When Sudbury’s state-of-the-art £10million health centre opens this autumn, one of the first things visitors will see is a large-scale piece of artwork featuring a local painter’s interpretation of the town’s famous meadows.
As part of a bid to involve the community with the health centre project, NHS West Suffolk Clinical Commissioning Group asked its development partner, Assura, to set aside a wall in the new Church Field Road facility, to show off an artist’s vision of Suffolk.
With a first prize of £5,000 sponsored by Assura, artists living within a 30-mile radius of Sudbury were invited to create a two-dimensional piece which told a story about the county.
Out of 36 “outstanding” entries, Cavendish artist Naomi McIlroy’s piece entitled Meadow Walk was chosen. It will be digitally reproduced and displayed in a 5metre by 2.5m space on the atrium wall of the centre –which is due to open in October. The artwork will complement the modern new building, which will house services currently provided at Walnuttree Hospital, St Leonard’s Hospital, Acton Lane Clinic and Siam GP surgery.
Ms McIlroy said: “I wanted to create a feeling of openness that incorporates nature, including different leaves from the trees and wildlife such as the kingfisher and dragonfly. It was important that my work represented a sense of well-being that fits with the ethos of the new health centre.”
The panel of judges could not decide on a runner up, so awarded joint second place to Peter Gray of Sudbury for his submission The Talbot Trail and Debbie Wendt of Ipswich for her work entitled Visions of Sudbury.
Dr Ed Garratt, chief operating officer for the clinical commissioning group, said the artwork delivered a fantastic vision of Sudbury and an appropriate sense of health and wellbeing. He added: “Meadow Walk will have a significant uplifting and positive effect on patients and staff for many years to come.”
A mobile display of the entries will be set up at various locations around Sudbury later this year, before the permanent display goes up.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here