Public art has a vital role to play in connecting people to places, especially on new developments, helping to promote thriving communities and create a sense of identity. So it was a real privilege, says LABM Editor Claire Clutten, to be asked to be part of the judging panel for this year’s Blunden Prize public art competition, run by housing association, Stonewater.
Stonewater has been commissioning local artists to deliver public art pieces for its new developments for a decade now. In 2021, the housing association launched the Blunden Prize national competition as a retirement gift for former Stonewater Chair, George Blunden, who believed passionately that ‘homes are more than bricks and mortar’, and that the area around people’s homes ‘should impress not depress’.
The brief for this year’s competition was to design a concept for an art installation within a set budget for the housing association’s new Calverley Lane scheme in Horsforth, Leeds. When complete, the development will provide 152 new affordable homes on the site of the former Leeds City College campus, close to the Rodley Nature Reserve and the high street in Horsforth.
Prospective artists were tasked with designing an art installation that reflected the local area and vernacular, with a nod to the new development in some way. Sustainability is hugely important to Stonewater; all their new developments embrace low carbon technology, are designed with energy efficiency in mind and include provisions for green space. So it was essential that the artists’ factor this into their choice of materials, taking into account the use of local materials, ethical sourcing and environmental impact for example. The winning piece of art will need to stand the test of time too, so durability and resilience were also essential ingredients.
Will the art installation create a striking visual impact and sense of identity? Will it resonate with the local community, create a focal point and leave a positive lasting impression? Will it encourage people to the visit area? The last thing anyone wants to do is deliver something that no one understands. For Stonewater, the extent to which the artist considered engagement with the local community to influence their final design was also important.
Over 50 entries were received and whittled down to a shortlist of just eight. I was invited to stonewater’s offices in Reading for the day to join fellow judges Stonewater Chairman Sheila Collins, CEO Nicholas Harris, and Chief Growth & Development Officer Jonathan Layzell in interviewing the final eight. It was an incredibly tough job. The variety and quality of the shortlisted entries was impressive, clearly a great deal of time, thought and effort had gone into the submissions. The level of research some had done into the local area and its rich history particularly impressed me, especially how they managed to translate that into the designs. Using art to foster and reinforce a sense of community and belonging can be incredibly powerful, and this was also reflected in the designs.
The competition provides a fantastic opportunity for local artists to be a part of something extremely positive and enduring. I’d like to say a big thank you to the artists for sharing their wonderful ideas with us, and also to Stonewater and See Media for inviting me to be on the judging panel, it was a great experience. After much deliberation, the finalists were chosen and all that remains is for a winner to be announced at an event in the summer. Watch this space.
Header image shows Coda Workshop’s winning idea for the George Blunden Public Art Prize in 2021.
