Artists and sculptors from across the country gathered at Site Gallery in Sheffield on 21st November 2023 for the annual Keith Hayman Awards for Public Art Sheffield which saw George King's Covid Memorial weeping willow sculpture in Barkers Pool, and Peachzz colourful Pond Street Mural, win top place in their respective categories.

Highly commended were Andrew ‘Stoneface’ Vickers’ sculpture Sleeping Giant, Rob Lee’s mural Aberrate, and the etched glass windows by Sarah Galloway at Cemetery Road Baptist Church. 

The Keith Hayman Awards are presented annually by Sheffield Civic Trust and the Sheffield Design Awards to celebrate the quality and diversity of Sheffield’s public art. They are named after a founder member of Sheffield Civic Trust who died in 2013 and who made an outstanding contribution to the experience of public art in Sheffield. Keith’s widow Janet and son Matthew represented the family at the awards ceremony and presented the awards on the night.

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The Covid Memorial sculpture was commissioned by Sheffield City Council to commemorate the people of Sheffield who lost their lives during the Covid pandemic. The sculpture is made from stainless steel fabricated in Sheffield and features textile ribbons, designed by local textile arts Liah Edwardes and Sarah Waterhouse, which include reflections on people’s experience of the pandemic, tributes to loved ones and messages of thanks to healthcare workers. 

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Sculptor George King said that winning the award was ‘a really lovely surprise’ adding,  ‘I think it’s a wonderful award because it’s chosen by the city itself, including the people who interact with the sculpture every day.’

The Pond Street Mural, by street artist Peachzz, a former student at Sheffield Hallam University, can be seen at the Sheffield interchange and celebrates the community of Sheffield and the importance of human relationships and the beauty of coming together.

In 2024 the Keith Hayman Awards will form part of the larger biannual Sheffield Design Awards, when awards will celebrate excellence in local design and architecture across the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority area.

 

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