Kemnay Steens unveiled

A 'monumental' public art project has come to fruition as the final installations take place for the Kemnay Steens project.

Environmental group Greener Kemnay was asked by Aberdeenshire Council to coordinate a public art project for the town using funds that had been generated from developer contributions to art as a result of housing developments.

With this in mind, the Kemnay Public Art group was set up and invited suggestions from the local community on what should be done.

Thanks to National Lottery Community Funding who also provided additional funds, the scale of the project was able to expand considerably.

As a result of consultations, suggestions and feedback the art group engaged artist James Winnett to create a series of waymarker stones to be installed at strategic locations on the local path network in and around Kemnay.

Using local history as a guide, each of the nine new stones relates to an aspect of the history of the area including George Burnett of Kemnay whose work in the 18th century changed the local agricultural landscape to the local rituals of the Clyack, the last sheath cut during harvest.

One stone was even inspired by a 1976 film of the Kemnay Fair which sits in the national archive.

The nine stones are -

Quarry Steen; Shakkin Briggie Steen; Fetternear Steen; River Don Steen; Mither Tap Steen; Kemnay Fair Steen; Birley Bush Steen; Improving Laird Steen and the Jock o'Bennachie Steen.

Works are to be completed by the weekend and a map of the new locations can be found via https://www.facebook.com/kemnaypublicartproject/

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