New artwork to mark Pollokshaws regeneration

Shawbridge Sculpture

A piece of artwork marking the history of Pollokshaws is set to be unveiled as part of an £11million regeneration programme. A slate sculpture is the first piece in a three-part series of work by two Glasgow artists to mark the changes to the south side community over the past year.

 Glasgow Housing Association (GHA) and Glasgow South West Regeneration have been working in partnership to breathe new life into the Clock Tower square in Greenview Street.

A series of consultations with local residents have taken place, including primary school children from Sir John Maxwell and St Convals and also the local heritage group, to choose the artwork. The slate work includes the poem ‘The Queer Folk O’ The Shaws’ by James McIndoe.

Funding and support for the sculpture, which cost around £3,000, also came from Community Planning Partnership and the Better Glasgow Fund.

Artists Steven Higgins, 33, from Govan, and Lorne Ferguson, 27, originally from Oban, worked on the project for four months. They are based at the Clydebrae Studios in Govan.

 Steven said: “We were asked to produce a piece of work for the people of Pollokshaws – something which would represent the community. It was during talks with the Heritage Group that we came across the poem which we used on the front on the artwork. We felt it captured the humour of the local people and didn’t take itself too seriously. The shape of the artwork mirrors that of the clock tower itself and will be in its shadow.”

 The sculpture is a small part of the massive regeneration programme in the area.  A total of 93 new homes will be built at Riverford Road – costing £11million – as part of Phase 2 of GHA’s new build programme which will see a total of 422 new homes at nine sites across the city.

 The overall project, which will cost £57million, is supported with funds from the Scottish Government and construction is being carried out by Scottish housebuilder Cruden.