Public Art Toilet: Stuart Mugridge Seahouses Loo Wall Art

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Public Toilet Eider Duck Work Of Art - Stuart Mugridge Seahouses

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uploaded by Paul Conneally

Toilet Art Welcomes Visitors To Seahouses

Artist Stuart Mugridge has turned the outside walls of a public toilet in the Northumberland coastal village of Seahouses, into the region's latest piece of public art.

Two 8 foot tall billboards of resident birds - the eider duck and yellowhammer - are a temporary sight for the next five months, acting as a welcoming feature to the thousands of people expected to visit the North East fishing village this summer.

Stuart is currently Seahouses' official artist in residence and the ornithological themed work is part of the Seahouses Townscape Development Project.

Gateway To The Farne Islands

Birds were chosen as the subject for the work as Seahouses is often referred to as 'The Gateway to the Farne Islands' an area famed for its wildlife that attracts nature lovers and especially bird watchers from all over the British Isles and beyond.

The particular birds depicted on the toilet walls were selected to represent Seahouses connection both to the sea via the eider duck and the land via the yellowhammer - both birds being common to the area.

Stuart, who is based in Birmingahm, said of his work, which came about after consultation with the people of Seahouses:

"I hope my new work generates a genuine public response; getting people to stop and think about their personal surroundings and to create a taste of things to come in the coastal
village."

Graeme Cooper, project officer for the Seahouses Development Trust and village resident said of the project which is part funded by Northumberland Tourism's Market Town Welcome project and co-ordinated by Inspire Northumberland:

"We aspire for the temporary installation to be an instant attention grabber to enthuse the local people to sit up and raise debate about the important plans currently afoot in the village,"

"One of the key elements of the billboard programme is to visually interpret the character of Seahouses and to embrace what the village represents. I can't think of two more relevant emblems to use than the eider duck and yellowhammer; two species much loved by residents and visitors alike."

The artwork will be in situ for 5 months and visitors won't even have to spend a penny to see it as it's on the outside walls of the public toilets not the inside!