Family frieze brightens entrance to city.

06 July 2010

Artwork featuring three generations of the same family has now gone up at the entrance to Bucknall New Road. Jean Ashby, 71, who lives in Seymour Street with her husband Albert, donated pictures of her parents, grandparents and great-grandparents for the frieze family theme.

The photographs feature in a cornerside artwork display at the junction of Ivy House Road with Bucknall New Road. It’s a pictorial slice of social history that  brightens as well as enlightens.

Cora Glasser of Glassball - the innovative art group brought in by RENEW to give a unique touch to the regeneration site – put the display together but says it’s thanks to Jean’s generosity that the artwork is so memorable. The photographs feature various members of Jean’s family together with old news cuttings and other pieces of memorabilia woven into the montage making the entrance to the city more interesting as well as aesthetic.

Commented Nick Newman, RENEW’s project lead, “This is a great example of RENEW and the community it serves working together to make the city’s regeneration attractive as well as functional.”

There will soon be further artwork running along Bucknall New Road. These are in the design stage and will be added shortly. This artwork follows a different theme of change (past, present and future) with the style chosen as a direct result of a public vote held through The Sentinel and the Living Gallery website.

Until this artwork is ready backing boards painted blue have been fitted along the road.