Community artwork unveiled by Iffley residents

Mosaic artist Amanda McCrann’s latest completed project shows how art can embrace community life, including some of its oldest and youngest members.

Residents and carers at Iffley Residential and Nursing Home, near Oxford, joined with local adults and schoolchildren to work on the six-month project, resulting in the wonderful piece of community artwork pictured below.

A grand unveiling took place on Thursday 10 October, which saw 100-year-old resident Joan Brown cut the ribbon, witnessed by children of Saint Gregory the Great Catholic School and Isis Academy, as well as the Wantage Male Voice Choir who provided entertainment.

Resident Joan Brown said: “I was delighted to be invited to cut the ribbon today. It’s a beautiful piece of artwork and it’s wonderful to see it complete in our garden. I thoroughly enjoyed the unveiling and we all feel very proud of the finished piece.”

Rita Harris, regional manager for the home, also commented: “We are delighted that our residents had the chance to contribute to this magnificent piece of artwork, which will be in the grounds of our home for them, their loved ones and the people of our community to admire both now and for years to come.”

The artwork was commissioned by Seddon, who built the care facility on behalf of Sanctuary Care Ltd, to a design inspired by the poem ‘Warm Rays of Sun Amidst Cool Falling Rain’, by Mike Garry, as well as the aesthetics of the nearby Iffley Church. The two-metre circular tiled piece contains stanzas from the poem; a sample reads:

Let's dig and delve within ourselves today

Reflect upon the years be filled with pride

As games, old flames and names reverberate

Time's like a beating heart or blinking eye

Poet Mike Garry said: “It has been an honour to work with the residents of the home and the wider Iffley community to bring this artwork to fruition. We are community artists and we like to work with people – art projects like this bring people together and that touches us. We are thrilled with the final results.”

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