Glade

Prudhoe is celebrating Glade, a striking new public sculpture now in place at the centre of a small refurbished square off the town’s Front Street, which itself has been transformed – all part of a £600,000 improvement scheme, which is the first phase in putting the heart back into the town.

Glade, which was designed in wood and glass by local artists Dan Civico and Ira Lightman, features an oak bench to enable locals and visitors to sit and enjoy it.  Vertical oak posts symbolise nearby trees alongside a large river of glass engraved with words and phrases provided by people living and working in the town.

“People will really interact with Glade’, says Ira Lightman. ‘You can’t read it in a hurry. You can’t read it all from one viewpoint. You have to walk round it and then you forget what you’ve read before, and go round to read it again. The text is literally a river, it keeps rushing by you, making patterns which disappear and change.”

“I’m really pleased with the outcome of Glade,” adds Dan Civico. “It has given Prudhoe a place to sit and watch the world the go by, read a book or meet with friends, somewhere the community can get together in the centre of the town.
 
“I hope it will help add to the sense of community and bring people together, but mostly I hope people will enjoy looking at it, sitting under it or deciphering its poetry.”

The artwork is supported by Commissions North, part of Arts Council England, North East; Northumberland Strategic Partnership; the Northern Rock Foundation; Tynedale Council and Prudhoe Town Council. It was manufactured by the Blaydon-on-Tyne based company Tegrel, which has 35 years experience in supplying a wide range of specialist fabrications.

Matthew Jarrett of Commissions North says: “The artists have created a contemporary space in Prudhoe which balances new design with natural materials to reflect Prudhoe’s urban and rural location. We are pleased to have supported this project which brings art and design to new audiences and we hope it will inspire other Northumberland market towns to explore creative and innovative design approaches.”

Links

http://www.commissionsnorth.org/showcase/portfolio/380

http://www.tynedale.gov.uk/residents/newsviewsdetails.asp?newsid=738

http://www.urbanwords.org.uk/aplaceforwords/case-studies-public-art-permanent.shtml