List of public art in Oxfordshire

This is a list of public art in Oxfordshire, in England. This list applies only to works of public art accessible in an outdoor public space. For example, this does not include artwork visible inside a museum.

Oxford

Image	Title / subject	Location and coordinates	Date	Artist / designer	Type	Material	Dimensions	Designation	Owner / administrator	Notes
	The Oxford Ox	Park End Street. OX1 1HS 51°45′13″N1°16′09″W / 51.753512°N 1.269079°W / 51.753512; -1.269079	2001 (2001)	Olivia Musgrave	Sculpture	Bronze	>3m tall.		unknown	Commissioned to celebrate the opening of the Saïd Business School.
	Inspire	Oxford Castle. OX1 1AY 51°45′05″N1°15′46″W / 51.751442°N 1.262796°W / 51.751442; -1.262796	2006 (2006)	Alan Wilson	Sculpture	Bronze and stainless steel	4m tall.		unknown	Commissioned by the Trevor Osborne Partnership, this sculpture references ancient obelisks and their relationship with the arc of the sun. The overall shape reflects the huge ancient window on one side of the square while the mix of bronze and stainless steel pays homage to the ancient and modern buildings that make up the space.
	View through the Window	Elizabeth Jennings Way. OX2 7BW 51°46′25″N1°16′10″W / 51.773577°N 1.269548°W / 51.773577; -1.269548	2007 (2007)	Tim Shutter		Bath stone, Stoke Ground base bed	244 x 357 x 155 cm		Berkeley Homes, Oxford and Chiltern Ltd.	The form of the bay window doubles as a temple-like folly. The mullions represent car parts in reference to the Morris Oxford factory that used to be on this site.
More images	"Another Time XI", known locally as "The Iron Man"	on the roof of Blackwell’s Art and Poster shop at the corner of Broad Street and Turl Street, Oxford. 51°45′15″N1°15′23″W / 51.754195°N 1.256496°W / 51.754195; -1.256496	2009 (2009)	Anthony Gormley	Statue	Iron	2.1m tall		Exeter College, Oxford	The statue was placed on the roof of Blackwell’s Art and Poster shop at 9.30am on Sunday 15 February 2009. It weighs half a tonne, and is part of Gormley's "Another Time II" series of figures. An anonymous benefactor provided the funds for Exeter College to secure the sculpture. [1]
More images	"Knowledge and Understanding", known locally as "Books"	Bonn Square, Oxford. OX1 1LQ 51°45′06″N1°15′36″W / 51.751728°N 1.260055°W / 51.751728; -1.260055	2009 (2009)	Diana Bell	Sculpture	Bronze	1m tall		Oxford City Council	A gift to Oxford in 2009 to commemorate 60 years of twinning with the German city, 'Books' is inscribed with the words Knowledge, Understanding, Friendship and Trust (Wissen, Verständigung, Freundschaft, Vertrauen). The book theme continues on selected benches in the square. [2]
	The Space of Reading	Weston Library, Broad Street, OX1 3BG 51°45′17″N1°15′18″W / 51.75485°N 1.25493°W / 51.75485; -1.25493	2019 (2019)	Tania Kovats	Sculpture				Bodleian Libraries	sculpture created from casts of 21 books [3]
More images	The Great Debate	Oxford University Museum of Natural History, Parks Road, OX1 3PW 51°45′31″N1°15′22″W / 51.75870°N 1.25620°W / 51.75870; -1.25620	2010 (2010)	Alec Peever	Plinth	Limestone	H 121 x W 42.5 x D 43 cm; Plinth: H (?) x W 105 x D (?) cm		Oxford University Museum of Natural History	Lists the names present in 1860: Thomas Henry Huxley, Samuel Wilberforce and others Charles Darwin's Origin of Species in the Museum. 1860-2010. [4]

Abingdon

Image	Title / subject	Location and coordinates	Date	Artist / designer	Type	Material	Dimensions	Designation	Owner / administrator	Notes
More images	Queen Victoria	Abbey Gardens, Abingdon 51°40′15″N1°16′42″W / 51.67092°N 1.27840°W / 51.67092; -1.27840	1887 (1887)		Statue on pedestal	Bronze and stone		Grade II	Vale of White Horse District Council	It was presented to the town of Abingdon by Edwin James Trendell in commemoration of Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee year in 1887. [5]
	Corn Exchange sculpture	Wall above Pablo Lounge, Market Place, Abingdon 51°40′13″N1°16′55″W / 51.67040°N 1.28192°W / 51.67040; -1.28192	1966 (1966)		Sculpture				Vale of White Horse District Council	Was the site of the Corn Exchange in Abingdon. The sculpture is near the entrance to the Bury Street precinct. [6]
	Octagons	The Old Gaol facing the River Thames, Abingdon 51°40′08″N1°16′50″W / 51.66878°N 1.28049°W / 51.66878; -1.28049	December 13, 2021 (2021-12-13)	Tim Ward	Sculpture	Steel	2800 mm tall		Vale of White Horse District Council	Three interlocking octagons relating to the distinctive octagon construction of the Old Gaol. The Abingdon Gaol was built between 1805 and 1818. It was used as a gaol for only 57 years. Auctioned in 1874, it was converted into a corn store, until 1971. It was then used as a sports centre from 1976 to 2002. Converted into apartments from 2021. [7]

