Family photos form major artwork display.
07 June 2010
Three generations of the same family will be featured in a cornerside artwork display in a major part of the city’s regeneration zone. Jean Ashby, 71, has donated pictures of her parents, grandparents and great-grandparents for the artwork going up in Bucknall New Road, Hanley.
The display is expected to be the largest artworks of its kind in the country. It will run from the junction of Ivy House Road, along Bucknall New Road, and finish at Wellington Road giving an historically and aesthetically pleasing feature for both commuters headed into the city waterside area and the residents who live there.
Cora Glasser of Glassball - the innovative art group brought in to give a unique touch to the regeneration site - commented: “Jean Ashby has been brilliant in the way she’s supported this project and really got behind it by giving us some artwork from her family archives and artefacts.
“The part of the project featuring Jean and her family will be a separate piece to the main run of hoardings; a kind of mini project within the whole project if you like.”
Mrs Ashby, who lives in Seymour Street with her husband Albert and has a daughter Lorraine, aged 40, commented on The People’s Archive website: “I was happy to have the pictures on the hoarding as my family has always been proud of the area.
“I inherited my house off my grandmother. My family has always lived in the area and never wanted to live anywhere else. I think that they would be proud to share our history.
“The photographs are portrait shots and also of family members, standing outside properties.
“We’re grateful for anything that will make the area look better as regeneration work is going on. We want to make it a nicer place to live.”
The rest of the artwork for Bucknall New Road will be erected in stages over the next few months.
