Two giant murals unveiled in Bury St Edmunds to mark Abbey's 1000th anniversary
An artist worked with local schools
Last updated 22nd Nov 2022
Two new murals have been revealed in Bury St Edmunds to mark 1000 years of the Abbey of St Edmund.
The murals, located at The Apex entertainment centre, were unveilled on Sunday 20th November.
Created by freelance artist Louise Gridley from Sugi Ceramics, and each measuring 13m square, the sculptural murals were designed to celebrate 1000 years of the Abbey of St Edmund with a ‘Then and Now’ theme.
The first panel depicts the story of St Edmund, while the second showcases key landmarks from the town as it is today.
Funding for the project was sought from Arts Council England with contributions from Abbey 1000 C.I.C. and Moyses Hall Museum.
Other project partners included West Suffolk Council, The Apex, who provided the location for the mural, and Abbeygate Sixth Form College who made the space available for Louise to work as artist-in-residence for six months.
Louise designed the mural and worked with local schools to create the murals.
Staff and students from Abbeygate Sixth Form College, St Benedict’s Catholic School, One Sixth Form College and Thurston Community College were all involved.
Commenting on the mural project Louise said; “I wanted to make a legacy art piece for our town that celebrates our rich heritage. It was important to me that young people within our community were involved in the making of the work as it will be their legacy gift to future generations.
“There were a few scary moments when I worried that the installation deadline of 19 November may not be met. But all worked out with St Edmund gaining his rightful place on the wall in time for his feast day. I would like to thank all the amazing project partners and participants for making this project a reality.”