Public art commission for Hoe Garden

Artists based in the South West are being invited to apply to create a new piece of public art for Plymouth’s Hoe Garden.

Led by Plymouth City Council and supported by Plymouth Culture, this exciting new commission will see the selected artwork installed in the garden next to the café for up to a year, with the possibility of then being relocated to a permanent location elsewhere in the city.

The commission will need to be durable, easy to transport (or assemble on site) and able to fit within a display area measuring four metres square.

The theme for the commission is Edward Stanley Gibbons. Born in Plymouth in 1840, Edward was the founder of Stanley Gibbons Ltd – publishers of the famous Stanley Gibbons stamp catalogue and a variety of other related publications. Today, the company is widely regarded as the home and market leader of stamp collecting.

Deputy Council Leader Peter Smith said: “Through this commission we are looking to showcase and celebrate the talent of regional artists, as well as create a new focal point in the centre of the Hoe Garden. We hope to see engagement with the local community as part of the development process and our aspiration is that the project will become an annual commissioning programme that explores and celebrates different aspects of Plymouth’s history.”

The total budget for the commission is £7,000. This needs to include the artist’s time and fees, all travel and expenses, materials and construction, installation and removal costs.

The deadline for applications is Monday 6 April and the work will be installed in the garden in June. Applicants will need to submit a current CV, artist’s statement of up to 500 words, six images of previous work and a detailed proposal for the commission.

All submissions will be judged by a selection panel made up of representatives from Plymouth City Council, Plymouth Culture, Arts Council England, Plymouth Arts Centre and the Hoe Conservation and Residents Association.

Interested artists are welcome to attend a site visit before submitting their proposal. This will take place at 1pm on Thursday 12 March and bookings must be made by emailing peter.crocker@plymouth.gov.uk or calling 01752 304607.

The selected artist will be expected to attend a further site visit with partners in April.

For further information and details of how to submit your application, visit www.plymouth.gov.uk/artsopportunities.