Bid to put art and soul into Rotherham town centre: VOTE

AN empty shop unit has been transformed into a work of art as part of a scheme to bring art to the heart of Rotherham town centre.The Shop of Priceless Things can be found on the corner of Howard Street, the former home of Burger King, and was created by v
AN empty shop unit has been transformed into a work of art as part of a scheme to bring art to the heart of Rotherham town centre.

The Shop of Priceless Things can be found on the corner of Howard Street, the former home of Burger King, and was created by visual text artist John Wedgwood Clarke and art and design expert Adrian Riley.

Mr Clarke explained the concept for the piece: “Imagine a window covered in text of the kind you see advertising different brands.

 
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"Only in this instance, the text would not be fashion logos but about something that cannot be bought or sold, like a memory, or a family saying, or the scent of wood smoke, wild blackberries, the sound of rain in a gutter...”

The work forms part of Rotherham Borough Council's “Meanwhile Project,” led by its Town Centre Management Team, which aims to bring life and footfall back to the town centre by improving the appearance of vacant units in the town centre.

The council’s Cabinet Member for Economic Development, Planning and Transportation, Cllr Gerald Smith, said: “It’s great to see so many different approaches being taken to improve the look of these buildings while they remain empty.

“Long-term, of course, we want to encourage investors with the business grants we have on offer to open them up again as shops, but for now it is gratifying to see such individual skill and flair going into temporarily improving the look of the vacant shops.”

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The project follows similar efforts to dress the former Marks & Spencer and Music Zone units, on College Street, and the former Bay Trading unit, on Effingham Street.

q Rotherham’s international lighting artist, Mark Fell, has launched his own exhibition in the Old Market development off Corporation Street, lighting the way for Christmas 24 hours a day.