a daily service from Sydney. There is also a “countrylink” train from Sydney Central to Tamworth and onto Moree. Or a bus meets the train in Tamworth and goes directly to Bingara or Warialda. Countrylink, with the bus connection, takes 9 hours from Sydney to Warialda. Car rental facilities are available in Tamworth and Moree.
There are many motels in Moree, some close to the famous hot springs. Bingara and Warialda both have a campground, a motel and pub accommodation.
Why Is Ceramic Break?
Break pottery, it’s fun!
Years ago I visited Chaco Canyon National Park in New Mexico home of Pueblo Bonito, the grand kiva and a place where the Indians used to break clay pots. These Indians had a thriving community that did things smartly so the explanation that they broke the pottery for ceremonial purposes seemed odd. Later I talked to a Hopi Indian who said they broke the pots to mark an end of a migration. The end of a migration, ceremonial reasons or whatever you got-sound reasons to adapt the breaking fun here in Australia.
August 16, 2003 was our “unofficial” opening of Ceramic Break Sculpture Park. It was unofficial because there wasn’t a whole lot of sculpture there at that time; the official opening will be soon. The opening event was called Australia’s Biggest Chook Show. Chook is Australian for chicken and the biggest chook turned out to be the Allosaur in Gallery 1. The chook show was followed by Australia’s Biggest Duck Show in 2005, Australia’s Biggest Goose Show in 2007 and Australia’s Biggest Turkey Show in 2010.
Fowl events continue to haunt Ceramic Break Sculpture Park, but we’re well and truly finished with large-scale domestic poultry events.
Ceramic Break Sculpture Park features:
- Stylish Galleries with Sculptures & Artwork for sale.
- Gallery features a mezzanine with an art library where visitors can sit & relax while browsing through art books.
- Enjoy our Sculpture walk in glorious bush setting.
- Meet our life size Allosaur & his friends.
- Buses and Caravans welcome.
- Bring a ceramic to smash on the Ceramic Break Track.
