Wells past, present and future
Preserve, celebrate and look forward
Wells Civic Society
Wells In Mosaic - lockdown activity
Lockdown for mosaic artist Ruth Ames White has been spent mostly in her Wells studio working on the Wells in Mosaic.
Having completed all the design and preparatory work, and had the 6-metre diameter print-out made, she has made great progress with the next stage of the project – cutting and placing thousands of tiles which make up the intricate historical map of the city.
A spokesperson for the group steering the project said: ”We were delighted at our recent zoom meeting to see just how much Ruth has achieved. It looks even more beautiful than we could have imagined.”
Ruth is pleased with her work so far but added: “There is a great deal more to do. I have enough materials to keep me busy for a while but I am likely to need more tiles and the custom-made storage boxes before the lockdown is released when we will be able to hold more fundraising events.”
Local residents and businesses have already made some generous donations and sponsored several of the Blue Lias stones which will surround the mosaic. If anyone would like to donate or sponsor the project that would be greatly appreciated. More pictures of Ruth at work, and ways to donate can be seen at the mosaic website and the facebook page.
The city of Wells MP James Heappey visiting the Wells in Mosaic studio
Read about the Wells in Mosaic developments in past months by clicking on the links shown below
Wells In Mosaic - the background
A large public art mosaic is planned to delight and inform residents and visitors. The six metre diameter mosaic, to be made using unglazed ceramic tiles, will feature a map of Wells city centre, the moat and and its most iconic buildings and streets, with many key facts and images from the earliest through to modern times.
The project design and making of the mosaic is being managed by mosaic artist Ruth Ames-White, while other members of the team: Steve Wilson,of Wells Lions. Chris Winter and Philip Welsh representing WCS, and Ian Ames-White will manage the multitude of other tasks involved. Volunteers from the Wells In Mosaic team have walked the whole of the city's historic street pattern to distinguish the buildings which will be depicted in the artwork, which is planned as a major attraction and guide to the city's historic gems.
As plans progress, the community will have opportunities to play a part in the development of the mosaic and to contribute to the project.
Mosaic artist Ruth Ames-White, the designer of the project said: "I'm really excited about the positive progress being made and thoroughly enjoying the research and design - to which we are hugely indebted to our fantastic team of experts. It will also be great to work with schools and community groups as we move forward. Despite having lived in and around Wells for 45 years, I'm amazed how much of the rich and varied history of our city there is still to learn."
Steve Wilson, of Wells Lions, first proposed the idea and is delighted to see it gain so much support. Wells Civic Society and the Lions have given funding to kick start the project.
Chris Winter, chair of the society said: "This is a long term project and we are looking at ways to set up funding to cover maintenance in perpetuity."
Recent support for this project from:
Waitrose City Council
