After this, there will be the chance to say a final ‘goodbye’ at a Farewell Event, before each elephant is auctioned to raise funds for St Richard’s Hospice.
Each sculpture is sponsored by a business or individual and designed by an artist of their choosing. Among the sponsors is the Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce, who have sponsored “Leave the Herd Behind” located in Broad Street outside of Crowngate Shopping Centre.
The beautifully designed elephant is based on the landscape along the River Severn and some of the wildlife that live there and encourages us to step away from the busier parts of the city to get closer to nature and looking out for the local wildlife that adorns the city’s waterways.
The chosen artist by the Chamber of Commerce was Kathleen Smith, an artist who works mainly in metal, 3D printing and casting to produce 3D work.
Kathleen Smith
“I work with communities helping them to learn making skills and have been working on a number of projects throughout lockdown, to help people use making to combat loneliness and mental health problems. The Wild in Art sculpture trails allow me to become absorbed in painting on the most unusual canvases.” Said designer of the Leave the Herd Behind sculpture, Kathleen Smith.
Each sculpture is designed by either an upcoming or local artist and includes a personal touch and inspiration behind each piece of art. Kathleen explained her inspiration behind the striking artwork: “All my sculptures are based on the idea of appreciating our local wildlife and bringing it more into our cities. The wildlife I paint on my sculptures are all accurately painted even down to the white spots on the Gatekeeper butterflies. I also try and include species that people might not have seen or know the names of. For this design I wanted to get people to think about walking away from the city along the waterways and looking out for their local wildlife on the way.”
Kathleen is not unfamiliar with Wild in Art projects and even previously designed a Giraffe sculpture for St Richard’s previous art trail: “I love doing Wild in Art sculpture trails as they are positive in many ways. They promote artists work, encourage people to get out and exercise and have fun together finding the sculptures and at the end they are auctioned off to provide essential funds for local charities.”
Sharon Smith, Chief Executive of the Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce, said: “We are delighted to be involved with the project and thank St Richard’s for bringing the community together and bringing life and energy to the streets of Worcester. Seeing all of the sculptures occupy the city streets and the buzz that they have brought to the local community brining everyone together is fantastic.
“We couldn’t think of a more fitting design for our elephant which brilliantly demonstrates all that is amazing about Worcester and the beautiful wildlife we welcome along our waterways and landscapes. A huge thank you to Kathleen and all involved with brining the Big Parade to Worcester.”
Kathleen’s other work can be explored here www.kathleensmith.co.uk.
For more information on Worcester’s Big Parade 2021 including art trail maps and activities to take part in please visit www.worcestersbigparade.co.uk.