The creators of two newly crafted artworks at City Fields in Wakefield have been warmly received to witness their finished creations now resting in their permanent abodes.
Sculptors Graeme Mitcheson and Stephen Broadbent were graciously invited by us to view their artworks in situ at the prominent housing development within the city.
Cllr Michael Graham, Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Economic Growth, said; “It was a pleasure to welcome Graeme and Stephen back to City Fields and show them their wonderful sculptures in each of the locations. They are both great additions to our district’s public art.
“These works were commissioned thanks in the main part to the support of housing developers who are building new homes at City Fields. This has enabled the artists to create lasting legacies that the local community, the city and the district will enjoy for many years to come.”
Graeme Mitcheson’s piece titled “Ever Glow” marked the inaugural instance of a permanent public artwork being commissioned for the novel housing development. The sculpture is positioned in an expanse of open grass adjacent to Aberford Road and drew inspiration from the waterways characterising the region. It embodies the bulk and structure of a lock gate, employing a visual trick to evoke the canal’s gradual disappearance into the distant horizon. An exquisitely engraved poem, penned exclusively for the location by the award-winning poet from West Yorkshire, Laura Potts, is also integrated within the sculpture.
Graeme Mitcheson said: “The sculpture was inspired by the canal that transformed the fortunes and future of Wakefield back in the 19th Century. It celebrates the city’s waterways and the role they still play in the city and throughout the district.”
Stephen Broadbent’s “A Living Landscape” consists of five distinct circular art installations that pay homage to the diverse array of wildlife at City Fields. Easily recognisable depictions of insects and creatures indigenous to the area have been seamlessly incorporated into the artwork, which can be encountered beside Neil Fox Way, directly opposite the new housing on the former power station grounds.
Stephen Broadbent said: “I was inspired to create something that would connect the people of City Fields with the local landscape.”
