Work on LOCUS started in December 2019, involving residents, community organisations and businesses from across the town, focusing on three key themes: Where we are / Where we’re going / Where we’ve come from. After an open call and selection process the four commissions for Stage 1 in the project were awarded. Through additional support from the Scottish Government's Town Centre Fund two new murals have been commissioned for the town centre of Lerwick. Four mural designs were created and a public vote determined the winning two. These will be painted by Cobolt Collective and Gavin Renshaw.
David Lemm’s Stakamillabakka, Kenny Hunter’s As Above so Below, Joseph Ingleby’s Storm Cargo and Civic Soup’s The Never-Ending Gansey form the first stops in the new trail. The four sculptures have all been made with local industry partners - Garriocks, LEF and Malakoff. All the sculptures have been fabricated in Shetland, apart from the bronze section of Kenny Hunter’s work as there is no bronze foundry in Shetland.
A LOCUS map and guide, designed by Chloe Keppie, are available at Mareel, Visit Scotland’s iCentre, and other venues across the town. A plain text and PDF version of the map and guide can be found here, alongside an audio guide. You can also search for ‘Locus Lerwick’ on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.