Member Article

Newcastle Building Society call on North East artists for £2,000 commission

North East artists are being invited to take part in a unique competition to create a new piece of work that will be displayed in the atrium of one of the region’s best-known businesses.

Newcastle Building Society is looking to find a local artist to design a hanging artwork that will form the centrepiece of the atrium at its offices on the Cobalt Business Park in North Tyneside , where 300 NBS employees are based.

The current installation – Oasis, by visual artist Karen Rann - was commissioned as part of an artist in residence project when the Society first moved into the building in 2008, but having been in place for five years, it has been decided to replace it with a new piece.

The competition is open to both professional and amateur artists, and a £2,000 budget is available to cover materials, installation, expenses and fees.

An open event will be held at the Newcastle ’s Cobalt offices onTuesday 1 October to give anyone interested in taking part in the competition the chance to look at the space for themselves and ask any questions they have about the brief.

Outline ideas will need to be submitted my mid-October, with a shortlist of artists being asked to present their ideas to an NBS judging panel, which will include staff that work in the building.

The winning artist, or group of artists, is expected to be named in early November, with the new piece being installed early in the new year.

Newcastle Building Society has long been a committed supporter of the North East’s creative communities, having hosted community art exhibitions at a number of its branches, instigated an art competition for locally-based students and commissioned work from several professional regional artists.

It has also run successful, award-winning joint initiatives with organisations including Seven Stories and Northern Stage. Natalie Falkous, head of corporate social responsibility at the Newcastle , says: “This is a fantastic opportunity for a North East artist to put their stamp on a unique display space and we’re expecting an enthusiastic response from artists across the North East.

“The artwork will be one of the first things that employees and visitors to the Cobalt see when they enter the atrium. It needs to be inspiring, thought-provoking and visually impressive, as well as suitable for a corporate environment.

“Ideas can be developed by either individual artists or people working in teams, and while the installation will need to be robust enough to last for at least the next five years, competitors have free rein to express how they think a landmark piece can best be created for our Cobalt atrium.

“Supporting artists and creative projects across our heartland area is just one of the ways that we translate the principles of our mutual status into direct benefits for the communities in which we work, and we’re looking forward to seeing lots of new ideas on how this exciting space might be filled.”

Appointments must be in advance by anyone wanting to attend the open event on 1 October. For further information, please contact the Newcastle Building Society CSR team via csr@newcastle.co.ukor on 0191 244 2121.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Newcastle Building Society .