The Forest of Dean Sculpture Trust (FODST) is thrilled to announce the 40th Anniversary of the opening of the Sculpture Trail, which took place on 19th June 1986!
The first sculptures to be unveiled on the Beechenhurst site were Sliced Log Star (Inside-Out Tree) by Andrew Darke; Black Dome and Fire and Water Boats by David Nash; The Iron Road by Keir Smith; Place by Magdelena Jetelova; Cathedral by Kevin Atherton; and Melissa’s Swing by Peter Appleton. Artist residencies took place in July and September which resulted in Bracken Ring and Bracken Knot by Stuart Frost, and The Four Seasons by Yvette Martin. During the summer, twenty workshops took place with adults and children.
We would like to thank Martin Orrom and Jeremy Rees whose vision brought the Sculpture Project, as it was then called, to life. Added to this are the artists whose ideas and proposals for the forest, assisted by curators and producers, set the bar for future commissioning. Early supporters included the Elephant Trust, the Henry Moore Foundation, the Carnegie United Kingdom Trust, the Forestry Commission (later Forestry England), and South West Arts (now Arts Council England). Particular thanks should go to Rupert Martin, then a curator at the Arnolfini who worked on the Sculpture Project, and whose book The Sculpted Forest: Sculptures in the Forest of Dean (1990) leaves us with a fantastic record of those early days.
We would also like to acknowledge everyone that has been involved with the Sculpture Trail during its long existence – too many to list here, but these include artists, project managers, fabricators, groundworks engineers, Forestry and an extensive number of FODST charity trustees, whose tireless work ensures that the Sculpture Trail continues its pioneering work into the future.
In 2024 we commissioned Sam Williams to make a film commemorating the first conversations with artists at the site using material in the FODST archive held at the University of Gloucestershire. Find the film, Common Ground, on our website here.
Of course, the Sculpture Trail is nothing without the hundreds of thousands of visitors who spend time with the sculptures in the ancient forest every year. This is what we’re here for. As we celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Sculpture Trail, we invite you to consider donating to the charity to help fund the next commissioned artwork, bringing joy to many. Thank you for being part of the adventure and for your generous support.
Do look out for news on our website and social media, and please sign up to our newsletter mailing list through the website to find out how your donation has made a difference.
The Forest of Dean Sculpture Trust CIO is a registered charity (no. 1185309) that works in partnership with Forestry England to commission artworks and artists’ projects for the Sculpture Trail at Beechenhurst, a Forestry England site.
Image: Artists and curators at the launch of the Sculpture Project in June 1986
