Third Community Art Trail site by Art Stop CIC finished!
A new art installation celebrating our beautiful town comprises 125 original works of art created by local people aged 4 to 86 years old.
This latest Community Art project has transformed three dilapidated and unused advertising boards on the side of Superdrug, next to Iceland on Market Street, into Marple's third Community Art Trail site. As with the first two, at Rose Hill Station and in Marple Memorial Park, it was the idea of local artist Tracy McGuinness-Kelly of Art Stop Community Interest Company. As always, Tracy was supported by her husband Pete Kelly (Project Manager of Marple Men in Sheds) to bring this long-term dream into reality.
Tracy takes up the story in her own words:
"The new artwork is in a location central to the town that was overlooked, scruffy and neglected. The three redundant panels were crying out for some artwork. The project highlights how much creativity is all around us and in us all.
I'm sincerely grateful to all of the wonderful artists who contributed, without your creativity this would not have been possible.
The work can be viewed as a ‘whole‘, a metaphor for the powerful effect art can have, a realisation of the beauty we can create together, its positive impact on our mental health and wellbeing and that we can all try to seek that out to help enrich our own lives. Whether it be music, art, dance, theatre etc. It's incredible what can be accomplished when we all work as one, contributing in any small way we can. Each individual piece connected to the next to create one big beautiful display, yet a celebration of individuality. Something that every time you walk past it you will see something new and won’t just become ‘wallpaper.’
People will hopefully stop here now to show their work to loved ones, meet each other, strike up conversations and marvel at the creative talent we have in our own community. Maybe it will inspire more creative projects in our town and bring more footfall to the District Centre.
We are planning a celebration soon hoping that lots of the artists will be able to make it!"
Meet some of the artists who took part
Here's a selection of local artists who have contributed to the project by creating artworks for the display. Click and scroll through their images for a closer look at each one and to read the statements they have made about taking part.
Thanks and acknowledgements:
This Project has been supported by local Councillors, Stockport Council and financed by UK Shared Prosperity Funds.
Thank you to Marple Men in Sheds, who worked so hard completely replacing and restoring the panels for the art to be mounted, and especially to Pete Kelly, who as well as leading Marple Men in Sheds is also a local furniture designer and photographer who played a huge part in making this project happen, working tirelessly behind the scenes throughout the whole process.
Thank you to Marple Vision Team, a business and organisation based group of volunteers working to make improvements to Marple District Centre, and to Marple Carnival 50-50 Community Fund. Thanks also to Richard Daniels, Stockport Council's District Centre Manager, for his help in making this project happen and to all those who volunteered their time.
Extending Marple's Community Art Trail
This project extends Marple's Community Art Trail that includes the one in Marple Memorial Park on the pavilion building and also Rose Hill Train station car park. We can't wait to see it extended further and if you have any ideas please contact Tracy at Art Stop CIC!
