A sculpture by the internationally recognised Scottish artist Ronald Rae has been unveiled as the memorial to Edna Read (1929-2012) at Campbell Park, Milton Keynes MK94AD. 

“Animals in War Memorial” was unveiled by Dr Charles Robert Saumarez Smith CBE – the Secretary and Chief Executive of the Royal Academy of Arts in London.

Ronald donated this sculpture to the people of Milton Keynes as the permanent memorial to Edna Read.

The Public Arts Trust, Milton Keynes working with partners Bletchley Park, The Parks Trust and MK Council moved this large (6 ton) sculpture, as well as “War Veteran“, across Milton Keynes. See images of the move >>https://picasaweb.google.com/103741742568068057916/SculptureMoveJuly2015?authkey=Gv1sRgCLbJz8XAnJ_8SQ

Information about Edna (Text taken from rudi.net) The development of Public Art in Milton Keynes _ Edna Read

Obituary written By Bob Chaundy for the Times – Nov 2012. Edna Eguchi Read Obituary

Memorialpressrelease.

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New Artworks for Milton Keynes

The “Leaping Man”

A significant new sculpture dedicated to Greg Rutherford was erected in Milton Keynes this week on the A 421 roundabout next to the Magna Park Industrial Estate – funded by Gazeley.

See >> http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-27765793

See >> http://www.mkweb.co.uk/News/Greg-Rutherfords-leaping-man-statue-unveiled-in-Milton-Keynes-20140610085706.htm

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Ashland Water Serpent – The Awakening.

New public art in Milton Keynes by artist Chris Drury and partners.

Image courtesy of MK Web.

Article >> http://www.mkweb.co.uk/News/GALLERY-Water-serpent-artwork-unveiled-in-Ashland-Milton-Keynes-20140531162710.htm 

The Public Arts Trust, Milton Keynes is pleased to announce that the John Butterworth Memorial Gallery has been enhanced by the addition of two large bespoke display cabinets. The cabinets were the result of a collaboration by MK9, a local arts charity, and the Public Arts Trust, Milton Keynes. This week the cabinets were finished and the first exhibit was installed.

Some images of the display can be seen on the link>> https://picasaweb.google.com/ibmichie/XscapeNov2013?authkey=Gv1sRgCJKgraDHjc6K7wE

Xscape

Cathy Read is the artist with her artwork on display. See the link to her web page >> http://cathyreadart.com/commissions-older-work/the-milton-keynes-project/

The MK9 web site can be found at http://aimforartgallery.org.uk/page.php?pageid=currentexhibitionsandevents

The Xscape web site can be found at http://www.xscape.co.uk/milton-keynes

Both MK9 and the Pubic Arts Trust, Milton Keynes would like to thank Xscape management for their support.

Chain Reaction,by Ray Smith, was commissioned in 1992 to celebrate the end of the first phase in Milton Keynes’ creation as a new city.

The conservation work included cleaning the artwork, treating areas that had suffered weather damage and rust and then repainting the sculpture in accordance with the original artist’s vision.

Ray, in discussion with the Pubic Arts Trust, had agreed that rather than the three original colours, darker at the base and lighter at the top blended in at each level, one colour would look right. This significant artwork will soon be back standing proud as part of the great Sculpture Park that is Campbell Park.

Links to the Parks Trust web site and Facebook site are below.

http://www.theparkstrust.com/about-us/media-centre/post/306-restoration-of-milton-keynes–iconic-art-work—chain-reaction

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151872564229853&set=a.466556849852.270338.74262174852&type=1&theater

See link  http://www.petecodling.co.uk/alphabet_artworks.htm

The Concept

The alphabet artworks are twenty six sculptures for Netherfield Local Park made by artist Pete Codling. They include seating (the key ‘K’ bench), play equipment (the golden ‘G’ goalpost), planted letters (the daffodil ‘D’) and even a home for birds (the ‘B’ bird box).

Pete developed the idea of an Alphabet of Artworks after he spent two days talking to residents and local children as part of a consultation weekend to discuss the future of Netherfield Local Park in July 1998.

Residents said that they would like the park to be special to Netherfield, and wanted to see more seating and play facilities, as well as a landmark. Pete proposed a series of artworks which would fulfil all of these requests, providing something unique for Netherfield, through a project that would be both educational and fun for local children.

Promoting Learning and Understanding
Pete developed ideas for the first six letters spelling my park through workshops with years 3 and 4 from Langland Combined School. The children learned about contemporary artists, made temporary letters in the park from materials they found there – flowers, branches, scrap – and developed their designs for permanent sculptures. The first sculptural letters were installed in July 2001, and celebrated with a part for all those who had taken part.

Involving the Community
As there was positive feedback from residents to these letters, funds were raised to complete the alphabet. Pete returned to Netherfield and discussed ideas for the 20 new letters with local people. His research included coffee morning at Buckland Lodge (a residential home for elderly people) and the Coffee Pots group (of OAPs), and a series of creative workshops with the Hog Youth Group, the After School Club, Jill Roaches Youthclub and Netherfield Nursery. Pete’s designs were exhibited in a marquee in a park, and all residents were invited to give feedback and comment.

The exhibition continued at Woughton Action Centre and at Buckland Lodge for further feedback and Pete made amendments to the designs.

The second set of twenty letters were made and installed during February – March 2003, with local children planting a ‘D’ of Daffodils and ‘L’ of Lavender. The full alphabet of artworks was opened on the 15th March, 2003 by the deputy mayor of Milton Keynes and celebrated as part of a party to mark the end of Netherfield Single Regeneration Scheme. Children took part in a treasure hunt around the Alphabet Artworks and used the ‘G’ and ‘H’ goal posts for a penalty shootout with Wimbledon football club.

This text is taken from the leaflet ‘Netherfield Alphabet Artworks’ project and is copyright 2003, Artpoint.

The Public Arts Trust, Milton Keynes had two teams in the Rotary Club of Milton Keynes Swimathon 2013. The Trust is one of the nominated beneficiaries from this fundraising day.

Thanks go all those taking part for their wonderful support.

Donations totalling over  £1130 have been made to the Rotary Club of Milton Keynes in support of these two teams.

Our thanks go to those who donated.

Update – (Summer 2013)

Further to the Trust’s Swimathon participation the Trust have received a significant donation from the Rotary Club of Milton Keynes.  

The Public Arts Trust would like to thank the Rotary Club of Milton Keynes for the donation which will go towards the conservation of a Bernard Schottlander artwork in the Fred Roche Memorial Park adjacent to the City Church.

Its 89 km2 (34 sq mi) area incorporated the existing towns of Bletchley, Wolverton and Stony Stratford along with another fifteen villages and farmland in between. It took its name from the existing village of Milton Keynes, a few miles east of the planned centre.

At the 2001 census the population of the Milton Keynes urban area, including the adjacent Newport Pagnell, was 184,506, and that of the wider borough, which has been a unitary authority independent of Buckinghamshire County Council since 1997, was 207,063 (compared with a population of around 53,000 for the same area in 1961). The Borough’s population is currently estimated to be over 230,000.

If you would like to contact us, please do so at:

Public Arts Trust, Milton Keynes Limited,
c/o Acorn House, 381 Midsummer Boulevard
Central Milton Keynes, MK9 3HP

Registered in England Company No. 7658009
Registered Charity No. 1143843

Email: info@publicartstrust.org
Telephone: Ian Michie: +44 (0) 7877 541627
David Stabler:  +44 (0) 7599 371 929