AN urban art piece has been unveiled in the heart of the Cathedral Quarter celebrating the Springfield Road-based NOW Project’s tenth birthday.
As part of their celebrations, NOW commissioned Glenn Larmour, a local artist, to create a unique art piece which would represent the impact the organisation has had on the local community and on the lives of the people it supports.
From the beginning all involved were keen to ensure that the piece was a true reflection of NOW and what it means to local people with learning difficulties and autism. Artist Glenn facilitated a workshop during one of the ‘Kidnap Wednesday’ afternoons where NOW trainees and volunteers were given the opportunity to get involved with the early development of the piece, offering ideas and suggestions which were then interpreted by the artist and incorporated into the work.
Maeve Monaghan, NOW’s Chief Executive, said: “I must admit this was a first for us and something which challenged us as well as Glenn as the artist. Ten years is a big milestone for us and we wanted to mark it in a very special way.
“We have a number of very cool things happening during the year but this was about capturing the moment and giving us something for posterity.
“What better way to do that than to commission an urban art piece to reflect the community in which we work, the services we provide, and document how NOW impacts on the lives of people with learning difficulties.”
The piece itself (above) is done over five different-sized canvasses and combines graffiti-style art work with collage and typography to reflect the city landscape in which NOW works.
NOW’s tenth birthday logo takes pride of place, with key words reflecting what trainees feel NOW means to them. The dramatic piece also includes scenes of Divis Tower, the black taxis and the International Peace Wall on the Falls Road.
More information about NOW, the services it provides and opportunities to volunteer with NOW can be found at www.nowproject.co.uk and you can follow them on Twitter @now_project
