Added: 29 April 2019
Community Engagement Partner’s design is the first to be fully revealed and on show before the summer trail.
Ipswich Building Society has revealed its sculpture for Elmer’s Big Parade Suffolk, which is coming to Ipswich this summer, after returning as Community Engagement Partner for the popular St Elizabeth Hospice event, which last saw 39 pig sculptures take to the streets for Pigs Gone Wild in 2016.
This announcement marks the first and only full reveal of a sponsor design, with the remaining 54 sculptures being kept under wraps until the trail starts in June. Earnest Edmund will be located outside Ipswich Building Society’s flagship branch in Ipswich town centre, Mutual House, for the duration of Elmer’s Big Parade Suffolk.
Richard Norrington, CEO of Ipswich Building Society, explains: “We are delighted to be able to unveil our sculpture ahead of the trail. Once again with our sculpture design we wanted to put the spotlight on Suffolk and the beautiful landscapes, buildings, and coastlines that are on our doorstep.
Following suggestions from our members and employees we chose the name Earnest Edmund, paying tribute to both the Society’s mutual status and the patron saint of Suffolk. Earnest Edmund will be travelling around each of our branches before joining us at the Hadleigh Show on Saturday 18 May, then joining the trail in the summer.”
Norman Lloyd, Campaign Manager of Elmer’s Big Parade Suffolk for St Elizabeth Hospice added: “We are really pleased that Ipswich Building Society were keen to sign up as Community Engagement Partner again and it is great to be able to give them this exclusive reveal. It has been a really exciting few months, seeing our sculptures coming back with their beautiful designs and Earnest Edmund is certainly a fantastic taster for the public of what is to come.”
Earnest Edmund was created and painted by Mik Richardson, the artist behind Pretty Penny, the Society’s previous sculpture for the Pigs Gone Wild trail. It celebrates the Suffolk landscapes and iconic buildings, with each of the Society’s branch towns featuring on the design.
From 15 June to 7 September 2019, visitors will be able to discover Earnest Edmund amongst the 140 beautifully painted, unique Elmer sculptures in the parks and open spaces of Ipswich town centre and waterfront. Elmer’s Big Parade Suffolk, St Elizabeth Hospice’s latest art trail organised in partnership with Wild in Art and Andersen Press, is inspired by the much-loved children’s book character, Elmer the Patchwork Elephant.