The third public art commission for the upcoming Crewe Art Trail has been announced, with professional ceramic artist, Carrie Reichardt, creating a mosaic mural in the town.
Crewe Town Council is keen to work with the Crewe community on this commission to create a stunning ceramic mural that celebrates the people who make Crewe – from significant historic figures to everyday unsung heroes.
How to get involved
Come along to a drop-in workshop to create small ceramic pieces to celebrate individual, everyday heroes of Crewe:
- Friday 13th December between 5pm and 7pm at Crewe Market Hall
- Saturday 14th December between 11am and 2pm at the Crewe//Makes ArtSpace on Victoria Street
All materials are provided and everyone is welcome! The commemorative tiles created during the workshops will be incorporated into the final mural design.
Local organisations Cheshire Buddies and YMCA Crewe will also be taking part in ceramic workshops with the artist, where Carrie will explore local heroes and history as well as ideas about how the finished design will look.
The mural will be unveiled to the public during the official Crewe Art Trail launch on the weekend of 14th – 16th February 2025.
About the artist: Carrie Reichardt
Carrie specialises in giving original twists to vintage patterned crockery by re-firing them with extra layers of images and designs to make something new. Carrie uses local archival sources to explore hidden histories and describes her work as a form of ‘ceramic tapestry’ weaving local people and their histories together.
The artist has worked in Crewe before – in 1998 she was part of setting up ‘Living Space Arts’, a community group which wanted to create quality public art that had been designed and created with the local community. The group took over an empty shop unit at Crewe Bus Station and ran free art workshops, worked with local artists and filled the bus station with public art. Carrie is looking forward to returning to Crewe for this latest project.
Community engagement is an important aspect of Carrie’s art and she regularly works with local people to create her public artworks.
Carrie’s last project was with Heart of Glass and is called ‘Strong Women of St Helen’s/Knowsley’.
Her work was also featured in a 2014 Victoria and Albert Museum exhibition in London “Disobedient Objects”.
The Crewe Art Trail
Crewe Town Council has been awarded central government UKSPF funding to deliver an Arts Development Project and Art Trail between February 2024 and March 2025, consolidating the Town Council’s commitment to developing arts and culture within the town. The trail will be displayed in accessible locations throughout Crewe for residents and visitors alike to enjoy.
The first completed artwork for the Art Trail is the huge “RE-Making Crewe” painted mural on the gable end of a building on High Street. The second commissioned artwork is the “Stitching Together” embroidered dusters project which is currently ongoing and will be displayed in Crewe Library.
Further public art commissions will follow as part of the programme, including an artwork on the side of the Crewe Town Council office building.
Find out more about the UKSPF funded Arts Development Project and Arts Trail here:
www.crewetowncouncil.gov.uk/whats-on-events/crewe-arts-development-programme/
A spokesperson for Crewe Town Council said:
“We are delighted to share details of the latest addition to the Crewe Art Trail, which will launch in February 2025. The mosaic mural will be a colourful and eye-catching addition to the Trail and we are pleased that ceramic tiles made in the community workshops will form part of the final design.
We are committed to supporting and developing arts and culture within our town and the Crewe Art Trail will be an attraction that everyone will be able to visit and enjoy.”
