Artists compete for Olympic grant

Artist Kenny Hunter wants to create five large scale sculptures of modern day Olympians.

Five Scottish art projects have been shortlisted for funding in a major cultural strand to run alongside the London Olympics.

One of the projects will receive a £460,000 grant from the Scottish Arts Council National Lottery as part of the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad.

More than 2,000 artists - including 90 from Scotland - submitted ideas.

Glasgow-based artist Kenny Hunter wants to create five large-scale sculptures of modern day Olympians.

He said he was inspired by the sculptors of Ancient Greece but wanted to reflect on modern Olympians.

Football pitch

Environmental company NVA wants to create a project called The Speed of Light using thousands of walkers moving over Arthur's Seat in Edinburgh and an athletically-powered lighting system.

Kate V Robertson would use 24 disused industrial chimneys and a smoke generator to create "lone clouds" for communities across the country.

The project would also countdown the time to the start of London 2012.

Tatham and O'Sullivan want to create four travelling sculptures which will tour Scotland and Craig Coulthard would create a football pitch in woodlands which is only visible to planes flying overhead.

The artist plans to return the pitch to nature after one international match.

The public have the opportunity to submit their opinions about the shortlisted proposals on the website www.artiststakingthelead.org.uk.

The final 12 commissions will be announced in October.