Dedication ceremony for Turning Point sculpture in Salisbury

A formal reception was held in the Guildhall Square on Saturday, October 15, where the artwork is located which was attended by the Mayor of Salisbury, Cllr Tom Corbin and deputy mayor, Cllr Atiqul Hoque, alongside the president of the Royal Academy and former chair of the Sir George Frampton Fund, Rebecca Salter.

Picture: Newsquest (Image: Picture: Newsquest)

Turning Point was created by John Maine RA and was commissioned through the Sir George Frampton Fund as a special gift to the city in 2018 and was installed in 2021.

During the ceremony, Rebecca said she was “delighted” to hand over the sculpture to the mayor of the city adding: “I hope this will be here for generations to come.”

The five-tonne granite sculpture was made in Scotland as a link between the city and the cathedral.

Turning Point sculpture in Salisbury. Credit: Newsquest (Image: Newsquest)

Mayor, Cllr Corbin said it was an ”honour to accept this on behalf of the city”.

“This will always stand still and will always have a sense of movement to it and a sense of place where it is within our city centre and a point where people are always passing through – always transiting,” he added.

In his speech, he also said the public art “will always be here” even as things change and people’s lives move on.

Cllr Corbin continued: “For everyone who associates with the bits around the city that they see and they identify with this will also become a symbol of that and a symbol of Turning Point and its place within the city to recognise that change and moving on and moving forwards.”

Artist Mr Maine, who has lived in Wiltshire since 1987 and was elected to the Royal Academy in 1997 where he regularly exhibits, describes Turning Point as “a marker of confidence in the city after a troubled period” and hopes it will add to a sense of optimism about the city’s future.

He said it was “wonderful” to have the dedication ceremony for the sculpture and that it was the “final piece of the jigsaw” in the project, making it complete.

John Maine with his sculpture Turning Point Picture by Newsquest (Image: Picture: Newsquest)

John Maine with his sculpture Turning Point 

To coincide with the dedication of Turning Point, an exhibition was also launched in the Young Gallery, which is located inside Salisbury Library.

Geometry in Landscape: An Exhibition of the Sculpture and Drawings of John Maine RA will include stone sculptures related to the Salisbury piece and explore the preparations for the sculpture.

There will be examples of his drawings which explore the landscape settings of his works.

New sculptures and drawings will also be exhibited in Salisbury for the first time.

The exhibition runs until November 16.