The exhibition will showcase about 35 art pieces, made from various materials, from the Southern NSW region and from further afield in the state.

Al Phemister, event coordinator and member of Yass Arts, said the number of works was an increase from the previous year.

Judges this year will be artists Alexander Boynes, Jenni Kemarre Martiniello and Mariana del Castillo.

As part of the event, Yass Arts held workshops with the Binit Binit Learning Community (BBLC), which include schools in Yass Valley and surrounding regions.

The collaboration with BBLC is new after it was established only in early 2017.

“This time we decided to include those schools with Sculpture in the Paddock because we don’t want to be exclusive, we want to be inclusive,” Mr Phemister said.

“It gives them a taste of what other opportunities there are,” he said.

As part of the program, students went to the ANU School of Art to see the sculpture department and gallery.

The workshops introduced students to working with various materials – including soap stones, wire, plaster and paper – to create their own sculptures.

Yass High School teach Amy Watson said it was a way “to allow students to think differently”.

“They can be tentative to start with, but then they embrace some of those materials and methods,” Ms Watson said.

Michael Green, assistant principal at Mt Carmel School, has praised the collaboration.

“The students’ reception to it has been very positive so far,” he said.

A number of student works will also be exhibited at Cooma Cottage.

The exhibition will run for four weeks at 10am–4pm daily. Cooma Cottage is at 756 Yass Valley Way.