A survey conducted by the St Austell Town Team found that approximately 90% of nearly 500 respondents want the controversial 38-foot-tall ceramic sculpture 'Earth Goddess' removed from the town center of St Austell, Cornwall. Installed in June 2022 as part of a regeneration project celebrating the area's China clay heritage, the £80,000 artwork by Sandy Brown has divided opinion, with local business owner and Town Team chair Jake Richards reporting frequent complaints from customers. Suggested relocation sites include the Eden Project and the Lost Gardens of Heligan, though the artist argues moving the piece is impractical and costly.
This story matters because it highlights ongoing tensions between publicly funded art projects and community sentiment, a recurring issue in towns across the UK. The controversy also raises questions about public consultation, maintenance planning, and the long-term viability of large-scale public artworks. The involvement of local MP Noah Law and the dissolution of the original commissioning group underscore the challenges of sustaining such projects beyond their initial installation, making this a case study in the politics of public art and local regeneration.