My Kingdom for a Horse
This year, you’re invited to be part of something truly special. My Kingdom for a Horse is a collaborative community sculpture project that will see a herd of life-sized horses emerge across the grounds of Rosby during Sculptures in the Garden 2026, before the completed horses are gifted back to the community as a lasting public art legacy.
Professional artists, local students, families, visitors and volunteers will work side-by-side, transforming steel horse armatures into large-scale organic sculptures using locally gathered sticks, branches and natural materials.
No artistic experience is needed. Add a single branch, spend an hour helping shape a horse or return throughout the exhibition to watch the herd grow. However you choose to participate, you become part of the artwork.
How It Works
Built by Artists. Created by Everyone.
Professional artists will lead hands-on sculpture sessions every day, sharing their skills and helping participants explore how natural materials can be used to create form, movement and structure.
Acclaimed Australian sculptor Stephen King will lead the project over opening weekend, while artists continue guiding the community throughout the exhibition. The steel armatures at the heart of each horse have been designed and fabricated by the Mudgee Men’s Shed, ready to be transformed by hundreds of hands.
01 | Choose a Horse
Find the herd taking shape throughout Rosby.
02 | Join an Artist
Work alongside professional artists who will guide the creative process.
03 | Add Your Piece
Use locally collected branches and natural materials to help shape the sculpture.
04 | Watch the Herd Grow
Return throughout SIG to see how hundreds of individual contributions come together.
Inspired by Sculpture
Celebrating the Spirit of the Horse
Initiated by Sculptures in the Garden Founder and Artistic Director Kay Norton-Knight, My Kingdom for a Horse is inspired by the work of acclaimed Australian sculptor Stephen King and celebrates the beauty, strength and spirit of the horse during the Year of the Horse.
At the heart of the project is a simple idea: to break down the traditional barrier between artist and audience and invite the community into the creative process.
A Legacy Beyond the Exhibition
The story doesn’t end when Sculptures in the Garden closes…the herd lives on.
Once complete, the horses will be gifted and relocated to locations throughout Mudgee and the wider Mid-Western Region, allowing these community-created sculptures to be enjoyed long into the future. The project continues one of the ideas at the heart of Sculptures in the Garden: giving regional communities opportunities not only to experience exceptional sculpture, but to participate in its creation and see public art become part of the places they call home.
Schools Program
Local schools are invited to participate through a dedicated education program, giving students the opportunity to work alongside professional artists and experience sculpture making, teamwork and creative problem-solving in an inspiring outdoor environment.
