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Through a programme of residencies, artists were commissioned to create contemporary works of art that celebrate the Galloway Forest and commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Galloway Forest Park in 1997. This park is the largest of its type in the UK and the project demonstrates how artists can relate to rural and natural contexts.

Artists

• Matt Baker
• Doug Cocker
• Brian Birch (local craftsman collaborating with Matt Baker)
• Colin Rose
• Jim Buchanan
• John Crosbie
• Valerie Gillies
• Jake Harvey
• Gillian Forbes

Funding

SAC Award amount

£60,000.00

Project total cost

£80,000.00

Funding purpose

Towards the cost of commissioning a series of integrated artworks to be located a Galloway Forest Park over a 3-year period.

(Please note dates and details correct at time of award.)

Consultation & Commissioning Process

It was a requirement of the artist’s brief that local access groups and the Council’s Disability Unit were consulted.

School and community workshops contributed to a local understanding of the the many technical issues and constraints integral to making work in public places.

The commissioning process was managed by Independent Public Arts (IPA) in collaboration with Dumfries and Galloway Arts Association (DGAA).

A brief was prepared prior to the selection process and artists selected through a open and limited competitions as well as direct invitation. All shortlisted artists were paid a fee for the shortlisted proposal. A selection panel was made up of representatives from Forest Enterprise, DGAA and the community local to the artwork sites.

Outcomes

• Covenant: carved glacial stone and slate
• Quorum: carved whinstone and granite set within traditional stone dyking
• Prolonged Exposure: series of metal “camera” sculptures
• Monarch
• 7m high Terracotta Cone
• 50m diameter circular labyrinth
• Forest trail seating made of gunmetal
• Series of waymarkers and stone figurative work created within an education commission
• Sculptural transcriptions