Celebrating Knowsley’s links to poet Edward Lear (1812 – 1888)
Commission Fee: £850 – £1000
Deadline for designs is Monday 6th December 2021 with selected designs being announced w/c 13th December.
In 2022 Knowsley, Merseyside will be the Liverpool City Region Borough of Culture and play host a year-long programme of events and activities celebrating the very many cultural connections and links to the place.
One of these fascinating and largely unknown links is with the renowned artist, musician, author and poet, Edward Lear. A young Lear came to work and live in Knowsley Hall – the home of the Stanley Family / Earls of Derby – in 1831 and it was during his time here that he wrote his series of Nonsense Poems, including the universally known and well loved The Owl and the Pussy-Cat.
To celebrate this wonderful connection, Knowsley Council has joined forces with Wild in Art to commission and create an Owl and Pussy-Cat sculpture trail that will go on display across the borough in the summer of 2022. Located in public spaces across Knowsley the thirty two 2-metre-high sculptures will be something the whole community can enjoy and celebrate together. And thanks to an online app, the trail can be followed by children, young people, families and individuals – all hopefully learning something wonderful about Knowsley and about Lear in the process.
We are really keen to work with local creatives on this project. People who can really ensure that Knowsley’s cultural identity is brought to life in an imaginative and beautiful way. We want to be as inclusive as possible and therefore all artists – amateur or professional – are invited to submit their ideas. Whatever your level of experience, we want to hear from you and most importantly see your ideas. The Owls and Pussycats are 3D blank canvasses and incredibly versatile. It will hold every conceivable medium or art – from fine art to graffiti, new media, mosaic to metalwork.