Covid-inspired stone paintings unveiled at Fraserburgh Sports and Community Centre

A new colourful art installation has been unveiled at the Fraserburgh Sports and Community Centre.

Stones which were hand-painted by primary school children during the Covid pandemic have been embedded in specially-cast pavers for visitors to admire all year round.

The idea was the brainchild of Aberdeenshire Council’s Banff and Buchan Area Committee chair Cllr Doreen Mair who invited youngsters to paint an image representing their thoughts and feelings around the events of the lockdowns.

As a result, a large number of stones went on a bit of an adventure, appearing in the windows of various town centre retailers who created displays in the run-up to Christmas 2021.

To provide a more permanent display, Construction Lead at NESCOL, Andrew Donn, kindly arranged for hexagonal pavers to be constructed by students and members of the 4/5th Boys Brigade as part of their educational courses. 

The stones were then installed on the pavers before being installed at the garden at the Fraserburgh Sports and Community Centre by the council’s Landscape Services team.

Due to concerns around the durability of the images, members of Fraserburgh Mens Shed leapt into action and applied a clear sealant in order to protect them from the elements.

And one stone in particular – featuring Banksy’s image of a girl with a red heart balloon - has been granted pride of place within the centre itself.

Cllr Mair was delighted to be joined recently by some of the pupils who painted stones, along with NESCOL students and members of the Boys Brigade who worked so hard on the project.

She said: “The pandemic was such a traumatic time for everyone, but particularly for our children who not only had their school lessons impacted, but who also missed out on a host of group and sports activities and simply not being able to see one another. I thought it was important to capture how Covid had affected them personally and the painting of the stones was an easy way for them to make their feelings known for everyone to see.

“It’s tremendous seeing the stones preserved and on public display at the sports and community centre and our sincere thanks go to everyone who supported the project and ensured the images will have a lasting legacy in Fraserburgh.”