Newport residents invited to dive in and help create a fin-tastic community art installation
It’s of-fish-al, a large-scale community art project is taking shape in Newport this summer.
Newport Town Council have commissioned a local artist to create a large art installation to commemorate the year of King Charles III’s coronation.
The Regent has long been an advocate for the environment and sustainability, which will be reflected in the use of recycled materials to create the sculptures.
The council said the sculptures will be a legacy of Charles's inauguration as King and will promote the sense of community and the history of Newport.
Three fish sculptures - a nod to Newport’s heraldry - will be created using sustainable materials and installed in the town centre.
The three-fish emblem on the town's crest stems from Medieval times, when the teeming rivers and meres around Newport provided the bounty upon which the town's reputation as a fishery was founded.
Such was the reputation of Newport’s fisheries that the burgess of Newport was required to supply fish to the court of King Henry I.
Community groups and individuals from Newport are invited to take part in eight free drop-in workshops which began on Friday, July 28, at the Hub Newport and will run throughout the summer.
Local artist Debbie Todd, from Protean Art, will host the free workshops to create eco-art scales using recycled materials such as tin cans. Each participant will create individual scales which will be used to clad the sculpture frames.
Debbie said: "Protean Art’s ethos is to use sustainable materials and to promote environmental issues, especially the theme of recycling whenever possible.
"The printed aluminium drink can metal scales are perfect for this installation as they offer so much scope for colour and are weatherproof, yet the shapes capture the delicate nature of the subject.”
The free, drop-in workshops will run on Tuesday, August 2 and 15, from 6pm to 8pm, and from 1pm to 3pm on August 4, 9, 18 and 23 and September 1.
There is no need to book and spaces are available on a first-come, first-serve basis.
All materials will be supplied, and instructions given. The workshops are not suitable for children under the age of seven, and older children should be accompanied by an adult.
Details can be found at facebook.com/NewportShropshireTownCouncil
