North Herts College Art Project

25th September 2019

Garden Square Shopping Centre recently worked alongside North Hertfordshire College and their Art and Design students on a project focussing on Letchworth Garden City.

Artwork: Caitlin Pearman

The Design Brief

North Hertfordshire College students were given a design brief to generate positive visuals based on Letchworth, past and present.

Students were encouraged to produce work in a variety of mediums (paint, pencil, charcoal, textiles, collage etc) allowing them to showcase their creativity.

In preparation, students had to employ research skills, exploring the history of Letchworth Garden City, architecture and visual references, before producing their final piece of work.

The Centre Manager for Garden Square, Jack Philbin, alongside the Deputy Head of Creative Arts, Rachel Clark, judged the work. After much deliberating the students work was shortlisted, and Jasmin La Francesca was finally chosen as the winner!

Artwork: Keanon Edwards

Artwork: Anja Gibas

Jasmin La Francesca

Jasmin’s final artwork is now proudly displayed in the window of two units in Garden Square for everyone to enjoy.

The piece showcases Ebenezer Howard – founder of the English garden-city movement. It also features Sir Raymond Unwin and Richard Barry Park; both of whom focussed on function over form when it came to town planning. Both worked closely with Ebenezer Howard, and his Garden City ideals, to create the Letchworth Garden City that we enjoy today.

Jasmin has been subsequently selected as part of a National competition to exhibit some of her other work in Truman Brewery, London.

Winning entry by Jasmin La Francesca

Jack Philbin comments: “I’d like to thank all the North Hertfordshire College Art & Design students for their hard work, producing some exceptional pieces as part of our project with them. Letchworth has a rich heritage which it is proud of & I felt Jasmin’s final piece really captured this as well as the Garden City concept”