Hideo Furuta - public art in Creetown

Adamson Square, Creetown, Dumfries and Galloway

Supported by £98,000 of National Lottery funding through the Scottish Arts Council, the innovative redesign of Adamson Square in Creetown, in Dumfries and Galloway, is now underway.

Phase 1 of the Adamson Square Environmental Improvement scheme took place last year when the informal car park was resurfaced and granite paving was laid around the base of the clock tower.  The aim - to reinstate the Town Square as a physical and social focal point with a distinct character.

The design was created by internationally renowned artist and sculptor Hideo Furuta -  who lives locally - in collaboration with the community of Creetown and Solway Heritage, and local people who identified themes for the redesign of Adamson Square.

It will create a contemporary heart for the town centre and provide a community gathering space and bandstand for events such as Creetown’s Country and Western weekend or host traditional ceremonies such as the Gala. Work will start on Phase 2 of the Adamson Square Environmental Improvement scheme this summer.

Redesign themes included: the stake nets, the estuary, water and Creetown’s relationship with granite and the sea. The design themes were then developed by Hideo Furuta and Nic Coombey of Solway Heritage to create the current design solution for the square.

Dumfries & Galloway Arts Association has played an active part in supporting and developing the project with the Creetown initiative and design consultants, Solway Heritage.  Funding for the project has been secured from Forward Scotland, Dumfries and Galloway Council and Solway Heritage, through the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme, and Scottish Arts Council National Lottery funds.

Nic Coombey, Landscape Architect with Solway Heritage, said 'It is great to see a project that has taken a long time to develop to take shape'.

Hideo Furuta is well known and welcomed in Creetown, having been a local resident for the last decade. His reputation as a sculptor stretches from Scotland to Japan.

Hideo Furuta was awarded the Henry Moore Fellowship in Sculpture at the University of Northumbria from 1992-94. 

Jan Hogarth, Public Art Manager, said 'Hideo Furuta’s redesign of the town square, working in collaboration with the local community and Solway Heritage, is both cutting edge and relates very strongly to Creetown’s sense of place. Rural areas are often thought by urban areas to have a  traditional approach to design so I am delighted that Creetown proves them wrong by adopting such an innovative and brave design.'

For further information on the project please contact Jan Hogarth, Public Art Manager at DGAA on 01387-253383 or Nic Coombey, Landscape Architect at Solway Heritage on 01387 247543.