Talented art students from Sandwell College have created striking artwork to celebrate the best of West Bromwich.
The college partnered up with the Queens Square shopping centre team to create a competition for its students. Five teams of Level 3 second year learners competed to produce a visual celebration of what has been and what is outstanding about West Bromwich.
Queens Square then asked the public to vote for their three favourite ones, to be exhibited in the centre.
The winners were the Blue Team: Nicoletta Rugina, Elle Costin, Ellie Kindley and Shaani Wilding. Their artwork featured Hollywood film actress Madeleine Carroll, Titanic cello player John Wesley Woodward, and Thin Lizzy musician Phil Lynott.
In second place were the Green Team: Vendija Knospe, Nadya Kostenka, Mardeen Blbas and Alessandra Hipos. Their mural depicts the imposing buildings and architectural features of the town, including Sandwell College’s Central Campus and the former West Bromwich Building Society head office in High Street.
In third place were the Orange Team: Harley-Rae Parkes, Mitchell Payne, Maise-Rae McGann and Santa Minconoka. Their artwork celebrates the NHS and the iconic Three Degrees – West Bromwich Albion former football players Cyrille Regis, Brendan Batson and Laurie Cunningham, whose statue is now in New Square.
On the Purple Team were Tia Palmer, Katie May Harrison, Denielle Daley and Komal Mehan. And on the Grey Team were Mirko Puddu, Kensah Khan, Simon Lal and Tiffany Michaels.
Sandwell College Art & Design Lecturer, Donna Berry, who coordinated the students’ involvement in the Queens Square project, said: “Our community arts projects enable students to create their own individual innovative proposals for the benefit of all, while applying and developing their professional practice.”
This project has been the latest in a series of local creative collaborations for the college. Recently the art and design students have also been delivering creative workshops for young patients and their families at Sandwell Hospital in collaboration with the Kissing it Better charity.
