Oswestry Town Council looking to work with artist Alfie Bradley on market hall mural
Artist and sculptor Alfie Bradley has offered to create a mural for Oswestry, with the help of funding from the town council.
Renowned artist, Alfie Bradley, from Oswestry, has offered to create a mural to welcome visitors to the town. It was proposed that the large wall on the side of the town's Market Hall would be suitable place.
Design ideas included a colourful graffiti-style piece promoting the Market Hall, with stallholders, fruit and vegetables, and entertainers – to show the attraction of the market.
Mr Bradley is known for the famous Knife Angel sculpture to promote the end of knife violence in the UK.
A motion from Councillor Moore about the mural was passed at the Oswestry Town Council Markets meeting on Wednesday evening.
Councillors held a lengthy discussion over the offer – which they warmly welcomed – but wanted to know more about costings and designs.
The motion was finally passed but with an amendment from Councillor Kerr which stated they would look to pay Mr Bradley to create some initial designs and also for any further discussions to go through the town clerk.
Councillor Moore's motion said: "I have been in discussions with local sculptor and artist Alfie Bradley who is offering to create a large mural for us in town.
"It would appear that the side of the market hall facing the car park is the best candidate that we have available, and I believe an ideal location for footfall and visual improvement.
"He would like to do something colourful that represents the town and has offered to do this for us for just the cost of the paints involved in creating the mural. This is a fantastic opportunity for us to have a local artist create something to really add to the first thing users of the car park see when walking into town and give users of the town centre another reason to travel towards the market.
"I believe this is an opportunity we should be very excited for, and I hope fellow councillors are mindful to support the creation of this mural. Either way I'd like to thank Alfie for his offer to contribute some of his work to our town in this way."
Councillors discussed the idea positively, but with many saying they wanted to know more about costings before agreeing wholeheartedly to the idea.
Councillor Isherwood said: "Really we need costs and some designs or indication of what it would be. Just need a bit more detail."
Councillor Rose suggested Mr Bradley come and meet councillors with design ideas first.
But Councillor Moore said: "When you think about the size of that Market Hall wall, drawing something of that size would be substantial. If you gave him a budget of x amount he would then work to that.
"Instead of us going back to him and asking for hours and hours of work for free for him to create some designs, as someone who is wanting to do something good for the town, we don't want to put too many restrictions in place for him."
The motion was passed with an amendment from Councillor Kerr that all discussions moving forward will go through the clerk and that the council looks to pay Mr Bradley for his work creating design ideas.
