A community art project has secured over £26,000 in Scottish Government funding to add to the already existing Street Art Sculpture Trail project in west Edinburgh.
The funding will be used to deliver creative workshops for adults and install contemporary public artworks in the area as well as offer artists the opportunity to develop in a local creative environment.
Gorgie Collective, a local arts group, launched Edinburgh’s first ever Street Art Sculpture Trail in Gorgie in June 2021.
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Featuring work by four local artists, the trail includes public sculptures in a variety of mediums including brass, ceramics and concrete.
The group will now expand the trail, installing new contemporary artworks in multiple public and green space locations around Gorgie.
Artist Yvonne Weighand Lyle described participating in the Street Art Sculpture Trail in Gorgie. She said: “Being a member of Gorgie Collective has really helped me develop as an artist and given me the confidence to create and install ambitious public artworks.
"The feedback so far has been fantastic and I hope as many people as possible will be able to enjoy our site-specific artworks by coming to our artist-led walks or using our free map to discover our work by themselves.”
Gorgie Collective say that their work creates new cultural assets for the local community and provides an economic boost for local artists.
Katriona Gillespie, chair of Gorgie Collective, curated the trail and described the group’s motivation: “We’re all really passionate about the benefits of public art for people’s wellbeing and to help create a sense of place.
"We’ve had an amazing response to the sculptures and pop-up artworks we’ve been installing during the pandemic, so we decided to create a little urban art route in our area for people to explore.”
The artworks installed to date are located at White Park on Gorgie Road; opposite Tynecastle Stadium on Wheatfield Street; on Wheatfield Place; Wardlaw Terrace and Stewart Terrace. The trail includes works by Gillespie, Weighand Lyle, Mario Alberto Gonzalez Robert and Louise McVey. The sculptures are easily accessible and can be viewed by members of the public at any time.
Angus Robertson, local MSP for Edinburgh Central and cabinet secretary for culture, welcomed the group’s work.
He said: “I am delighted that Gorgie Collective has been awarded this funding from the Creative Communities fund. It is clear that everyone at Gorgie Collective is driven by a deep sense of community, camaraderie and a shared commitment to making their local area a better place to live for all, which they have done to no end. I look forward greatly to seeing what they will achieve with this funding and, in the meantime, encourage all to pay them and the Gorgie Street Art Sculpture Trail a visit.”
Gorgie Collective’s public artworks have been funded by a grant from the Scottish Government’s Creative Communities programme.
Gorgie Collective has published an illustrated map of their Street Art Sculpture Trail which is available from local libraries, selected local businesses and for free download from their website: www.gorgiecollective.com.
