Double Celebration for Cumbria art project : Cumbria County Council

A double celebration was being held today (July 29, 2003) for the huge Sheepfolds art project commissioned by Cumbria County Council. Sheepfolds was awarded a national accolade for its walling craftsmanship and a permanent exhibition about the project was officially opened at Appleby.

Cumbria County Council Cabinet member with responsibility for culture, Councillor Tim Heslop, said:

"We are delighted that the Sheepfolds project, which is a magnificent work of art, has also been recognised by the experts in the field as a superb example of the craft of dry stone walling. It reinforces the recognition of Cumbria's high-quality landscape as unique. "Cumbria has some of the finest wallers in Britain, including Steve Allen, from the Eden Valley, who led the team which realised the ideas of the artist, Andy Goldsworthy. It is the work of anonymous wallers like them stretching back over the centuries which has helped make the county's distinctive landscape. "Cumbria County Council is proud to have helped bring the Sheepfolds idea to fruition and are sure that the permanent exhibition at Appleby Heritage Centre will help visitors and local people alike make the most of Sheepfolds."

The accolade won by Sheepfolds is the Pinnacle Award granted by the Dry Stone Walling Association. The award was introduced by the association in 1994 to commend dry stone walling projects of outstanding quality and merit, which combine a high degree of creativity with imaginative use of stone and the very best of craftsmanship. The award acknowledges Cumbria County Council's foresight in commissioning the work; the creative vision of the artist, Andy Goldsworthy; the skill of lead waller Steven Allen and the other craftsmen involved. The Lord Lieutenant of Cumbria, James Cropper, will present the engraved glass "Pinnacle" award and a commemorative certificate to Councillor Tim Heslop, Cumbria County Council Cabinet member with responsibility for culture, who is also a hill farmer, at 1pm.

Mr Cropper is also opening a Sheepfolds information exhibition in one of the railway carriages at the Appleby Heritage Centre at Appleby Station. The permanent display was put together by the East Cumbria Countryside Project as part of the Sheepfolds programme. The exhibition explains the background to Sheepfolds and to Andy Goldsworthy's work and will help visitors decide how best to see the folds, that are spread over a large part of the county. Sheepfolds is the largest collection of permanent work undertaken by international environmental sculptor Andy Goldsworthy, who worked on 48 sheepfolds spread across the county to create art that reflects on man's use of the landscape, the passage of time and memory. The project was commissioned and managed by Cumbria County Council as part of Cumbria's contribution to the UK Year of Visual Arts and funded with support from the Arts Council of England National Arts Lottery programme.

For further information on sites, news and education programmes please see the Sheepfolds website.