The Friends of St Ann's Well Gardens
Come and see the beautiful and exciting new addition to the Sensory Garden!
The ‘Dovecote’ a kinetic sculpture by local artist Jon Mills, was unveiled by the Mayor of Brighton and Hove in the Park on 13th May and is already proving a hit with the crowds gathered for the ‘big reveal’.
Pippa Smith, Chair of the Friends of St Ann's Well Gardens says:- “We have worked hard to raise the money and waited a long time for lovely Dovecote. It already looks at home in the Sensory Garden and I just know that it will be a fantastic focal and talking point for visitors to the Park.
“We owe a big thank you to the Rampion Fund, Sussex Community Foundation who have made this possible and we hope to attract more exciting sculptures and artwork into St Ann’s Well Park. An ‘art trail’ through the Gardens would be a wonderful addition to the City.”
Talking about the inspiration behind his artwork, Jon Mills, said:
"As soon as I saw the brick column in the Sensory Garden and realised that it used to support a dovecote, I knew I wanted to produce one of my ‘Birds on Springs’ sculptures.
A simple spring allows the birds to gently move in the slightest breeze, and I have loosely based the design of the cote on the shapes of the original.
“Fabricated from forged and welded steel with stainless steel springs, the work has been powder-coated a playful orange and turquoise to help it stand out against the foliage."
The Sensory Garden project is the result of a shared vision developed by the Friends with BHCC. Thanks to the generosity of our Friends and that of a number of funding bodies we aim to provide facilities that are:-
● Safe and welcoming to all
● Encourage the use of the space by the more vulnerable people in our community
● Provide a truly sensory outdoor experience.
● Give space and respect to appropriate performances during the summer months.
Thank you to all the staff from Martin Homes who are pictured giving us a big cheque. The Company is building the Gradino flats on Davigdor Road and they appreciate how much the Gardens will come to mean to their new residents.
The money will be used to create an accessible information board to explain the plants in the Sensory Garden. We have learned that park users can be unaware of the sensory qualities of the many of our plants and we hope this new source of illustrated information will encourage people to explore them with touch, smell and even taste.
