Until the autumn, a spectacular art installation of 90 umbrellas are suspended in the air above the High Street.
The multicoloured brollies shelter ten illuminated doves, inspired by Michael Pendry’s installation Les Colombes, which was on display in Salisbury Cathedral. The doves fly amongst the umbrellas, each carrying a message of hope and peace.
Salisbury Business Improvement District (BID) have organised and invested in the display which has proved to be a talking point and is encouraging visitors and locals alike to visit the city centre.
Supporting partners are VisitWiltshire, Salisbury City Council, Salisbury Cathedral and Swindon & Wiltshire LEP.
Kara Rogers, BID Marketing Manager, said: “Our businesses have had a tough year, but this installation has encouraged a new spout of optimism and vibrancy.
“The feedback we’ve received from our businesses, residents and visitors has been overwhelming.
“Social media has been filled with pictures showcasing our beautiful city and people are visiting the city specifically to see the display.”
The display was installed overnight on Tuesday 17th July ahead of a celebratory launch evening on Wednesday 18th July, which saw hundreds of people gather under the umbrellas enjoying a complimentary drink from Café Rouge, and live music from acoustic duo LimeLyte.
The umbrellas initiative has been inspired by an artwork at the annual Ágitagueda Art Festival in Portugal. Similar installations have been shown all over the world.
Salisbury BID is encouraging people to share comments, photos and video clips of the umbrellas using the hashtags #salisburyumbrellas.
In partnership with VisitWiltshire, Salisbury BID co-fund the Visit Salisbury website to promote the city to visitors. The Visit Salisbury website has a full events calendar for Salisbury.
