CREATING SPACE - In late 2004, the Lisburn Partnership awarded Lisburn City Council's Community Arts Programme £50,000 through the EU Peace Two Programme for two new permanent public artworks that will act as identifiable reminders of the local community's celebration of the theme of 'identity'. One artwork is for a rural gateway location and one is for an urban gateway location. This Public Art Competition entitled “Creating Space” was launched in February 2005. HISTORY It was a condition of the competition that the imagery associated with each artwork is established through a collaborative process involving direct contact and workshops between each Artist and a cross-section of the local community. The appointed Artists also had to make themselves available to commence work immediately on selection as the artwork process needs to be carried out from June 2005 to ensure that an appropriate level of community consultation takes place before the final designs and locations for the artworks are presented to the 'Creating Space' Public Art Panel in late summer 2005. The submission selection took place on Friday 22 April in Island Arts Centre and the Selection Panel comprised of His Worshipful the Mayor, Cllr Cecil Calvert, Paul Harron, Public Art Officer, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, Carol Lisburn Arts Advisory Committee - Creative Arts Panel, Joan Montgomery, Community Arts Officer and Siobhan McCormick, Arts Manager. The appointed Artists were: Ngaire Jackson & Clare Lawson A collaboration by artists Ngaire Jackson and Clare Lawson, formerly part of d3 art & design which was best known for the sculpture 'Concentric Twist' at Lagan Valley Island funded by the Sustrans Cycle Network. Martin Heron - Urban Artwork Martin Heron is an independent Artist formally from County Tyrone and now living in Yorkshire, England. Martin has extensive public art experience with local authorities, e.g. Bradford Borough Council, Burnley Borough Council, Charnwood Borough Counicl, Hull City Council, Melton Borough Council, Stoke City Council, as well as a number of corporate clients such as Asda, Wysing Arts, National Tramway Museum and Dukeries Theatre Complex, Nottinghamshire. XPLORARTLisburn City Council's XPLORART Sculpture Trail is one of the most prestigious public arts projects ever undertaken in Northern Ireland and is the first public art programme to be implemented by Lisburn City Council. The programme illustrates the Council's proactive approach to the development of an integrated schedule of public art incentive schemes and commissions to enhance the visitor profile of Lisburn City. 
Click here for the Xplorart brochure XPLORART entails eight site specific sculptures at Lagan Valley Island co-funded by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland Lottery Fund. The trail is supplemented by exhibition spaces at Island Arts Centre where temporary exhibitions are accommodated and with its remarkable collection of contemporary works of art, is a fine example of both urban and rural renewal. History 'The Island,' on which Island Arts Centre is based, was formed in Lisburn when the Lagan Navigation was constructed in the mid &18th century. The canal works by-passed a bend in the river and created an island entirely surrounded by water. From that time the site was used as vitriol works producing a chemical used in the bleaching of linen and this continued within a castellated wall surrounding 'the island' until the 1830's. The building of two-storey linen, spinning mill at that time began the transformation of the site into the large industrial complex that has been well recorded through photographs and illustrations. The Island Spinning Company was established in 1867 and as well as producing linen yarn it wove plain cloth on power looms. The company is however best remembered for the manufacture of linen threads. Thread production finally ceased at 'the island' in 1983. Following this the canal was landfilled and the whole site was cleared by demolition in 1992. The area was therefore no longer an island and since this time has been dormant. Lisburn City Council's capital investment in this site included the re-instatement of the canal which reclaimed the area as an 'island'. Home to the Council's new Civic Headquarters and the 'Most Modern Arts Venue on the Island' - Island Arts Centre - the reformation of this historic area has contributed greatly to Lisburn Centre's regeneration and complements the substantial natural beauty and wildlife that are unique features of this urban landscape. 
The interwoven tapestry of the physical landscape of the Sculpture Trail, as well as its cultural heritage combine perfectly to provide inspiration for the successful commissioned artists, who in the creation of their work have responded to the people and location of Lisburn City while leaving art works that are designed to exhilarate and challenge. Aims and Objectives The overall aim of the XPLORART project was to create new work that reflects and engages with the vision and life of Lisburn City and its people, whilst being of national and international significance. Its creation demonstrates a visionary understanding of the way in which artworks can enrich both public buildings and spaces in the public arena and enhance the general public's access to and understanding of contemporary art in all its diversity. The programme has also created a vital public face for the professional artistic community, providing an interface between the artist and the general public. Following a great response from as far away as India, Denmark, Spain, Romania, Canada, Belgium and the USA, Lisburn City Council was pleased to announce the artists listed below as its final selection. 
