Covid 19 Commemorative Sculpture for Shropshire by Paul Kennedy – Public Fundraising Appeal

Her Majesty’s Lord Lieutenant for Shropshire, Anna Turner,  is leading a proposal to commemorate the very difficult times we in Shropshire and Telford and Wrekin have experienced through the Covid Pandemic by commissioning a publicly funded sculpture to be placed in The Abbey, Shrewsbury.

Fundraising will be by public subscription, but there will also be a chance to enter a draw to win 1/5^th scale copy of the sculpture by buying a ticket for £100 . The number of tickets is limited to 125.  There will also be a chance for members of the public to put their finger prints on the main sculpture before it is cast at the Abbey at a date to be confirmed.  

The Lord-Lieutenant is extremely grateful for the generous donations from the public to this appeal and confirms that sufficient funds have now been raised to secure this project and the commission is now underway.

The Shropshire Lieutenancy is grateful for the support of Community Resource with this fundraiser.

Message from Anna Turner, Her Majesty’s Lord Lieutenant for Shropshire

Along with everyone in the United Kingdom and many other countries, the people of Shropshire and Telford and Wrekin have had a harrowing time since the Covid Pandemic hit us in early 2020.  Many people have lost loved ones and everyone has had to make extraordinary sacrifices in their daily lives and in their businesses.  Communities on all levels have pulled together to get us through.  From the dedicated and unremitting work of health and care workers, through frontline workers in a wide variety of roles, to many many ordinary people helping their neighbours, our communities have risen to the challenge.  To remember the many people who have suffered and sadly died and to thank everyone for their enormous effort I would like to commission a public sculpture, which will be unveiled at Shrewsbury Abbey later this year if funds can be raised.  Paul Kennedy, an artist and bronze founder working in Shropshire has designed a beautiful and moving sculpture.  Please support me in raising £16,000 to commission this sculpture.  With many thanks,

Anna Turner, Her Majesty’s Lord Lieutenant for Shropshire

The sculpture has been commissioned from Paul Kennedy, a bronze founder & artist based in Acton Round near Bridgnorth

Concept for the Covid 19 Commemorative Sculpture

The sculpture has been created with symbolism as its main focus to reprint the traumatic events of 2020-21. It will be reflective as well as projecting hope. The idea of the circle was the first idea as it represents the notions of totality, wholeness, original perfection and the self. The idea of life as a circle or a wheel exists across multiple religions and philosophies. In many customs and spiritual beliefs, a circle represents the divine life force or spirt that keeps our reality in motion. Splitting the circle in two halves represents the divide created within families and friend causing isolation and loneliness. The void or negative space is filled with coloured glass to represent a rainbow and is the symbol of hope and promise for a better future. As the light flows through and is reflected on both sides of the sculpture. Rainbows take all the visual colours of light and combine them into one unified image. The concaved surface is smooth with the convexed side being textured with fingerprints from the diverse community affected by the lack of touch. All these imprints created will build up a unique texture and pattern from a simple process. From shaking hands or a hug, touch is vital to our feeling of wellbeing as you release oxytocin’s to create an anti depressant effect. This side will have a copper nitrate patina applied creating a classic green which id then rub back to expose the bronze on the highlights. A renaissance wax is applied to protect and enhance the surface. There are two viewing perspectives, the concave side is smooth and will have 23.75 carat gold leaf applied by oil gild with the convexed side texture by fingerprints. Standing in front of the concave side you will be faced with the warm reflective glow of the gold allowing for inner self reflection. The light from the rainbow bathing you in hope and promise of a better future. In front of the convexed side you are exposed to your public persona bathed again in the light from the rainbow giving you a feeling of collective joy and sense of community. The bronze sculpture will raised and grounded on Shropshire stone with a pink hue and tool marks from the original stone work in the Abbey will be replicated onto three sides of the base. One side remaining smooth to link the smooth side of the bronze sculpture. The diameter of the bronze circle will be approximately 1.2 meters The base will be 1m high 50cm wide 50cm depth Overall hight 2.2m.

Paul Kennedy