Coventry arboretum hosts peace festival sculptures

11 November 2023

Vanessa PearceBBC News, West Midlands

News image — The works are on display at Paxton's Arboretum in Coventry's London Road Cemetery

Historic Coventry Trust A land sculpture featuring autumn leaves spiralling out from a centre point — The works are on display at Paxton's Arboretum in Coventry's London Road Cemetery

A diverse array of natural materials has been used to create sculptures by four acclaimed artists in a city cemetery.

The artworks, inspired by the site's shrubs, hills and trees, are on display at Paxton's Arboretum in Coventry's London Road Cemetery.

The pieces, with themes such as wellbeing and the the natural world, have been produced as part of Coventry Peace Festival at the site, which has been restored by Historic Coventry Trust.

Historic Coventry Trust A land sculpture using natural materials including twigs — Artists have created the pieces using natural materials

Historic Coventry Trust A sculpture set inside the hollow of a huge knot in a tree trunk — The works were commissioned as part of Coventry Peace Festival

Land-based artists Julia Brooklyn, James Brunt, Caroline Hayes and Richard Shilling have created the sculptures in response to the arboretum's landscape.

They will be hosting guided walks around the works on Saturday.

Tours around the cemetery are also on offer from 10:00 GMT until 15:00 with the Coventry Family History Society present to assist visitors locate the graves of their loved ones.

Historic Coventry Trust An aerial shot of a land sculpture made from leaves — The art has been created in response to the site's landscape

Historic Coventry Trust A land sculpture using leaves and pine cones that has been designed around the base of a tree — Guided tours of the art and wider cemetery are on offer

Historic Coventry Trust A land sculpture including leaves and berries — Four artists have worked to create the exhibition

Sarah Allen, from the Historic Coventry Trust, said: "Paxton's Arboretum in London Road Cemetery is a beautiful and poignant space for reflection and calm in Coventry.

"The grounds showcase a wonderful array of plants, trees and shrubs, and we are delighted to be hosting such a talented group of land-based artists as they respond to our landscape alongside the community.