Council seeks ideas for €125k art commission on local cycleway

Westmeath County Council is inviting artists to submit a proposal for between two and four "prominent" and "intriguing" public artworks along the cycleway between Streamstown and Athlone Castle.

The €125,000 initiative went to tender this month as part of the 'per cent for art' scheme associated with the construction of the new cycleway bridge over the Shannon in Athlone.

The council described this as "a unique opportunity" for artists to develop a proposal for the installation of their work at "between 2 and 4 separate locations" along the cycleway route.

Artists have until July 1 to submit their proposal for consideration. The selection of the successful work is due to be finalised by the end of July, with the artwork to be installed by January of next year.

The council said the public art proposals should aim "to not only animate the trail but also provide the greenway user with an experience that is intriguing and engaging".

The total budget for the project is €125,000, including VAT, though the council said the artist would have a budget of €110,000, as it had set aside the remaining €15,000 for ground works which it would carry out at the locations of the art installations.

The tender documents said artists submitting proposals should have at least five years' experience of "creating permanent external sculptures" and should come up with a concept that is "professional, imaginative and contemporary".

The council invited artists to "respond creatively to public space along the Old Rail Trail," and said they should have regard to the culture, history and heritage of the area, as well as other themes such as recreation, active travel, and biodiversity.

The council also said the successful work should be "accessible to all, standing out as a prominent element that invites sustained engagement," and it noted that the art would "potentially be viewed from all angles of the greenway".

It said the public art must not block the cycleway, but "overarching structures" may be considered in order to "frame long straight lines along the greenway".

The proposed pieces should "require low maintenance" and "be able to last into the future," the local authority added.

In addition, it said the art must "enhance the area, and provide a new cultural context for the diverse groups of people who will be using the greenway," noting that the "primary audience" for the work would be the people using the greenway.

The council's tender documents gave four examples of possible locations for art pieces (Streamstown, Crosswood Bog, and two locations in Moate) but it said artists could themselves identify appropriate locations between the former Streamstown train station and Athlone Castle.

When submitting a proposal, the artist is being asked to include his or her concept for the work, a visual representation of what it would look like, a project plan, and examples of previous work.

The selection process, the council said, would take the form of an open competition, with the possibility of applicants being invited to a second stage "if the panel deem this to be required for a shortlisted number of proposals".

The identity of those who will be on the selection panel was 'to be confirmed' according to one of the tender documents.

The selection criteria was listed as allocating a 30% weighting to the "originality, artistic merit and concept" of the proposal and 30% for its "feasibility and demonstrated ability of the artist".

Some 20% of the marks would be based on "adherence to the brief" while the other considerations being weighed up were the environmental awareness shown in relation to the proposed piece (10%) and "value for money" (10%).

Submissions from artists in relation to the scheme must be emailed to: artsofficer@westmeathcoco.ie by 4pm on Friday, July 1.

In recent years another 'per cent for art' scheme, associated with Athlone's Church Street redevelopment, proved contentious when some local objections were raised to the choice of the 'Mask of the Shannon' sculpture by Mayo artist Rory Breslin.

Objectors argued that the sculpture was based on inappropriate British symbolism and that it should have been scrapped in favour of a piece focusing on the Irish mythological figure of Síonnan.

Despite the controversy, the piece went ahead and was installed at Custume Place, Athlone, in December 2020.

Speaking in the Dáil, the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications and Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan spoke of how he was looking forward to the new greenway bridge over the Shannon in Athlone.

His comments came as part of a debate on the Government's national sustainable mobility policy, during which he highlighted the move towards active travel.

"We followed the OECD recommendation of spending 20% of the transport capital budget on active travel, so we are following best international advice. We are starting to see it pay dividends," said Minister Ryan.

"Projects are not just happening in our cities. Some 1,200 walking and cycling projects are being undertaken by local authorities across the country.

"One I am looking forward to is the new bridge across the Shannon in Athlone as part of the greenway from Dublin to Galway. The bridge will transform the stunning and beautiful urban space on the western side of the Shannon in Athlone town.

"It will open that area up, provide for significant rejuvenation and create a public place, while also providing active travel infrastructure," he said.