The iconic Weeping Window poppy sculpture – made from ceramic poppies first exhibited at HM Tower of London – could come to Cheltenham in 2017 if a bid to host them is successful.
Weeping Window is a cascade of several thousand handmade ceramic poppies seen pouring from a high window to the ground below. This and another sculpture, buy cialis Wave, have been created by artist Paul Cummins and designer Tom Piper. Towns and cities can bid to host the sculptures as they tour the United Kingdom throughout the next two years, as part of 14-18 NOW, a series of commissions to mark the centenary of the First World War.
The bid is a joint collaboration between Cheltenham Borough Council and The Cheltenham Trust. The Trust has just submitted the expression of interest and the outcome will be known this summer. If successful, the breath-taking exhibition would stand outside Pittville Pump Room in 2017.
Councillor Rowena Hay, cabinet member for healthy lifestyles said: ‘’It would be a privilege if Cheltenham was chosen to host the Weeping Window. Not only would residents have an opportunity to enjoy the magnificent sculpture on their doorstep, but tourists would also travel to us from far and wide, as they have elsewhere in the country, offering a real boost for Cheltenham.
‘’The Pump Room was used as part of the war effort as a place of calm. It is the perfect setting for people to gather to see the art and to use the space to reflect and consider the legacy behind the poppies.’’
Cllr Hay continued: ‘’We are working with our partners to create a full programme of events to mark the centenary of the end of the First World War, as well as restoring our War Memorial. I sincerely hope that the Weeping Window can be a part of our activities.’’
Julie Finch, chief executive of The Cheltenham Trust added: “We are delighted to work in partnership with the council to commemorate the First World War in Cheltenham. Poppies are symbolic of the lives lost and the families affected by war in the past and in the present. It is fitting that this international symbol of war is transformed into an art installation with the Pittville Pump Room as a back drop. Cheltenham’s contribution to the war effort was important, we wish to share the stories of the past with our communities. We wish to remember and learn from the past and enjoy the freedom that this has created for generations to come.”
The original display at the Tower of London, was part of the ‘Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red’ memorial, consisting of more than 880,000 poppies, marking every British and Colonial death in the 1914-1918 conflict. The display attracted more than 4 million people.
See www.1418now.org.uk for capturing images and more details of the sculptures.