From mid-day on the 11th January through until the 17th visitors to Carlisle’s Cathedral will find a new addition to the surrounding architecture in distinction as set within the Cathedral will be a temporary art installation created by local artist Caroline Dalton.

The piece has been created to support Carlisle’s recent bid submission towards being UK City of Culture for 2013 and ‘A Spire’ was initially conceived as part of the BITE Arts Festival marking the same purpose.

A Spire focuses on the idea of building blocks in rhetoric or the exaggerated architectural model; seemingly indicating a certain concept for future, proposal or newness in potential, but equally the piece sets out to emulate the real world surrounding in recognition, whilst similarly echoing bygones by its duplication of the Cathedral architecture in close proximity.

A spire was specifically created to be sited within the city’s cathedral; for by definition Cathedral denotes ideas about seat of authority or governance historically – one functioning at the very centre of community affairs: and by this token such a location marks the ‘common understanding’ of what constitutes ‘city’- ‘A Spire’ salutes the notion of city from past, present to future in being.

As an independent artist living in Eden valley Caroline works predominantly in the North of Cumbria where she aims to promote not only her own work but the work of other artists locally – through organising arts in empty shops initiatives such as Lowther Arcade in Carlisle centre; aiming in ethos to preserve and regenerate common landmarks whilst equally celebrating the presence and diversity of contemporary arts here in the region. Caroline suggests ‘It’s fitting to install this piece now in the cathedral at the start of a new year when most are beginning to naturally concede to thoughts about change and new horizons, and A Spire alludes to the very same in terms of our community and our culture.

The Cathedral is open daily 7.30am to 6.15pm Monday to Saturday and 7.30am to 5.00pm on Sunday, and Caroline acknowledges sincere thanks to all at the Cathedral and to the following in relation to setting up this Project – University of Cumbria, Carlisle Renaissance, Love Carlisle, Carlisle Arts Festival and Freerange Artists.