A series of site specific artistic features have been built into East Cleveland’s Community Hospital in Brotton opened in 1995. Produced by locally renowned and nationally acclaimed artists and craftspeople these commissions were instigated at the planning stage of the hospital – helping provide an environment that is unique, colourful and friendly.
The artists were selected and commissioned by an arts panel consisting of members from South Tees Community and Mental Health NHS Trust, League of Friends, the Community Health Council, project managers Hall and Partners, architects Fletcher Joseph and Cleveland Arts.
Throughout the building patients, staff and visitors encounter 6 features illustrating key aspects of the hospital’s location with references to agriculture, mining, the coastline and sealife.
Brick Relief
The Artworks
Main Entrance
Julia Barton
To enhance the main entrance at the hospital, Julia Barton was commissioned to provide intricately hand carved brick panels which illustrate the surrounding rural area as it is now and as it has been over the ages.
“Expansive ploughed fields lead you across the gently rolling landscape, forming chequered arable farming patterns, overlooked by the dramatic ridges in the distance.”
Glass
Chloe Buck
A variety of techniques combine to create a range of textures and tones in the sand blasted and etched panels which depict the distinctive coastline with its recognisable sea creatures.
Main Foyer
Paintings
John Carter
At the crossing point of the hospital’s main corridors, 4 paintings by Guisborough based artist John Carter depict views of the former cottage hospital and the surrounding area. This dramatic selection of images is the result of many hours of meticulous study.
Main Foyer
Cobblestone Water Feature
Maggy Howarth
This nationally acclaimed artist, based in Lancaster, reminds us again of the sea’s proximity and the tidal pull of the Moon. Water cascades over a series of steps into a pool in whose base can be seen the smiling face of a crescent moon.
Maggy’s collaboration with the architects has enabled the pool to become the focus of the whole courtyard.
Main Internal Courtyard
Decorative Ironwork
Peat Oberon
East Cleveland’s Ironstone Mining is the subject of Peat’s wall top rail and gate. A simple pattern contains the outline of a traditional miners shovel and a spray – a peg pushed into the spoked wheels of a mining tub as a brake.
Dining Room Balcony
Decorative Ironwork
Graeme Hopper
The long association of miners with banners is quite literally represented in Graeme’s balcony balustrade showing mining motifs cut out of steel plate suspended as if by rope from a standard.
Day Room Balcony
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