Members of the public are being invited to donate and be part of a unique artwork in the centre of town.
As exclusively revealed in our sister paper Bedford Midweek, the creation is the brainchild of Bedford artist Ian Carstairs who came up with the idea of painting a fresco on the side of the Frescoes Coffee House in Mill Street.
He approached owner Kevin Kavanagh who said: “I thought it was a fantastic idea. We want people to walk up the road and be like ‘wow’.” Mr Carstairs has drawn a sketch of what the 35 square metre piece will look like and it’s a replica of Michaelangelo’s ‘Libyan Sibyl’ Fresco which is on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City.
Frescoes, which were first developed in the ancient world, are created by putting plaster on the surface before painting over it.
He said: “It’s almost like a lost art and I think it will be the first of its kind – outdoors – in the country.” Mr Kavanagh says he needs to raise £12,000 for the art-work and he’s inviting members of the public, retailers and business people to contribute.
He said: “We’ve already had some generous offers from people but we need more before it can begin in October.
“People can donate in multiples of £25 and they’ll get a certificate explaining all about the fresco and the story behind the historic art-form.” If you want to get involved pop in to Frescoes to find out more.
