Beacon of Hope (sculpture)
Encyclopedia
The Thanksgiving Statue is a £300,000 public art
Public art
The term public art properly refers to works of art in any media that have been planned and executed with the specific intention of being sited or staged in the physical public domain, usually outside and accessible to all...

 metal sculpture
Sculpture
Sculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials—typically stone such as marble—or metal, glass, or wood. Softer materials can also be used, such as clay, textiles, plastics, polymers and softer metals...

 by Andy Scott
Andy Scott (sculptor)
Andy Scott is a Scottish figurative sculptor in galvanised steel, fibreglass, and cast bronze. He is based in Maryhill, Glasgow, and specialises in public art...

 19.5 metres high constructed in 2007 in Thanksgiving Square
Thanksgiving Square (Belfast)
Thanksgiving Square is an area of public space in Lanyon Place in Belfast based on Thanks-Giving Square in Dallas in Texas it contains the Beacon of Hope sculpture.- Concept :...

 in Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...

. As with other public works of art in Ireland the sculpture has been given several nicknames. These include the Beacon of Hope, the Nuala with the Hula (credited to Gerard Doyle), the Bell on the Ball and the Thing with the Ring.

It is currently the biggest public art sculpture in Belfast, however Rise
Rise (sculpture)
Rise also called the Balls on the Falls, Belfast Ball and Broadway Junction Art Piece is a concept £400,000 public art spherical metal sculpture by Wolfgang Buttress 37.5 metres high and 30 metres wide to be constructed early 2011 in the centre of the Broadway roundabout, at the...

, when constructed, will be bigger.

Construction

The sculpture is the result of six years of planning, development and eventual fabrication. Made of stainless steel and cast bronze, she spirals upwards and holds aloft "the ring of thanksgiving". The globe at her feet indicates the universal philosophy of peace, harmony and thanksgiving, and has marked on its surface the cities where the people and industries of Belfast migrated and exported to.

The sculpture was fabricated by P.F. Copeland of Newtownabbey
Newtownabbey
Newtownabbey is a large town north of Belfast in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. Sometimes considered to be a suburb of Belfast, it is separated from the rest of the city by Cavehill and Fortwilliam golf course...

, who worked from original scale maquettes by Scott, with the bronze globe cast by Beltane Studios in Peebles
Peebles
Peebles is a burgh in the committee area of Tweeddale, in the Scottish Borders, lying on the River Tweed. According to the 2001 Census, the population was 8,159.-History:...

.

It has become a much loved icon for Belfast and has been adopted by Belfast City Council
Belfast City Council
Belfast City Council is the local authority with responsibility for the city of Belfast, the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland. The Council serves an estimated population of , the largest of any district council in Northern Ireland, while also being the fourth smallest by area...

, tourism authorities, TV companies and several businesses as an emblem and logo; and in early October 2006 was recognised as the best artwork in the city by the Belfast Chamber of Trade and Commerce.

Concept

The artwork is based on a concept proposed by Myrtle Smyth, who was inspired by Thanks-Giving Square
Thanks-Giving Square
Thanks-Giving Square is a public-private complex in the City Center District of downtown Dallas, Texas . Originally planned as the first of several traffic-relieving complexes in downtown Dallas, it was dedicated in 1976; at the time it was the first public-private partnership of its kind in Dallas...

 in Dallas in Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...

.

Lord Diljit Rana, Baron Rana
Diljit Rana, Baron Rana
Diljit Singh Rana, Baron Rana, MBE is a British politician and member of the House of Lords. He is married to Lady Shruti Rana.In June 2004, he was created a life peer as Baron Rana, of Malone in the County of Antrim.-Life:...

, chairman of the Thanksgiving Square charity, said the aim of the project was to create some public space for giving thanks.

See also

  • Beacon of Hope (disambiguation)
  • Andy Scott
    Andy Scott (sculptor)
    Andy Scott is a Scottish figurative sculptor in galvanised steel, fibreglass, and cast bronze. He is based in Maryhill, Glasgow, and specialises in public art...

    , sculptor
  • Thanksgiving Square
    Thanksgiving Square (Belfast)
    Thanksgiving Square is an area of public space in Lanyon Place in Belfast based on Thanks-Giving Square in Dallas in Texas it contains the Beacon of Hope sculpture.- Concept :...

    , in Belfast

External links

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