Studio Response
“I feel like this project has given me a huge leap forward in my public art career ... I feel I have learnt in 6 months what would have taken several years to discover on my own.”
Riverdown Park
Artist Mentoring
Artist: Ross Bennett
Client: BDW Southern Counties (Barratt Homes)
Location: Salisbury, Wiltshire
Services: Strategy Development, Mentoring and Commissioning
Phase: Completed 2019
Studio Response is committed to providing opportunities for early career artists and we were delighted to work with Ross Bennett, a then recent graduate at Barratt Homes’ Riverdown Park development. Ross, who was appointed to the mentoring opportunity following an open call, demonstrated in his application that he had experience of working in a gallery context, but was looking to expand his practice to working in the public realm.
Supported by both Studio Response and lead artist Kerry Lemon, Ross worked with local cultural organisations to carry out place-specific research and was supported to glean a better understanding of the process of commissioning art in the public realm. This culminated in the production of a temporary sculpture that was displayed back to the community.
You can read more here about Ross’s experiences in his guest blog for Wiltshire Council’s Arts Service.
The commission was the result of a Section 106 public art contribution for the Riverdown Park development from BDW Southern Counties (Barratt Homes).
Images courtesy of Barbara Leatham Photography and Studio Response.