Public to pick park sculpture

Mullingar Town Park is getting a sculpture to the tune of €62,000 - and Westmeath County Council wants the public to help choose it.Five pieces have been shortlisted from the fifty entries submitted to the Council from national and international artists since the Council advertised the art commission in July, and the models of the proposed structures are currently on display in The Atrium, at the County Buildings.A selection panel, made up from a mix of elected members, local authority representatives and the County's practising artist drew up the shortlist: now it's the public's turn to give their opinion on the pieces, and the Council hopes people will come and view the models - which are to remain on display until December 15 - and give their feedback as written comments.The final selection will be made at the end of December and the public's feedback will be taken into account in the final selection.The winning sculpture is to be placed at the entrance to the Town Park, which has been getting a revamp as part of the works associated with the Mullingar Sewerage Improvement Scheme.The cost of the sculpture comes from the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government's "Per Cent For Art" scheme, with €62,000 amounting to one per cent of the cost of the Mullingar Sewerage Improvement Scheme, and for the competition, artists were asked to consider Mullingar's history and culture when creating their sculpture. The entrants have, variously, drawn from myth, legend, physical geography and the town's past importance.The shortlistedNed Jackson Smith's submission is called Bronze Forms and is said by the artist, to represent the ever-changing weather conditions and to depict the "mood" of the lakes surrounding Mullingar.Levitas, by artist Ron Baird, is to be a 12 metre high kinetic sculpture that will be powered by the wind and engineered to withstand gales. Built from stainless steel, the sculptor, describes the piece as "tall and unclimable" and says that he hopes "one day soon to see this sculpture sparkling in the Irish sun in Mullingar".Artist Colm McCarthy's shortlisted piece, "Stream Spire" is to feature a cascade of stainless steel balls which the artist describes as a "contemporary interpretation of a town obelisk".Betty Newman Maguire has submitted "Spirit of Lir", a work in bronze featuring four entwined "wings" on a circular base. Betty Newman Maguire has already been responsible for a number of well known commissions from public authorities including the "Seat of Learning" and "St Colmcille's Oak" in Kells and the "Baite Viking ship" on Essex and Wood Quay in Dublin opposite the Four Courts.The river Brosna is celebrated in another successful shortlisted submission in a piece titled "Silver Brosna, An Lamh Airgid". The artist responsible for the "Silver Brosna" work, Ann Meldon, has already a piece of sculpture on display in Westmeath, "Motte Grainne Og" at Moate. Other works by her include "Ferdia and Cuchullan" in Ardee, Louth, Turlough O'Carolan in Nobber, Meath and JFK at New Ross Quay, Wexford. The Silver Brosna will feature famous characters from tales, both factual and mythical, woven through a stream in a nine foot high stainless steel and bronze sculpture. The artist says in her submission that, "she is happy to include local school children or an appropriate group in the development of the details".Arts OfficerCatherine Kelly, the Arts Officer for the county believes it is important to place art in the public domain: "This sculpture will be important to everyone living in the area and those who travel through it. This scheme broadens the perception of what is, challenges notions about art and inspires debate."