City creative duo chosen to complete public artwork in Colmore Business District

A Birmingham-based creative partnership has been chosen as preferred artists to complete a large-format artwork to enhance a large part of Livery Street in Colmore Business District.
E.L. Thrush and Anna Davies will complete the artwork on behalf of Colmore BID, the Business Improvement District for the city centre commercial quarter.
The Livery Street artwork will be in place for at least five years and will cover a concrete wall approximately 8ft high and 60ft wide at the entrance to Livery Street by the junction with Great Charles Street Queensway.
Located by a key entry point to the car park at Snow Hill station, it is also on the route of buses serving the city centre and for employees walking into the Business District from the Jewellery Quarter.
The new artwork will replace a mural by local artist George Benson, which the BID also
commissioned in 2013.

Luke is an illustrator with over 11 years’ experience in commercial and large format design. Anna is an interior architect with a background within the commercial sector. Luke met Anna at his Great Western Arcade interiors store Hedge in the summer of 2019 and the pair launched a partnership focusing on large-scale designs and window graphics.
They describe themselves as proud Brummies with a shared passion for the city and all
the creativity it inspires.
Their joint proposal was one of over 30 ideas put forward to give the wall a new look. Luke and Anna’s proposal for the theme of ‘Green in the City’ features a series of Birmingham landmarks and historical events influenced by the Brutalist architecture genre, particularly the concrete murals of sculptor William Mitchell.
Large, stylised trees provide a recurring theme throughout the painting, which invites people to pick out well-known city buildings, public artworks and key events.
“We feel so chuffed that our artwork has been chosen for the Livery Street wall,” said Luke. “It is such an honour to be involved in bringing art to the heart of Birmingham.”
Anna added: “We have really enjoyed the process of putting our ideas to paper. We are over the moon that we can now take our ideas to the wall and we cannot wait to get painting!”
Melanie Williams, Colmore BID Board Director and partner at city law firm DWF, led the assessment panel with representatives from the BID, Birmingham City Council, local arts and public transport representatives.
“I’m excited at the prospect of working with two Birmingham artists on the project to replace our original mural on Livery Street wall,” said Melanie.
“I love the design Ideas Anna and Luke have come up with and can’t wait to see them in real life. I see this work becoming a real talking point as we progress in our third BID term and produce more exciting projects designed to make Colmore BID an outstanding place.”
Subject to suitable weather conditions, the work is expected to be carried out early in 2020.

Pictured: Anna Davies and Luke Thrush with a copy of the proposed artwork