Public Art...

The North East region is liberally adorned with public works of art from imposing, large-scale works to smaller pieces which have surprised and delighted countless visitors. Keep your eyes peeled and you'll spot some real treasures, all around the region - for free. Here's our pick of the finest:

Angel of the North, Gateshead
(Antony Gormley, 1998, corten steel)
Voted one of the 12 official 'icons of England' in 2006, Gormley's monumental Angel stands 20 metres tall - that's taller than four double-decker buses. Catch a 21 bus from Pilgrim Street, Newcastle or Gateshead Interchange and see it up close. The hilltop it dominates was once a colliery site, reflecting Gateshead's mining history.

Riverside Sculpture Trail, Sunderland
This easily accessible trail, suitable for both pedestrians and cyclists, offers a connected promenade of specially-commissioned artworks in metal and stone that refer back to the city's history and heritage. Key pieces include Colin Wilbourn's The Red House and Shadows in Another Light.

Blacksmith's Needle, Quayside, Newcastle
Members of the British Association of Blacksmith Artists, 1996, forged steel.
Each layer of this work relates to one of the senses, including the 'mysterious sixth'. It's a collaborative work: the objects, which mainly have a maritime theme, were made in iron and steel at public 'forge-ins' held around the country.

Threshold, Gateshead
Lulu Quinn, 2003, stainless steel and sound
This 5-metre high interactive sound sculpture acts like a giant stainless steel doorway to Gateshead town centre. Stop and listen to its sounds, stories and songs, recorded by hundreds of local people.

Conversation Piece, South Shields
Juan Muñoz, 1998, bronze
This 22-part sculpture by renowned Spanish artist Muñoz is situated at the mouth of the Tyne in South Shields. The lifesize figures are a popular feature of the spectacular South Tyneside coastline.

Tributary, Dean Street, Newcastle
John Maine, 2005, reclaimed and new granite paving
Walk down the Side to the Guildhall and you'll see John Maine's subtle paving work; it traces the course of the Lort Burn down to the River Tyne next to The Guildhall.

Stan Laurel, Dockwray Square, North Shields
Robert Olley, 1992, fibreglass
Stan Laurel (1890-1965), born Arthur Stanley Jefferson in Lancashire, lived in the original 8 Dockwray Square, now demolished, as a schoolboy from 1897 to 1901. He made nearly 100 films with his comedy partner, Oliver Hardy.

Gateshead Riverside Sculpture Park stretches along about half a mile of the south bank of the Tyne (opposite the Copthorne Hotel). Enter (and exit) via Lula Quinn's Rise and Fall, a 6-metre-high glass and steel archway lit up by over 10,000 white lights. Then search out the diverse sculptures, including Andy Goldsworthy's rusting metal Cone.

Dudes, Ferry Terminal, North Shields
Visitors arriving at the International Ferry Terminal in North Shields will see an installation called Dudes. Thirteen brightly coloured figures appear to be marching and represent what a busy port is all about, i.e. moving travelling and seeking out the new.

Nocturne, Queen Elizabeth Bridge, NewcastleGateshead
Nocturne, the biggest light art work in Britain, will add to the drama of NewcastleGateshead quayside by illuminating the QEII Metro Bridge across the Tyne with a 360m Kaleidoscope of lights and underlines the importance of Metro to the region's economy and people. The lights will never be the same twice, rising and falling in brightness and intensity of colour to match the ebb and flow of the tide on the river below.


Light Transformer, National Glass Centre, Sunderland
Zora Palova and Stepan Pala brought glass casting techniques from Bratislava to create Light Transformer, a 5 metre high piece in blue glass, metal and slate. The largest outdoor kiln-formed glass sculpture in the world, it is designed to change colour as it captures the changing light of day.