Argyll and Bute Council, as part of their CHORD programme to revitalise Helensburgh’s town centre, wish to commission a unique edition of artists’ works to add to the town’s Outdoor Museum.

The Outdoor Museum aims to explore, celebrate, and display the rich and varied history of Helensburgh and the surrounding area, for residents and visitors to the Burgh.

To create the basis of the Outdoor Museum, art organisation WAVEparticle worked with lead architects, Austin-Smith: Lord, to redesign town centre bollards and transform them into plinths.

The granite plinths vary in height between 45cm and 90cm and they have been preprepared so that they can display objects, images, and texts of significance to the town. WAVEparticle has worked closely with the community to draw out the objects and texts for the first 10 plinths.

Artists are now invited to apply for a commission to make a work for a plinth. The editioning of an existing artwork is also a possibility.

Artists should make clear how the proposed artwork is relevant to Helensburgh, or the surrounding area. As the Outdoor Museum is subject to the elements, the final form of the work will be editioned in a robust material. Whilst this may be bronze, stone or acrylic encapsulation, the editioning will be supported by skilled fabricators, and artists can present their proposal in any medium, including image and text.

The new Outdoor Museum website, www.outdoor-museum.com reflects the community-led nominations of themes/subject matter, which can be referenced, or artists are free to generate their own themes/subject matter.

The commissioned artists will also have the opportunity to work closely with the local community and with art team WAVEparticle.

Artists should submit CV, up to 20 images of previous work on CD/DVD and a proposal – 500 word max – before the deadline on Monday, December 15. Shortlisted artists will be invited to interview in early January.

For the full brief, get in touch with Lauren Coleman, WAVEparticle project assistant, at lauren.coleman.at.wave@gmail.com or call 0141 552 5300.