The award-winning Kingston Quaker Centre is set right in the heart of Kingston-upon-Thames next to Kingston Leisure Centre which is undergoing a £45million refurbishment. When this reopens in Spring 2027 we hope there will be a path linking the two iconic buildings - and Kingston Quakers have worked with the University of Kingston School of Art on a project to provide a welcome to anyone walking that way.
Students visited the Quaker Centre to learn about the building and about Quakers to inform their submissions for a competition for a sculpture or 3D artwork that was appropriate for the site. A shortlist of 11 designs was evaluated by a small group of Kingston Quakers, and three individuals and one duo of artists pitched their ideas to the selection panel of four Quakers from Kingston meeting, Alban Low - a professional in art with strong connections to Kingston Quaker meeting - and Rowena Loverance of Forest Hill Quaker Meeting, an expert in Quaker art. Several Quakers from our wider Area Meeting also attended.
The creativity and thought that had gone into of all of the design concepts was impressive. Flo West and Shyla Law, Hanae Ramos, Telma Ferraris, and Key Kellman were all commended for their efforts, but there has to be a winner and that was Key who pitched a work titled Bathtub Shrine. The work will be developed through a series of workshops with members of Kingston Quaker community.
Kingston Quakers thank Alice Torres of Kingston University for her effective and skilful organisation of the project and look forward to seeing how the artwork develops.