Maggi Hambling, Scallop, 2003, stainless steel approx. h.366cm., Aldeburgh beach, Suffolk. The first public sculpture to win the Marsh Award. Photo: Herb Bendicks Alamy
Entries and nominations are encouraged from artists, designers, conservators, architects, commissioning bodies, sponsors and members of the public.
The Marsh Awards acknowledge and commend excellence, increase awareness and discussion of public sculpture and fountains and celebrate new work that demonstrates originality, aesthetic quality and sensitivity to site. The Conservation Award commends craft and professional skill.
The Awards are presented for Sculpture, Fountains / Water features, and Conservation projects in England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands.
SCULPTURE: must have been installed in a public place between April 2018 and December 2020. All kinds of sculpture can be entered or nominated, but the work must be accessible to public view.
FOUNTAINS / WATER FEATURES: must have been installed in a public place between April 2018 and December 2020. Fountains and water features involving moving and still water can be entered or nominated, but must be accessible to public view.
CONSERVATION: must have been completed between April 2018 and December 2020. The Award is made for the treatment, restoration or repair of an existing sculpture or fountain which must be accessible to public view.
The Award is made to the artist or designer of new work or, in the case of conservation, the conservator. In cases where the artistic concept or design was the product of collaboration, and/or where the client or craftsmen were involved, then the Award may be shared. Similarly, the Conservation Award may be shared if it involved a multidisciplinary approach.
Winners will be announced in November 2021 at the PSSA’s Marsh Awards ceremony and on the PSSA’s website and social media platforms.
All enquiries: office@pssauk.org
The Awards are decided on by a Judging Panel made up of individuals (practitioners, academics, conservators, art critics and sculpture specialists) knowledgeable in the fields of public sculpture, fountains and conservation. Its decisions are final.
Any work of public sculpture, any fountain and any conservation project on a work of public sculpture or a fountain may be nominated for an award. Artists, designers or conservators may enter their own work. Entries and Nominations must be received by noon on 16 April 2021. Late entries may exceptionally be accepted at the discretion of the Judging Panel.
The Judging Panel will consider each work put forward to assess whether it meets all of the eligibility criteria relevant to its category. If it does, the Panel will consider the relative merits of each against the judging criteria.
In assessing the works entered or nominated, the Judging Panel will rely on information provided to support the submission, other information available in the public domain and observations from site visits made by members of the Panel.
Entries and nominations must be made by or for the artist or designer, in the case of new works of public sculpture or fountains or, in the case of conservation, the conservator. In cases where the artistic concept or design was the product of collaboration between artists/designers, or where the client or craftsmen were involved, then the award may be shared. Similarly, the Conservation Award may be shared if it involved a multidisciplinary approach.
The nominated artists, designers or conservators must be aged 18 or over on the day the submission is made.
The entry or nominated work
In cases of doubt and for guidance, the Judging Panel shall have reference to the definitions of sculpture and fountains or water features above.
The PSSA’s Marsh Awards reward artistic achievement and skill. They celebrate diversity in the world of sculpture, are inclusive and do not discriminate on the grounds of ethnicity, colour, background, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, disability or age. The Judging Panel will ensure equality when making their assessments.
The entry or nominated project:
The entry or nominated work must demonstrate excellence against the following criteria:
Concept
For a new sculpture or fountain, the artistic intent or design should express:
- originality, especially (in the fountains category) in the use of water;
- convincing selection and command of materials;
- convincing understanding and presentation of scale;
- successful integration with and response to the setting, especially where the relationship of the work to its setting is an essential element of its concept and where the work has such an effect on its surroundings that its removal would permanently diminish that place;
- an idea or effect capable of sustaining enduring interest.
- ideas which inform or challenge our understanding and/or experience of the physical world.
For a conservation project, the philosophy or approach should be exemplary (with reference to the Conservation Eligibility Criteria ).
Realisation
The work as carried out should:
- be of a high standard of workmanship/craftsmanship;
- use appropriate quality materials;
- be suitably durable and and capable of being maintained.
- Fountains and water features, where necessary, should have a planned maintenance programme.
Impact on the discipline
Taken together, the concept and realisation should make a genuine and outstanding contribution to the:
- discipline and language of sculpture or fountain design at national level; or
- discipline of conservation, at national level, whether in the sense of practice or understanding or both.
Reception and engagement
The work or its conservation should enhance or have the potential to enhance public and community appreciation of sculpture, fountain design or conservation through creating awareness, interest, enjoyment and a positive visual impact. In the case of conservation projects, this might find expression in the original work once again having its intended aesthetic value and effect. Where the original work concerns contested heritage or a problematic subject, the project should address these issues in a thoughtful and considered way which reflects current understanding and opinion. Innovative or exemplary approaches will be taken into account. For further guidance please refer to the Marsh Awards Contested Heritage Statement below.
Wider benefits
The work or its conservation should achieve one or more of the following:
- enhance or positively transform its physical environment;
- enhance or positively transform its social context;
- have a regenerative or positive transformative effect by being a focus, landmark or an attraction in its own right.
The Marsh Awards Judging Panel is acutely sensitive to issues raised by contested heritage and is keen that solutions are found which address those issues appropriately and respectfully. We appreciate that a number of works of public sculpture may signify injustice and human misery and can prompt extremely painful responses. Custodians and owners of public sculpture have the opportunity to attempt to mitigate the distress felt about historic injustices and the way the past is portrayed. The Conservation Award for Public Sculpture and Fountains recognizes the need for works to be re-evaluated and re-presented intelligently. Works which the judges deem to be in the category of contested heritage will only be considered for the conservation award if they address these issues in a thoughtful and considered way which reflects current understanding and opinion. Innovative or exemplary approaches will be taken into account in the judging process.
The PSSA will keep personal data provided in this form in a secure environment. This data is protected from unauthorised access, disclosure, use, alteration or deletion by any organisation or individuals. The PSSA will not share this data with third parties. The personal data provided will be destroyed once the 2021 winners have been announced. The only personal data which will be retained is that pertaining to the winning entries.