Time to vote for new climate-inspired street art in Exeter

People are being given the opportunity to vote for their favourite design for a new piece of climate-inspired street art in Exeter. A public vote will decide the final design of the mural near Exeter Library in the city centre.

This commission was launched in July by Art Work Exeter. The winning piece will replace The Witches Mural which is sadly failing due to its age and the materials used in its creation.

A total of 28 submissions were received and this was narrowed down to five artists by a panel of stakeholders from local businesses, the City Council and arts and culture professionals.

The artists have prepared final proposals for the mural, ready for a public vote!

This was launched during the British Science Festival earlier this month and runs until midnight on Monday 2 October.

People can view large prints of the artists’ submissions at various locations in the city and on campus at the University

Photographs of the old mural in its prime will be digitised and become part of a new online register of city artworks that Art Work Exeter is preparing, where people will be able to contribute their own thoughts and memories about public artworks in the city on an interactive map.

The decision to replace the mural, which was created in 2008 by Andrew Alleway, came about during a recent review of Exeter’s public artworks as part of a new public art strategy.

Through conversations with identified stakeholders – local historians, members of the creative community, local councillors, businesses in the area and the mural’s painter – it was agreed that it was time for something new.

The £3,000 funding for the new piece of art has been secured from the Green Futures team at the University of Exeter as part of the ‘We Still Have A Chance’ project.

Cllr Laura Wright, Deputy Leader and Lead Councillor for Culture and City Centre Strategy, said: “It’s great that people in the city are getting to choose their favourite design. The five shortlisted designs are stunning – whichever one is chosen will create a visual feast for residents and visitors to enjoy whilst considering the very important issue of climate change and efforts to halt it.”

Shortlisted artists have received £250 to work their designs into larger proposals for the public to vote on. The winning artist will receive £3,000 to deliver the final work.

To see the shortlisted designs and vote for their favourite, people can visit the Art Exeter website at  https://artworkexeter.org.uk/projects/new-buildings-mural/