Sculpture for Norwich, a new charity established to promote public art and sculpture in greater Norwich, will be inaugurated at a special event in The Hostry, Norwich Cathedral on June 29th 2010. The event will be coupled with the launch of a public appeal for an initial £35,000 from local sources to help fund the charity’s first project: the commission of a sculpture to celebrate The Norwich School of Artists.

The charity, which has been formed out of The Norwich Society and Norfolk Contemporary Art Society (NCAS), has identified a site for its first commission on St-Martin-at-Palace Plain, with the help of Norwich City Council. The site is in front of the house where John Sell Cotman, one of the key members of The Norwich School of Artists, lived and exhibited his paintings.

The aim is to complete this initial commission for the Cultural Olympiad countrywide arts festival in 2012 and thus to form part of Norwich’s contribution. Norwich Castle Museum and Art Gallery is also planning events that year to celebrate the Norwich School of Artists as part of the ‘Great British Art Debate’.

Keith Pollard, Chairman of Sculpture for Norwich said: “Sculpture for Norwich has been founded to promote the commissioning and installation of sculpture of high quality in public places in and around the City of Norwich. It will also aim by a variety of means to encourage a wider appreciation in Norwich of the benefits of public sculpture. The prospect of Norwich becoming the first UK City of Culture in 2013 provides a splendid context for our ambitions and we wholeheartedly support the bid.”

Isabel Vasseur, a major figure in the public art movement since the 1980s will be the key speaker at the launch event, attended by an invited audience, on June 29th. She has co-ordinated visual arts festivals in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Gateshead, and was Senior Visual Arts Officer for the British Council. The topic of her lecture will be “Eyesore or Adornment, Memorials and Landmarks: an assessment of Public Art.”

A website www.sculpturefornorwich.co.uk will be launched towards the end of June.

For more information about Sculpture for Norwich e-mail: [email protected] or tel: 01603 743165.