Unveiling of sculpture Moon Bench and Stools Sculpture in Sacred Heart School Killinarden

Moon Bench and Stools Sculpture

sited in Sacred Heart School Killinarden

On Wednesday 30^th May, Sacred Heart School, Killinarden, as part of its 30^th anniversary celebrations, unveiled the Moon Bench and Stools Sculpture by Cork artist Tom Dalton which was installed in the school garden and grounds. The work is made up of a number of pieces: a centre piece the Moon Bench which is made of beaten and layered stainless steel sheets, and smaller mosaic stools located in the garden which were designed and inlaid over a series of workshops by a number of pupils from the school at Killinarden Community Centre.

Its concept is based on the idea of seeds and their growth potential presented visually as a sculpture. The large centre piece represents the fully realised potential inherent in human nature, and the smaller stools bursting forth through the earth, all uniquely individual shapes emphasising the early stages of this growth. The various images on the stools represent the creativity that can be tapped into in the early stages of this growth. The sunlight interacting with the highly polished reflective surface represented in the centre piece, symbolizes the aspects of spirit and imagination in all of us when nurtured.

The commissioning of the artwork was undertaken by South Dublin County Councils Arts and Parks services through an open competition promoted nationally. Following a site visit to Killinarden in November 2005 and the submission of detailed proposals in December 2005, Tom Dalton was selected for the commission. Artists were invited to create an artwork that relates directly to the physical, social or cultural environment of the area. One of the criteria for the commission was that the chosen artist would initiate a participatory element to the project.

A number of sites in Killinarden were considered for the location of the sculptural work , but the Sacred Heart School, which is adjacent to Killinarden Park and its community of children and parents offered the most suitable location for public interaction with the sculputure.

The commission, which is valued at 32,000 was completed in 2006. It was funded by South Dublin County Council West Tallaght Integrated Area Plan.