Witney News - Artist enlists village’s help in designing mosaic

Artist enlists village’s help in designing mosaic

An Oxfordshire artist has been consulting the community in Stanton Harcourt on design ideas for a village mosaic that portrays its treasured heritage.

Artist Becky Paton has been commissioned by West Oxfordshire District Council and Stanton Harcourt Parish Council to design a mosaic depicting local features.

The £10,000 project is funded by Burys Dryanstore as part of developer contributions and the mosaic will be installed in the village hall.

Becky, who grew up in West Oxfordshire, visited Stanton Harcourt and asked local people about what should be included in the design.

This included chatting to older residents at their weekly lunch group and visiting the local school to get a flavour of how the mosaic could capture the village’s special history.

Becky Paton said: “I’ve been provided with a wealth of information that couldn’t have been gained by looking on the internet. The community spirit is incredible and people couldn’t be more accommodating if they tried.”

“The mosaic will include as much local history as possible as well as references to the year it was made. As a piece of art for the community it is vital that people are aware of the project and have an input into its content. I want the mosaic to be personal to all ages, encourage discussion and provoke memories.”

The mosaic will be made up of concentric rings of information and the central image will be the Harcourt peacock surrounded by violets, poppies and daffodils (flowers specific to the village) as well as text from 18th century poet Alexander Pope, who stayed in Stanton Harcourt.

Cllr Warwick Robinson, Cabinet Member for Strategic Planning, said: “This is a great public art project that has pulled together ideas from the community that will encapsulate Stanton Harcourt’s rich heritage. This mosaic will add to the residents’ connection to the village and stamp their mark in its history.”