Toome Bypass Public Artwork Unveiled

05/04/2007

TIDAL (Toome Industrial Development Amenities and Leisure) launched its ‘gateway’ sculpture on the Toome Bypass on 1st March – a new beacon for the area and a complementary visual counterpoint to the striking new Toome Bridge on the main Belfast-Derry road. With financial support from the National Lottery through the Arts Council, Antrim Borough Council, RDC, DRD and Roads Service, the work, a patterned cylindrical column in stainless steel by Co. Antrim artist Chris Wilson, was commissioned through open competition. Impressively illuminated at night, it is a focus of pride for people of the Toome area – a new symbol of hope and regeneration, incorporating imagery reflecting local history and the local landscape.

Launching the work, Roisín McDonough, Chief Executive of the Arts Council, remarked, “I would like to praise Chris Wilson and all those who contributed to the production of this significant iconic landmark. The arts are an essential element for community development and regeneration and not only has this project created a piece of innovative work, it is also part of a wider cultural tourism experience within a rural setting.”

For further details contact Jane Morrison, Media Relations Officer, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, Tel: 028 90385263 or email: jmorrison@artscouncil-ni.org