Sculpture for Community Garden

Local sculptor Jason Parr  has been commissioned to create a sculpture outside the library on Tolhouse Street as part of the community garden project. He has carved a 4.5 metre totem pole decorated with rows of bloaters at the top, a wave and a sun design and  below  initials and names carved by residents under Jason’s supervision.  The sculpture makes a very pleasing visual transition from the severe architectural columns of the library building to the  trees growing along Yarmouth Way.

The community garden has been designed with plants and trees, places to sit, a vegetable patch and apple tree orchard. The project, called ‘Growing Together’, is funded by £50,000 from the Working Neighbourhood Fund and aims to give local people the chance to come together to create a community space and at the same time have the chance to learn about gardening, construction skills and healthy eating among others. The garden will be officially opened on the 30th October, 2010, with a day of gardening-themed activities.

Local film-maker Matthew Harrison has also been involved,  assisting a group of young people in filming the work being done in the garden as part of a project run by the library and Great Yarmouth Museums with support from BBC Voices. Around a dozen young people aged between 16 and 25 and who aren’t currently in education, employment or training were offered a day’s training at the BBC in Norwich and were then taught film-making techniques as they filmed the creation of the garden.

Here is the link on Youtube  to the Growing Together Film. Feel free to add comments or just say ‘like’ if you like it and forward round your networks. Enjoy ! It’s 14 brilliant minutes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNwkpuoEq-8

Jason helping Shirley to carve her mother’s name Rose

Manga murals for St. George’s hoarding

Silent Hobo is on the way to completing the 30-metre mural for the hoarding which will surround St. George’s Chapel whilst renovation work takes place.  He is depicting scenes of Great Yarmouth life through the ages – the scene represented here is from the era of Mods and Rockers congregating on the seafront.   For a fuller article on the St. George’s project click here or for  Silent Hobo’s website here.

Public Art Commission, Great Yarmouth Library

The community has been taking part in the consultation process for the public art commission at Great Yarmouth Central Library.  Charlotte Howarth has  delivered workshops with adults and children, in which she has helped them express  ideas through drawing, writing and carving.

For more information about Charlotte and her work click here.

Public Art in St. George’s Park

The arch on the south-east gateway to St. George’s Park  was created in 2008 by Master Blacksmith Bill Cordaroy, from East Ruston.  His design of abstracted fishing nets and seaweed reflects styles from the nearby former Art School.

The wooden carved sculpture of St George slaying the dragon seen beyond the gate in this photograph was carved by Mark Goldsworthy from Bungay.

The public art in St. George’s was commissioned as part of the Cleaner, Safer, Greener scheme with funding from the DCLG under the Safer and Stronger Communities funding stream, with supporting funding from Great Yarmouth Borough Council.  To find out more see an article on the Green Flag Award on the Council’s website here.

Public Art: Herring Arch by Nigel Barnett

This is a detail of the Herring Arch over the north entrance to St. George’s Park.  The arch was created by master blacksmith, Nigel Barnett of Fransham Forge.

The arch, constructed in mild steel and representing ropes intertwined with herrings, seaweed and star fish, was commissioned by the Great Yarmouth Borough Council under the supervision of Darren Barker, as part of the St. George’s Park refurbishment project undertaken in 2008 by the Borough and County Councils in partnership with Mott MacDonald, May Gurney and GYB Services.

St George’s Park was awarded the prestigious Green Flag Award from the Civic Trust in 2008.  Photograph by Derek Jackson.

Charlotte Howarth

Congratulations to Charlotte Howarth who has been selected for the Grat Yarmouth Central Library Public Art Commission advertised earlier on EastCoastNet.

Charlotte is a sculptor, designer, stone carver and letterer. Working in a variety of materials, stone, wood and steel, her work shows a deep sensitivity to line, pattern and texture. Her work is influenced by the tradition of recording events from everyday life, creating a document to give future generations an insight and understanding into our lives and times.

She has successfully completed a variety of public art commissions and has developed a strong understanding of community involvement, incorporating many different approaches, working with a wide variety of community groups with a diverse range of abilities. Charlotte also works on a range of private commissions including sculptures and lettering design as well as working on her own projects for exhibition.

Illustrated: Children at Play by Charlotte Howarth, brick, 300x300c6cm, 2007, Old Firestation, Fountain Estate, Londonderry.  To find out more about this project go to Charlotte’s page on Axis by clicking here

After studying lettering at the City and Guilds of London Art School (1st) Charlotte worked as an assistant to Richard Kindersley at his workshop in London.  She then went to work in Cork for 6 years as an assistant to Ken Thompson, where she developed her work on larger than life figurative carvings, Stations of the Cross and inscriptional work, both small and large scale.  Charlotte is now based at Kings Lynn and in 2005 set up Making Marks Ltd, as a focus for her work within the public arena.

Public Art, Les

Does anybody know anything about this monument in the graveyard at St. Nicholas Parish Church?  The inscription just reads Les, apparently.  Was the damage caused by vandals?  (See comment for response)

The photograph was taken by Derek Jackson.

Mother & Child in Limbo, public art in Great Yarmouth

Mother and Child, carving in York stone, by Bridget Heriz, commissioned for the Cobholm and Lichfield  Resource Centre by the Bridge Trust, 2006, funded by SRB5.  The sculpture has been moved whilst building works are taking place to extend the Resource Centre and I hope this photographic compilation (background from the avenue in the graveyard) does not relate to the fate of the sculpture!

April 2010:  The carving has been relocated in the new foyer of the Cobholm and Lichfield Resource Centre.  It looks fine in its new setting apart from the notices mounted on the wall unnecessarily close the sculpture.

Public Art by Andrew Tanser, Middlegate Garden

Stone Sofa by Andrew Tanser, 2004, photograph by Derek Jackson 2009

This stone carving by Andrew Tanser was commissioned in 2004 as part of the Middlegate Garden project funded by SRB, Integreat and GYBC.  Andrew also designed the massive gates.  Andrew lead workshops with young residents from the surrounding estate, who participated in the project to improve this garden area between the two English Heritage sites on South Quay.  For more information on Andrew’s work click here to view his website.

Public Art, Mark Goldsworthy, Lichfield Community Centre

Chalky White, a fisherman counting in the fish with the assistance of his cat, looks out upons the play area at the Lichfield Community Centre, Suffolk Road.   The sculpture by Mark Goldsworthy commemorates 1,000 years of maritime history in Great Yarmouth and is carved from the trunk of an oak tree.   The work was funded by SRB5.

Mark also created the St.George and the Dragon sculpture in St. George’s Park.

Mark attended foundation course at Great Yarmouth College of Art and Design in 1981-82 before going on to Manchester Polytechnic.  For more information, click here to view his website.