New public art unveiled in Wolsey Place Shopping Centre
18 December 2014
A new sculpture was unveiled on Tuesday 16 December in Woking Shopping's Wolsey Place. Entitled Surrey Hills, the piece, by local artist Sara Holmes, depicts three willow cyclists on metal hills. The sculpture was first shown at The Legacy of Sport exhibition at Guildford Cathedral and will now be a permanent addition to the centre.
The piece is inspired by a project the artist led during the London 2012 celebration of the Games, as part of Celebrate Woking. Working with over 5,000 school children from 15 primary and secondary schools in Woking, Sara created 60 life-size willow cyclists. The peloton of sculptures were displayed along the Olympic cycle route as it passed through Byfleet, West Byfleet and Pyrford. The project was awarded the prestigious Inspire Mark by the London Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The Mayor of Woking, Cllr Tony Branagan, said: "Our Borough was lucky enough to play its part in the greatest show on earth, the London 2012 Olympics, as thousands of residents and visitors lined the streets to enjoy the men's and women's Olympic cycle road races as they whizzed through Byfleet, West Byfleet and Pyrford.
"The inspirational sculpture, created by local artist Sara Holmes, is a fitting legacy to that very special summer of sport, culture and community spirit that we all enjoyed and will never forget.
"I'd like to thank the many people involved in this project, especially Mike Sheard and his Woking Shopping team for making this all happen."
Known for working with sustainable materials, particularly willow, Sara Holmes is a freelance artist who runs workshops and projects all over the UK. She was also a keen cyclist.
Sara said: "Woking has celebrated cycling with some wonderful initiatives over the last few years. I hope this sculpture serves as a legacy for this and reminds the young people I worked with of their own, personal connection to the London 2012 Games."