Brighton Jetty Sculptures 2026

It’s that time of year again when South Australia’s largest sculpture exhibition is on at Brighton. The Brighton Jetty Sculptures can be found along the esplanade, either side of the jetty, and in a small park next to the Brighton Surf Lifesaving Club.

In the park are smaller sculptures and there are two marquees set up with more fragile pieces on display undercover. Entry fee to the marquee exhibits is $5 per head and this money goes to the Surf lifesaving club.

This year’s exhibition has more than 300 pieces to see and it’s a fabulous way to get outdoors, enjoy a stroll, practice your photography and see some incredibly inventive art on a grand scale.

Each year there are prizes awarded in different categories for winning sculptures, a people’s choice award and also for visitors, a photography competition.

The sculptures vary in theme and size and each carry a story from the artist on what the piece is called, what it’s made of and other information of interest.

This year there were quite a few that referenced the algal bloom and the effects it’s having on South Australian waters, including this fish sculpture ‘Coming up for air’ by Philip Baines. It’s made of recycled metal, leaf springs, an old wheel and cogs and in the artist’s words, ‘as the ocean creatures are in trouble with the algal bloom, the fish come up for air unable to breathe in the sea. We need to be responsible for the land water that flushes out to the sea’.

Others are statements about the impact of human overuse of plastics and the damage it’s doing to the natural world, including ‘Pie Perspective’ and ’20-500 50 – 100’ which refers to how long it takes for plastics to break down versus the expected lifespan of a green sea turtle, both created by Stephnie Robertson.

The sculptures are made of a variety of material including metal, wood, plastic, glass and ceramics and all of the pieces are for sale, ranging from the low hundreds of dollars up to the tens of thousands.

‘Breath’ by Scott Hawkland is made from reclaimed Jarrah and represents holding space between weight and air, texture and light, with openings that allow it to breathe.

‘Bikini girl 2025’ by Kristin M Wohlers is made of transparent mosaic tiles on copper wire.

And ‘Iron Monitor’ a full sized perentie lizard by Adrian Beacham is made of recycled horseshoes.

Many of the sculptures are self-explanatory and double as garden art and birdbaths, while others are left up to the viewer’s imagination to interpret what they mean to them or represent. One such sculpture is ‘This is this’ by Nicholas Atkinson which is made of stainless steel. I’m going with beach worm.

There are some beautiful pieces made of ceramic, stained glass and timber that would look lovely in the right home. And other quirky and humorous displays like the pink flamingoes made of recycled spades.

The large outdoor sculptures have to be sturdy enough to withstand being touched by the public and some even encourage viewers to touch, and play with them including ‘Recycled rhythm’ by Kalan Murphy, which won the junior category prize.

Another is ‘Ocean Treasures’ an octopus and treasure chest carved by Daniel Gill which is made of sandstone and invites people to sit, relax and take in their surroundings.

The local council sometimes even purchases a sculpture to keep for public display on the esplandade or somewhere else within the council area, and this year they have purchased ‘Sunshine Bloom’ by Chris Murphy.

One of my favourites was ‘Leafy Sea Dragon’ by Scott Tonkin, made of recycled metal and retired tools and paying homage to the leafy sea dragon known for its delicate fins and graceful camouflage. By using recycled scrap metal the artist is promoting reducing waste and giving new purpose to trash and having a significant positive environmental impact.