Favourite Rocket Round sculpture revealed
ARTWORK CELEBRATING TEAM SCORES TOP SPOT WITH VOTERS
THE Rocket Round Leicester art trail, featuring 40 individually designed, hand-painted rocket sculptures, provided a fun activity for all this summer.
Organised by Loros hospice, together with leading art event producers Wild in Art, Rocket Round Leicester ran for 10 weeks from Monday, July 19, until Sunday, September 26.
Now that the rockets have disappeared from the city’s streets and are being prepared for the charity auction on October 13, Loros has revealed the top 10 most popular rockets.
These are the top 10 rockets, as voted for by members of the public via the Rocket Round Leicester app:
1. Blue Army
Donna Newman’s rocket celebrating the Foxes is Leicester’s number one.
Blue Army is a celebration of Leicester City Football Club. The club is a key part of the community and this design celebrates its sporting achievements and the dedication of the fans.
2. Major Tom
This rocket was sited at the space centre – the perfect location for this Bowie tribute. A cheeky ginger tomcat peeks over the top of this rocket which is the only sculpture that’s different in shape.
Artist Sally Adams created a fish tank inside her rocket, complete with a curious cat.
3. Stardust
This rocket uses five different shades of white glass and four types of silver to create its intricate mosaic pattern.
Inspired by Leicester’s heritage of space, Stardust uses a reflective colour palette of white and silver to create the magical shimmer and sparkle you get from stars.
4. Bogswamp
Local street artist Sam Grubb has previously painted for Leicester’s Bring The Paint festival.
He turned his rocket sculpture into one of his monster characters - a giant, blue cuddly monster. It’s been a hit with younger trail-goers and even has a cuddly toy inspired by it!
5. Galaxy in Mind
A magical illustration which captured the imagination of many trail-goers.
This rocket celebrates the opportunity for wonder and marvel in the simple acts of life, as well as the wondrous and ground-breaking ones, such as space travel.
6. Rocket King – Richard III
A playful caricature of the city’s famous car park king.
This rocket celebrates Richard III, who died in the Battle of Bosworth in 1485 and was uncovered half a millennium later, under a car park in Leicester city centre.
7. Walk on the Wildside
This rocket celebrates the hidden wildlife havens of Leicester’s waterways.
The waterways are a place that is not often appreciated for wildlife, but local artist Kathleen Smith encourages people to get outside, walk and discover the nature around Leicester.
8. Diverse-city
A local artist reflects the diversity of Leicester people in its built environment.
Artist Anita Argent’s architectural style lends itself to the intricate detail of Leicester’s iconic buildings on this rocket.
This design celebrates the (Foxes’) sporting achievements and the dedication of the fans Idea behind Blue Army rocket, pictured
9. Spaceman Helter Skelter
A fun, colourful rocket featuring a vintage helter skelter!
How do spacemen get on and off a rocket?
Quite easy, they use a helter skelter. These spacemen are also holding up their scientific space clipboard which has a letter on each one, spelling out LEICESTER.
10. Relaxing Rocket
A beautiful rocket that takes inspiration from Leicester’s famous sons.
Inspired by Sir David Attenborough and brother Richard as role models who grew up in Leicester, this rocket’s intricate detail is designed to give people a gentle nudge to stop, focus and think about what is important in life.
The auction of rockets will raise vital funds for Loros hospice, a city charity which provides free, compassionate care and support to terminally-ill patients, their family and carers.
All auction lots can be viewed in advance during a Farewell Weekend at the National Space Centre on October 9 and 10.
The charity auction will take place on Wednesday, October 13, where, it is hoped, tens of thousands of pounds will be raised for Loros.
To find out more and get tickets, visit the Loros website.