Thanks to a collaboration between Transport for West Midlands and Birmingham’s Ikon Gallery, a new sculpture has been installed in Halesowen. Celebrating the architecture, design and industry of the Black Country (and featuring lettering from unique signs around the town in its design), You Are Here is a real labour of love - not only for the artist who created it, Tom Hicks, but also for the Black Country businesses which had a hand in the project... 
What’s On spoke to Tom to find out more about his first foray into public sculpture design...

A new public sculpture has been unveiled in Halesowen, in one of the area’s new mobility hubs, which offer options for short-distance travel, including a public-bike storage point. 

The sculpture has been designed by local artist Tom Hicks, whose artistic practice has taken him all around the region in an ongoing project under the name Black Country Type.

“I’m an artist who uses photography,” Tom explains. “I tend to use a phone, and a lot of my photos are taken on bike rides - it started on a low level like that. In the early stages, I was taking photographs just for myself; things like old factory signs in the Black Country and odd objects - I didn’t understand what they were for, but they looked interesting!”

Tom’s involvement in the project came from his existing relationship with Birmingham’s Ikon Gallery. 
“The commission came up to work with Transport for West Midlands, and Ikon selected me as the artist - for a few reasons, I think. It’s accessible work, and it’s ‘of the region’. Transport for West Midlands are looking to encourage people to explore the region - so the cycling side of it fits as well!”
The commission was initially quite open-ended, and this is the first time Tom has explored public sculpture as an art form.

“I think the easiest thing to do would be to have one of my photographs framed on site. I thought it would be nice to do something different - I decided to do a 3D piece, based on one of my photographs.”
The photograph in question - called Lollipop - features a lamppost topped with a glass globe, presented against a building whose cream and bright-pink cladding contrasts with a strikingly blue sky.

“People say ‘That can’t be the Black Country!’ The source photograph, people think it’s Miami! But it’s Oldbury - it’s right next to the motorway, and it was a bingo hall.”

Tom has used the bright colours and geometric shapes of the original image as inspiration for the sculpture, which is called You Are Here. It is built onto a white frame -  provided by Transport for West Midlands -  which is normally used to display transport information.

“We did loads of public outreach and photo walks around Halesowen. We spoke to people about what they think of the area, their memories.” 

So how did Tom decide on the sculpture’s title? “Somebody said to me ‘Will it say Halesowen on it?’ I replied ‘You don’t need a signpost to say you’re in Halesowen, because you are here!’”
The sculpture also features examples of lettering from iconic signs and shop fronts in the area - from the bold letters that used to signpost the public pool, to the unique signage of Dancers, a Halesowen school uniform and dancewear supplier which has since gone out of business.

The lettering has been engraved onto the blue section of the sculpture, intentionally less obvious until viewed at a closer distance. Perhaps this echoes the fact that, at first glance, the original signs might not be appreciated as the unique pieces of art and design that they are. 

At a launch event commemorating the new sculpture, Alex Ballinger, MP for Halesowen, offered thanks to Tom and his collaborators. “It’s fantastic to see You Are Here celebrated so warmly: a bold, beautiful artwork created with the community, for the community. This sculpture is more than just a striking addition to our public space; it’s a powerful reminder that creativity thrives in places like Halesowen.

“Too often, towns in the Black Country are overlooked by the cultural sector, but this project shows what’s possible when local stories, artistic vision, and public collaboration come together. 

“I’m incredibly proud to see this kind of work happening in my constituency, and I’m grateful to Tom Hicks, Ikon Gallery, Transport for West Midlands, and all the local residents who helped shape the piece.

You Are Here sends a message - especially to young people - that art belongs here, that it’s for everyone, and that our local identity is something worth celebrating. I hope this is just the beginning of more creative investment and inspiration across Halesowen and the Black Country.”

The sculpture celebrates not only the region’s creativity, but also its industrial history. One part of the design & production process that was particularly important to Tom is the collaboration he had with various local manufacturers in the creation of the piece. 

“I said to Ikon and Transport for West Midlands, I think it has to be made in the Black Country - otherwise it doesn’t make sense to my practice, or the whole idea of it.

“A lot of sculpture in the Black Country represents Black Country industry - the old industry, like metalwork, coal mining, glass making and things like that. For this piece, I wanted a modern take on what the Black Country looks like.”

This included use of a more up-to-date manufacturing process, supplied by the Dudley-based Midtherm: powder coating, to achieve a brightly coloured, hard-wearing surface. 

“There’s a woman called Sade who runs the powder coating factory at Midtherm, and she said she’s been waiting to use pink for years! I think I made her day!

“What I found really nice - I think it’s a common thing in the Black Country - is that people won’t say straight away that they can make something. They’ll go ‘We’ll have a look at it…’ but actually they know they can do it. There’s not much they can’t make!”

The sculpture is now in-situ at Cross Street Local Travel Point - and down the road at Halesowen Library, there’s a display documenting Tom’s creative process.  

“I do like talking about the process. I think it’s important for people to see the journey it takes. It’s not just thrown together - for me, it has to reflect my practice, reflect the area, and be ‘of Halesowen’ as well.”

This is also acknowledged on the sculpture itself. On the back of the piece there’s a machinery label - appropriately supplied by Industrial Labels Limited, another Black Country provider - which reveals information about the sculpture and the different people and organisations that have contributed to its creation. 

And Tom has hopes that the collaborations will continue in the future: “Long term, I’d like it to be a site for other artists to use. I’ve spoken to somebody who does weaving, and I think it’d be really nice to weave things through it - or maybe hang things off it for a few weeks.”

In the meantime, You Are Here is not only destined to brighten up its surroundings but also to get people thinking about their home town for years to come.

You Are Here is permanently installed at Cross Street Local Travel Point in Halesowen