THE search is on for the design of a £40,000 piece of public art to be sited in the very heart of Kelso.
The artwork, proposed to be called “Kelsae”, will be placed in front of the town hall in March 2014.
The commission for the new artwork has been funded by Sainsbury’s. Project leaders are the Kelso Stakeholder Group, with support from Scottish Borders Council and the Kelso Townscape Heritage Initiative.
Charlie Robertson, chairman of the stakeholder group, said: “The brief for this exciting project has been developed to allow artists the freedom to put forward ideas that embody the spirit of the town.”
Those behind the project are keen to engage with the local community to ensure the process of selecting both an artist and a design takes account of the views of the public as well as local groups and organisations.
Councillor Ron Smith, executive member for planning and environment, said: “We are grateful to Sainsbury’s for their funding of this project. It provides a great opportunity for artists to compete for a commission to design a new public artwork for Kelso.
“I hope local people will take the opportunity to choose the artist and the artwork, which will be a feature of the town for years to come.”
After the submission of design ideas, by the end of April, a selection panel will draw up a shortlist of five artists.
The successful shortlisted artists will then be asked to develop and cost their design proposals.
These will form part of a public exhibition in the Sainsbury’s store at the end of June, encouraging feedback prior to a final interview process and the announcement of the winning design in early July.
Each of the shortlisted artists will receive a £500 fee upon completion and submission of their final proposals.