Archived Projects

Oct 1995 to Apr 1996

Coatbridge, West Lothian

Airdrie-Bathgate Sculpture Trail

Sustrans, a charity which designs and builds traffic-free paths for cyclists and walkers, secured SAC funding to commission a series of site-specific artworks along the 19 mile Bathgate to Airdrie cycle route.
The artists were invited to respond to the character, history and identity of the Central Belt of Scotland. The artworks make reference to the coal mining industry, the old railway line and the atmosphere and character of the area.
This particular public art project demonstrated a significant level of partnership collaboration and local consultation through residencies and workshops.

Tagged as: Anne Elliot Doug Cocker Jeremy Cunningham John Hunter Loci Design Paul Matosic Sarah Neville Todor Todorov sculpture trail

Mar 1995 to Jun 1996

Dr Gray's Hospital, Elgin, Moray

New Work for Gray's Hospital

Four new works were commissioned from Scottish artists and installed in various locations throughout the redeveloped Dr Gray’s Hospital in Elgin. The works were created for specific locations within the hospital enhancing the architectural design and contributing the overall quality of the hospital environment.

Tagged as: Art in Healthcare Doug Cocker Elizabeth Ogilvie Peter Wilson Richard Demarco hospital

Jan 1996 to Oct 1996

Stirling, Stirling

Stirling Countryside Artworks

Artworks were commissioned for integration into new road, foot and cycle routes around Stirling. Incorporating the work of artists into the landscaping proposals was seen as a desirable alternative to the conventional approaches to transport routes.

The commissions involved collaboration across artists, engineers, landscape architects and the public audience illustrating the breadth of cross-discipline relationships that can form in the creation of public artworks.

The SAC monitoring process revealed some concerns about the progress of one of the artworks but these concerns disappeared as the work was created and installed on site.

One other work was substantially delayed because the site was found to be contaminated. Once the site had been cleared of all contaminated material the work continued.

These two challenges were faced by the project management and the SAC was kept informed of their developments, leading to successfully installed work.

Tagged as: Del Geist Doug Cocker John Hunter Patricia Leighton Stirling Valerie Pragnell

Jan 1996 to Oct 1996

Elgin, Moray

Elgin Town Centre

Through this project five pieces of public art are now sited throughout the town centre of Elgin. The artworks are a combination of sculpture, mosiac and text paving. The development of this project illustrates the importance of communication and collaboration in the commissioning and realisation of public art.

Tagged as: Alan Potter Doug Cocker Mary Bourne Moray

Sep 1996 to May 1997

Ben Lomand National Park, Argyll & Bute

National Memorial

This project resulted in a granite sculpture created by Doug Cocker, which sits amidst the Rowardennan landscape of the Ben Lomond National Park. The sculpture symbolises the link between the original 1950 Land Fund purchase, the commemoration of those who gave their lives during the Second World War and the permanent freedom for the nation which Ben Lomond represents. The sculpture acts as a particular focal point for the park as it frames and is framed by the landscape. The Secretary of State for Scotland, the Rt Honourable Donald Dewar MP officially opened the Park 11/11/1997 and unveiled the sculpture.

The SAC Officer’s Summary Report notes that “The most important aspect of the proposal is that the brief is open to interpretation and therefore it is not expected that the artist will produce a memorial in the traditionally accepted sense. Such an approach to this type of commission should be encouraged and held as an example for others wishing to commission commemorative works.”

Tagged as: Argyll & Bute Doug Cocker civic sculpture landscape

Jun 1996 to Aug 1998

Newton Stewart, Dumfries & Galloway

Galloway Forest Park

Through a programme of residencies, artists were commissioned to create contemporary works of art that celebrate the Galloway Forest and commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Galloway Forest Park in 1997. This park is the largest of its type in the UK and the project demonstrates how artists can relate to rural and natural contexts.

Tagged as: Brian Birch Colin Rose Doug Cocker Dumfries & Galloway Gillian Forbes Jake Harvey Jim Buchanan John Crosbie Matt Baker Valerie Gillies artist-in-residence landscape rural

Jan 1999 to Nov 1999

Castlemilk, Glasgow City

Gateways and Landmarks

The Gateways and Landmarks project was part of “9 for 99”: a partnership project that sought to boost the perceived image of Castlemilk through the redevelopment of 21 hectares of land and the creation of a civic square. The intention was to develop a visual identity for Castlemilk, creating a sense of place through destination sites. The implementation of “9 for 99” created 21 training places for local unemployed people and the Gateways project proved to be a foundation for a longer-term public art strategy for the Castlemilk Environment Trust.

Tagged as: Doug Cocker Glasgow Kenny Hunter Michael Dan Archer Paul Grime Regeneration Rick Kirby community

Oct 1997 to Dec 2001

Banchory, Aberdeenshire

Sculpture at Tyrebagger

Sculpture at Tyrebagger is a programme of contemporary artworks specifically commissioned for an area of Kirkhill Forest and Elrick Hill, just outside the city of Aberdeen.

The aim of the Tyrebagger project was to encourage people to look afresh at their surroundings by developing an artistic programme which recognised the character and identity of the North-East and incorporated temporary and permanent artworks – growing from and enriching the natural environment. Ten artworks were commissioned and installed in Kirkhill Forest.

Sculpture at Tyrebagger is now established as a major cultural destination for visitors to the North-East of Scotland, providing a unique local amenity and educational resource.

Tagged as: Aberdeenshire Allan Watson Anne Bevan Auke de Vries Bius (Mary Little & Peter Wheeler) Chris Drury Dalziel & Scullion Donald Urquhart Doug Cocker Elizabeth Hobbs John Aitken Keith Rand Marion Smith Sally Matthews Simon Beeson Simon Ward Vong Phaohanit landscape