THE annual TRAILS sculpture exhibition has become something of an institution in Portland after just two short years – and the third event promises to be better than ever.

The TRAILS committee is busy organising the event, which will run throughout April as part of the almost-as-new Arts April concept.

In 2023 there will be a new category – for miniature sculptures (no more than 30 cubic centimetres in volume).

There will be a $2000 prize for the winner of the category, which along with $5000 for the winner of the main trail, $2000 for the runner-up and $1000 for the People’s Choice award means $10,000 in total prizemoney.

The 30 finalists in the miniature category will be exhibited in the Argyle Gallery at Julia Street Creative Space, as opposed to the 30 finalists in the main section which will be in the shopfronts of businesses around the Portland CBD.

TRAILS committee member Vicki Reynolds said the miniature category would enable more people to get involved.

“We just thought some people don’t do big work and if we make a new category we can also show it in our gallery and it makes a focus point as well,” she said.

TRAILS convenor Robyn McDonald said it also enabled the exhibition to double the number of finalists, encouraging more people to enter.

“This just expands the whole potential pool of people who don’t work big,” she said.

“It also allows people to explore purchasing sculpture if they are things that are more affordable.”

Not that will always be the case, of course.

Ms McDonald said the 2022 version also proved a hit in attracting people to Portland, coming on the heels of the Lorne Sculpture Biennale, which ended as TRAILS was beginning.

“It’s (Lorne) not on this year so I’ve made contact with the (organiser) and she’s hopefully going to send our information on to those sculptors,” she said.

“I think it’s good we’re connecting with regional events and regional artists.”

Other parts of the exhibition were also starting to take shape, with workshops focusing on making three-dimensional objects and a pop-up artist workshop also to be held during Arts April.

The guest judge for the TRAILS exhibition will be Ian Tully, director of the Swan Hill Regional Gallery and an accomplished artist (and musician) himself – like Ms Reynolds he also lectured on printmaking at La Trobe University’s Mildura campus.

“He focuses a lot on environmental work and sculpture,” Ms Reynolds said.

“And because he comes from a farming history he’s very concerned about the planet and the history of farming.

“He’s a very diverse and very thoughtful person, he thinks very deeply about art, making art and how other artists work as well.”

For more information on TRAILS, visit trailsartprize.com – sculpture entries close on February 10.