The Sheffield Covid Memorial and the mural on Pond Street have both been awarded the 2023 Keith Hayman Award, which celebrates public art in the city.
The award ceremony – which is organised by the Sheffield Civic Trust – took place on Tuesday at 5.30pm at Site Gallery, and gave out two awards: one for a mural and one for a sculpture.
The annual award was created in memory of Keith Hayman, a founder member of Sheffield Civic Trust, who died in 2013.
George King from George King Architects, who designed the Covid Memorial and attended the ceremony, said that winning the award was “a really lovely surprise.”
He added: “I think it’s a wonderful award because it’s chosen by the city itself, including the people who interact with the sculpture everyday.”
The stainless steel structure, which was constructed by a local manufacturer, takes the form of a willow tree, creating a sheltered space for people to gather and reflect on their experiences of the pandemic or leave flowers for lost loved ones.
The tube-shaped branches of the tree join together to form the trunk, which symbolises how individuals come together to form a strong community that can withstand difficult times.
Each branch has long fabric ribbons attached to it, which are embroidered with different messages of peoples’ experiences during the pandemic, tributes to loved ones, and messages of thanks to the NHS and key workers.
The design was chosen by Sheffield City Council after winning a competition last December.
“We just felt really honoured that the city would trust us to do something really important,” Mr King said.
The sculpture was installed in Balm Green Gardens this March, in time for the three year anniversary of the first Coronavirus lockdown.
The winning mural, which was designed and painted by local artist Megan Russell (also known as Peachzz) is located on Pond Street, opposite the Bus Station.
It was commissioned by Sheffield Hallam University, and incorporates symbols of peace with flowers, bees and the Yorkshire rose.
(Pond Street Mural, designed by Peachzz. Source: Sheffield Wire)
Peachzz has painted many walls across Sheffield and further afield, including the temporary mural of a Parrot on London road, which was created as part of an initiative to support local businesses.
Keith Hayman was a town planner, environmentalist and keen artist, who helped found the Sheffield Civic Trust after working for the council.
The award was created in his memory to celebrate outstanding contributions to public art in the city.
“It’s a lovely thing that the city has this award,” Mr King said.
“Public art is so important for exposing people to culture in a democratic way.”
Although Mr King does not have any upcoming projects based in Sheffield, he said that he would love to do more in the city in the future.