COMMISSION ONE:- SERIES OF 12 PRINTS ILLUSTRATING THE CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT OF LAGAN VALLEY ISLAND Awarded Artist - Janet Preston, Lisburn, Northern Ireland This Commission features twelve original prints illustrating the development of Lagan Valley Island from a state of dereliction to an area of prominence and civic pride. The series record stages of progression of the capital development process from the area's original state to the building's construction and completion. COMMISSION TWO:- WILDLIFE OF THE AREA  Awarded Artist - Karl Ciesluk, Ontario, Canada
This commission celebrates the theme of 'water' bringing the rebirth of marine life to the River Lagan. A series of fish and animal carvings on large stones function as fun seating and feature a collection of environmental statements carved and sandblasted upon them, explaining the rebirth of this great historic river in Northern Ireland. COMMISSION THREE:- GARDEN AREA Awarded Artist - Ned Jackson Smyth, Newtownards, Co Down, Northern Ireland This commission is a Granite and Bronze sculpture which functions as a fountain, spilling its water to the ground and is a symbol of the making of the 'Lagan Valley Island site,' as it was formed by the existing river and the diversion of the river through the construction of the canal. The concept of the piece is therefore representative of the formation of the island, symbolising the theme 'Earth' through the man-made from and flow of the river and canal, symbolising the theme of 'Water'. 
COMMISSION FOUR:- ISLAND ARTS CENTRE ENTRANCE Awarded Artist - Brian Connolly, Bushmills, Co Antrim, Northern Ireland This commission features a bronze sculpture of an artist's easel, picture frame and stool, which is situated outside Island Arts Centre's entrance. It is an interactive piece hugely popular with local children and is intended to pay homage to the natural 'Earth' and 'Water' landscape of the island site and beyond by cleverly focusing your eye on the attractive landscape beyond. COMMISSION FIVE:- ISLAND ARTS CENTRE FOYER Awarded Artist - Larissa Watson-Regan, Dundrum, Co Down, Northern Ireland This commission incorporates a series of hand-made works for the main reception area of Island Arts Centre and includes six batik-treated and hand-stitched linen hangings depicting abstracted images merging into one scene symbolising 'Water' through the rebirth of the canal and 'Earth' through the development of the Lagan Valley Island site. A kinetic installation etched with markings and suspended at different levels from the ceiling represents 'Wind' and 'Fire' which is also represented through decorative glass panels that are a popular feature at the opposite end of the Arts Centre. Salmon are also a feature on the panels illustrating the reintroduction of salmon to the River Lagan and its regeneration. 
COMMISSION SIX:- CONCENTRIC TWIST LAGAN CYCLE PATH Awarded Artist - d3 Design, Hillsborough, Co Down, Northern Ireland Funded by the Sustrans Cycle Network, the commission reflects the Council's commitment to Public Art Development in Lisburn City and more importantly the ownership of the Lagan Valley Island site by Lisburn City's citizens. 'Concentric Twist' is based on a visually dynamic circle motif that is of sufficient height to allow pedestrians and cyclists alike to pass through and which can be seen from distant views, acting as an identifiable gateway feature on Route Nine of the National Cycle Network and Lagan Towpath from Lagan Valley Island. In terms of its scale, form and materials, the artwork has echoes of the two architectural forms of the Island Civic Centre building and connotations of the circular mill wheels of the former historic Island Mill site. COMMISSION SEVEN:- TREE OF DREAMS DIANA PRINCESS OF WALES MEMORIAL GARDEN Awarded Artist - Bob Sloan, Belfast, Co Antrim, Northern Ireland Funded in partnership with the Arts Council of Northern Ireland the 'Tr ee Of Dreams' is Lisburn City Council's gift to the people of Lisburn to celebrate City status awarded to Lisburn on 14 Mar 02. This unique artwork encapsulates the hopes and dreams of over 5,000 of the City's citizens that have been individually inscribed onto copper leaves, which hang from a 10 metre stainless steel tree sculpture and which not only symbolises community ownership of the Sculpture Trail but the City's Hopes and Dreams for a positive future. COMMISSION EIGHT:- 'GROWTH' Awarded Artist - Ned Jackson Smyth, Newtownards, Co Down, Northern Ireland Working with Seymourhill Horticultural Project, local artist Ned Jackson Smyth created this wood and bronze sculpture to represent the theme of 'Growth' with the leaf shape springing from the man made form, created from a natural material. This project was funded by Lisburn City Council and Lisburn Partnership (through ESF Peace 1) in conjunction with Voluntary Services, Lisburn. |
