Something new is coming to Burnham-on-Sea. From Monday 21 November artist Svetlana Kondakova Muir will be installing a stunning new ceramic and glass mosaic on the seawall. It will transform a stretch of concrete sea defence into a beautiful and informative artwork for both locals and visitors to enjoy.
Svetlana’s design was chosen in a popular vote and has been developed with the help of local wildlife experts. The mosaic depicts species of life living above and below the waterline in this stretch of coastline. From birds and fish to molluscs and crustacea the mural highlights the importance of all things big and small in these mudflats.
“This has been a really exciting and interesting project for me to work on” says Sveltana “I have loved discovering the lesser known forms of life, some of which look very alien-like, through my research and consultations with marine biologists. Thinking about how to translate them into mosaic has also been an enjoyable challenge. I have been ambitious with this commission, portraying a total of 68 species, this has been hard work but also very rewarding. I am now really looking forward to seeing the artwork installed and complete and hearing what people think about it”.
The mosaic has taken six months to make. Thousands of small glass tesserae have been individually cut and pieced together to create colourful panels which will be installed this week. The finished artwork will be unveiled by the Mayor Cllr Lesley Millard on the morning of Sunday 27 November at 11am.
“I am pleased to see such an unusual and exciting piece of artwork that celebrates our beautiful coast. It will enhance our town and attract more visitors. We have been pleased to work with Seed Sedgemoor on a project that brings our community together. We have a lot to be proud of in Burnham and Highbridge”. Says Mayor, Cllr Lesley Millard.
All are invited to come along to South Esplanade, opposite the Tourist Information Office, on Sunday for the formal unveiling. There will also be entertainment from a New Orleans style brass band to enjoy.
The artwork has been brought to life through a partnership between Burnham-on-Sea and Highbridge Town Council and Seed Sedgemoor with funding from HPC Community Impact Mitigation Fund, The Arts Council England, and the National Lottery.
More information about the project, details of the artist and the launch event can be found at https://seedsedgemoor.com/activities/unveiling-burnham-on-sea-life/