An Important Step Forward – Valegro Sculpture for Newent
Artist’s impression of how a half-life sized sculpture of Valegro might appear in Newent Town Centre
Montage created by David Robinson based on drawings by Georgie Welch ©NewentValegroSculpture
After a busy summer fund raising and raising awareness the team behind the Newent Initiative Trust’s plans to place a half-life sculpture of dressage superstar Valegro in the centre of the Gloucestershire market town of Newent are pleased to announce that they have commissioned local artist Georgie Welch to start work on maquette number 1 as a pre-cursor to the public consultation phase which will help decide the final location of the sculpture.
Bulley videographer David Robinson, who is working with the project on social media and artwork, explained “We’re very grateful that people have been so generous already, both with their time and their money, but the reality with a project like this is that you always need more of both. Georgie has been very generous and given us permission to use her design drawings to raise funds and the basic plan is to use the income from the sale of copies of the drawings to start work on the maquettes, sales of which will in turn pay for themselves and the half-life sculpture.”
Forest of Dean MP Mark Harper and Forest of Dean Councillor Jane Horne lend their support
Photographed at Tibberton Village Show ©David Robinson
Copies of the drawings, signed by Carl Hester, Charlotte Dujardin and Georgie Welch are available to buy via the NewentValegroSculpture website. There are currently six designs to choose from with two more to be added at a later date. There will also be a “Just Giving Page” accessible from the website for those people who simply want to donate. The team are also looking for significant players in the equestrian world to come forward and either commission a maquette or provide substantial sponsorship in return for some form of recognition in the final design.
The maquettes will be approximately 12 inches high (1/6th life-size) and will be used to illustrate the design of the half-life sculpture in which Valegro will appear unmounted, in his tack and performing piaffe. There will be a limited edition of just 12 maquettes produced in bronze. The maquettes are expected to be a highly sought after memento of Valegro’s achievements and would be purchasers are advised to express interest now in order to avoid disappointment later.
As well as fund raising the team have also been busy raising awareness and consulting with the public both on the achievements of Valegro and the significance of Newent in his story. As David Robinson outlined “We have to realise that not everyone understands that Valegro, Carl and Charlotte are based close to Newent Town Centre or that Valegro has spent most of his life here; at the same time his fame is known around the world and we have a global audience who can’t wait to see how the sculpture develops; so this is a great honour for Newent and an opportunity not to be missed.”
These sentiments were echoed by Forest of Dean Councillor Jane Horne who took time off from officially opening and exhibiting at Tibberton Village Show to help on the Valegro Sculpture stand. “We encountered much interest in the project at the show and I was delighted to be photographed with Forest of Dean MP, Mark Harper, who kindly purchased a print for his office wall; surely we can all get behind the project and realise our ambition to enhance Newent in this way.”
Once maquette number one is underway the team will focus on the public consultation and final planning phases of the project in order to maintain the schedule which aims to see a grand unveiling of the sculpture in 2019.
For more information please visit www.newentvalegrosculpture.co.uk
