Unlikely icon celebrated in sculpture

The Bridgewater Jerry, a unique fog that rolls down the Derwent Valley, has been immortalised in a public art project.

Unveiled today at Bridgewater's Green Point Plaza by the Minister for Tourism, Arts and the Environment, Paula Wriedt, the sculpture is set to become an integral part of the community's urban landscape.

"Jerry" depicts a human figure embracing a miniature town and was crafted by well-known Hobart artist Tony Woodward who has contributed to many public artworks around the state.

The work is set to become part of the Bridgewater streetscape providing a visual delight for the community and fostering a sense of place by reinforcing a distinctively local weather phenomenon.

It was commissioned by shopping plaza developer Robert Rockefeller and its development has been assisted by the Corporate Art Scheme, an adjunct to the Tasmanian Government's Art for Public Buildings Scheme.

The project was facilitated by arts@work.

Ms Wriedt said the arts, and particularly public art, enrich the landscape of the urban environment in dramatic and subliminal ways.

She said the commissioning of such a significant public artwork is a leading example of how investment in the arts by an individual or by business can impact in positive ways on communities.

[ IMAGE: "Jerry" embraces a symbolic Bridgewater - click to view ]

[ IMAGE: Artist Tony Woodward, Minister Wriedt and Robert Rockefeller address the large crowd gathered for the unveiling of "Jerry" - click to view ]

[ IMAGE: The Minister unveils the sculpture - click to view ]

[ IMAGE: Robert Rockefeller, the Minister and Tony Woodward pose with the much-photographed sculpture - click to view ]