A HUMAN sized pear and apple both made from steel will be officially unveiled at a Worcester park on Friday as part of a new art and heritage trail.
The Mayor of Worcester, Coun Steve Mackay, and pupils from Pitmaston Primary School, Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Primary School, St Clements CE Primary School and Christopher Whitehead Language College will gather at Cripplegate Park for the unveiling of the steel pear.
The art works have been created by Planet Art – a Midlands-based public arts partnership for the new arts trail.
Along the trail, which will connect Cripplegate and Pitmaston parks, six new cast plaques will depict different aspects of Worcester’s heritage including the tannery industry, which was prominent in St. John’s in the 18th and 19th centuries, Roman finds from the area, and former resident Ernest Payne who won a gold medal in cycling at the 1908 London Olympics.
A human-sized apple, similar in design to the Cripplegate pear, will complete the mile-long trail to Pitmaston Park.
The artwork has been created with cash from the developers who built the St. John’s branch of Sainsbury’s
Coun Mackay said: “These beautiful and innovative works of art reflect Worcestershire’s strong fruit growing tradition.
“It is fantastic that Worcester can boast original new art of such a high calibre – I would encourage local people to come along and explore this new heritage trail with their friends, family and visitors to the city.”
Last year’s Worcestershire Poet Laureate Suz Winspear has composed a new poem about the fruit harvest which she will recite it at the unveiling.
Planet Art held a series of workshops with the students earlier in the year and have incorporated some of the ideas and themes that came out of these sessions in the works of art.
Julie Edwards and Ron Thompson of Planet Art said: “It’s been such a privilege for us to work with the community in St John’s.
“We would like to thank all those who helped us deliver this project – in particular all the schools that assisted us in developing the concepts for the artwork; St Johns library and James Dinn, Archaeological Officer for Worcester City Council, who supported us throughout.”
