Queanbeyan artist Christopher Harman's piece titled 'Reed Specimen in Memory of Frank Schmidt' was dedicated to his late neighbour.

The steel used for the sculpture was salvaged from the late Mr Schmidt's yard after the artist helped his elderly neighbour clean up his outdoor area.

Steel is an exit from Mr Haman's usual materials of choice - ceramic and clay - but it's a choice that has paid off as he walked away with $3,000 in prize money.

The Upcycle Award (sponsored by the South East Resource Recovery Group) and $1,000 prize money went to Barack Zelig for his interactive sculpture 'Flow'.

The piece made from recycled tyres, steel and plastic encouraged the public to speak through the plastic tube, with a friend listening with an attentive ear down the other end.

Queanbeyan City Council cultural development officer Georgina Perri said the judges had a difficult time narrowing down the winners from a strong field of 25 entrants.

"The judges were impressed by the standard and quality. They took their time in considering the winner, deliberating for more than an hour," Ms Perri said.

"It was a hard decision there wasn't an obvious choice. Both our winners were very deserving and worthy winners."

The sculptures were displayed along the riverbank and some submerged in the water for three days as part of the Queanbeyan River Festival. The artworks were available for purchase with many enquiries on the day but none sold as yet.

Ms Perri said the feedback had been very positive and community members had asked that council consider displaying the sculptures for a longer period. However, she said the main obstacle was the cost of security.