Edinburgh Zoo’s Giraffe About Town sculpture trail will take place next summer and now the Zoo has put out a call for artists. There will be 40 eight-foot-tall giraffe sculptures all over Edinburgh to raise funds for the charity and each one will have a unique design.
The sculptures will be auctioned to raise vital funds for RZSS needed as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic forced the closures of Edinburgh Zoo and Highland Wildlife Park for five months, costing the charity more than £1.5 million. Glenmorangie is the official support for the trail as the giraffe has long been a symbol of the Highland Distillery with stills the same height as a giraffe.
As Giraffe About Town’s official presenting partner, Glenmorangie will also support a series of events for adults celebrating giraffes, to be held at Edinburgh Zoo.
Artists and communities are invited to help in the creation of the trail with submissions due by the end of November.
David Field, Chief Executive at RZSS said, “We need artists that will go head and shoulders above the rest to help celebrate Edinburgh’s remarkable history and its people, while supporting wildlife conservation.
“Our incredible herd of sculptures will be displayed for two months next summer in locations across the capital, highlighting iconic spots and hidden gems and engaging with communities from Edinburgh Airport to Leith.
“From fine art, graffiti and mosaic, we’re encouraging artists from all backgrounds to submit their designs which will help people to get out and about and fall back in love with our capital again.”
Once submitted, design ideas will be presented to sponsors and successful artists are commissioned to apply their designs to the sculptures. Current presenting partner Glenmorangie and first sculpture sponsor John Lewis have recently been announced.
The first painted giraffe, fondly named Flora, has already been spotted in iconic spots around the city.
Carolina Haraki, the artist behind Flora said, “It has been really exciting to be involved in Giraffe About Town. The trail is a great way to get artists together and celebrate diversity.
“I also wanted to bring a splash of colour to the city, creating a different narrative to the familiar streets of Edinburgh while supporting the good work of RZSS worldwide.”
Charlie Langhorne, Managing Director and Co-founder of Wild in Art said, “We’re excited to be working with RZSS to bring big, beautiful giraffes to Edinburgh.
“This is a fantastic opportunity for artists to add to their own portfolio and support wildlife conservation around the world while creating public art displays with a wild blank canvas.”
Artists should visit giraffeabouttown.org.uk/artists/ to complete the submission form. Designs must be submitted by 30 November 2021. Artists will be commissioned an honorarium of £1,000 +VAT (if applicable) upon completion of artwork.
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