The Dandy Show is held annually during the 2nd week of November at the Dandenong Showgrounds, Greaves Reserve, Victoria. People flock from all over to witness and be part of the Dandenong Agricultural and Pastoral Society’s event, now running on its 150th Show this 2022.
The show features, among many others, activities such as:
- Horse Events
- Floral, vegetable, and potted plants competitions
- Cooking competitions
- Knitting, crocheting, and needlework
- And many other activities such as:
○ Calligraphy
○ Ceramics
○ Photography
○ Hands Spinning
○ Weaving
All activities listed above are crowd drawers at the Dandy Show.
One top crowd drawer and where a lot of artists join in is the Arts and Crafts competition. Participants get to exhibit their Artworks and Crafts using various mediums such as oil and acrylic paints for painting.
The arts competition is held with high standards. Exhibitors/participants get to display their best work for show goers and the judges to appreciate. One cannot discount the power of creativity. The arts have the power to generate excitement, and they can tighten community bonds through admiration and inspiration.
Arts and Crafts
Arts come in many forms and there are certainly no shortage of art that can be found all over the Greater Dandenong area. The city council encourages art in every aspect of Dandenong life.
The city itself is a vibrant hub for the Arts and Culture. Regardless if they be community led initiatives or may they be high calibre professional presentations.
We can feel the positive effects of the arts throughout the community. It is an essential public good. Through all the possibilities of participating in roles such as artists, arts workers, practitioners, teachers, students, critics, supporters, and consumers, they serve as a unique expression of what it means to be human. They affect us all, and they provide a unique expression of our nature.
At the Dandy Show, art is not limited to simply the visual arts, such as painting and photography. It also features various forms of:
- Cookery
- Knitting, crocheting, and needlework
- Horticulture
- Flower arrangement
Regardless of what division/s you intend to join and compete in as an exhibitor, the competitions are held with high standards. Depending on how they are presented and used, some entries blur the lines between arts and craft.
If you intend to join, and it would be to your advantage to start preparing your art and crafts entries now. If you intend to join the cookery competition, try out your recipes, so they come out great during competition day.
How do I enter the Dandy Show Art and Craft competition?
Firstly, it’s a good idea to allow plenty of time to produce or select a piece of work and to meet the application requirements.
- Fill-up your entry forms and lodge the form before the appointed deadline.
- Send your completed entry form and entry fees to the Secretary of the Dandenong Agricultural and Pastoral Society. P O Box 362, Dandenong 3175.
- Make cheques / money orders payable to the Dandenong Agricultural and Pastoral Society, Inc.
- Include a self-addressed stamped envelope with your entry and payment.
- Note that the Society does not accept faxed or emailed entries.
- Bring your art and/or craft work to the exhibition pavilion. Take note of deadlines.
Note that all exhibits (except horticulture) should be all in the Exhibition Pavilion on a Wednesday. Judging for all exhibit entries is done the next day, on a Thursday.
Why enter the competition?
Though it is truly a thrill to win and be recognised in an arts and craft competition, but joining a competition can also serve as an inspiration for you to create new and better work. More importantly, it can also inspire budding young artists to follow your example and continue working to better their own craft.
Furthermore, you will display your strong sense of community spirit by joining in this competition, regardless if you win or not. Realistically, there can be only a few winners, but if you have been prompted into creativity, having your work reviewed and be seen by people is reward enough to consider yourself a winner regardless of the result.
Final Note
A large event such as The Dandy Show cannot simply be staged without the help and assistance of a lot of people. We need people who will contribute their time and energy to organise, plan and prepare for running the 2-day event successfully.
We would appreciate and call on your community spirit to volunteer in helping the Society mount the event from start to finish. If you are interested and wish to be part of this wonderful event, the Show Society will be more than happy to have a chat with you regarding your precious involvement.
For all interested participants to the competitions, you may download your entry form here: https://www.dandyshow.com.au/documents/show/art&craftentry.pdf.
We all hope to see you all there as we celebrate our 150th Show.