Bicester

Image	Title / subject	Location and coordinates	Date	Artist / designer	Type	Material	Dimensions	Designation	Owner / administrator	Notes
More images	Turning	Bicester Arc, Oxford Road, Bicester 51°53′30″N1°09′46″W / 51.89165°N 1.16271°W / 51.89165; -1.16271	March 30, 2016 (2016-03-30)	Charlotte Mayer	Sculpture	Bronze	H 300 x W (?) x D (?) cm		Cherwell District Council	An abstract sculpture of undulating wing like bronze ribs. It changes shape when viewed from different directions suggesting the twists and turns of a journey through life. [8] The work was cast and fabricated at Pangolin Editions and Pangolin London. [9]

Faringdon

Image	Title / subject	Location and coordinates	Date	Artist / designer	Type	Material	Dimensions	Designation	Owner / administrator	Notes
	Dali's Diver	Market Place, Church Street 51°39′31″N1°35′01″W / 51.658531°N 1.583487°W / 51.658531; -1.583487	2014	Tim Shutter		Bath stone, Stoke Ground base bed	Diver 100 x 52 x 51 cm		Faringdon Town Council	Celebrating the friendship between the local eccentric Lord Berners and Salvador Dali. Includes a carved Berners quotation"Mistrust a man who never has an occasional flash of silliness".

Wantage

Image	Title / subject	Location and coordinates	Date	Artist / designer	Type	Material	Dimensions	Designation	Owner / administrator	Notes
	King Alfred	Market Square, Wantage	1877	Prince Victor of Hohenlohe-Langenburg [10]		Sicilian Marble on a granite block.			Wantage Town Council
	John Betjeman	Church Street, Wantage	2016	Martin Jennings [11]		Bronze Bust			Wantage Town Council

Witney

Image	Title / subject	Location and coordinates	Date	Artist / designer	Type	Material	Dimensions	Designation	Owner / administrator	Notes
	Buttercross Needle	Marriotts Walk, Witney 51°47′17″N1°29′12″W / 51.78793°N 1.48672°W / 51.78793; -1.48672	2019 (2019)	Michael Fairfax	Obelisk	stainless steel, glass & fibre optic lights			West Oxfordshire District Council	A contemporary narrow pyramidal obelisk on a geometric steel base. At night, fibre optic lights illuminate it through thin glass strips. It reflects the spire of nearby St Mary's Church and the roof of the Buttercross. [12]

References

1. "New sculpture unveiled in Oxford". news.bbc.co.uk. 15 February 2009. Retrieved 2017-01-17.
2. Ffrench, Andrew (14 May 2009). "New sculpture marks Oxford's twin town link". The Oxford Times. Retrieved 2017-01-18.
3. "Acclaimed artist Tania Kovats creates new public artwork inspired by, and for, the Bodleian Libraries". Bodleian Libraries, University of Oxford. 30 January 2019.
4. "The Great Debate". Art UK . Retrieved 9 October 2024.
5. Historic England. "Statue of Queen Victoria (1048111)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 29 September 2024.
6. "Heralding the Past: The story of Abingdon's old Corn Exchange". The Herald Series. 13 June 2018. Retrieved 29 September 2024.
7. "Cut Tec laser-cuts Octagons sculpture installed in Abingdon, Oxfordshire". AILU. 13 December 2021. Retrieved 27 September 2024.
8. "Turning". Art UK.
9. "Unveiled: Charlotte Mayer Turning". Pangolin London. 30 March 2016. Retrieved 17 September 2024.
10. http://wantage-museum.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/King-Alfreds-Statue.pdf ^{[ bare URL PDF ]}
11. Hughes, Pete (31 August 2016). "Legendary actor Edward Fox unveils John Betjeman bust in Wantage". The Herald Series. Retrieved 2 January 2017.
12. "Buttercross Needle". Art UK.

External links

• Guide to public art in Oxfordshire (PDF) by South Oxfordshire district council
• Public art map (PDF) by Oxford City Council
• Public art in Headington, Oxford