Sculpture Prize 2002

John Summers

Once again the weather was perfect for the presentation of the Friends’ 7th Sculpture Award on 2nd September. Over ninety people gathered at the Pump House – Friends (some with their dogs), Battersea MP Martin Linton, Martin Stratton, Assistant Director of Leisure & Amenity Services and other Park staff, and family, friends and fellow Royal College of Art students of this year’s award winner, 28-year-old, American born John Summers. image
Dame Jennifer Jenkins, who had kindly agreed to present this year’s award, arrived at the Pump House after a tour of the Park, which she had known since the Festival Garden days in 1951. Her distinguished career encompassed a lifelong interest in and an extraordinary knowledge of public parks and gardens and their history, and she had characteristically asked to see for herself something of the work going on in the Park under the Heritage Lottery scheme. In contrast to our previous award-winning works, this year’s was a controversial piece, which Dame Jennifer took in her stride with great equanimity.