Celebrating Local Industry, Art and Community

We’re proud to have played a part in You Are Here, a newly unveiled piece of public art by Tom Hicks. The Black Country artist was commissioned by Ikon Gallery in partnership with Transport for West Midlands. The work draws on local stories, businesses, and the strong sense of community identity in our region.

Cut from 5mm 5083 aluminium, the sculpture was laser cut and formed here at Midtherm Laser. It was then powder coated by Midtherm Powder Coating and assembled by Midtherm Flues. The sculpture is located at the Cross Street Local Travel Point in Halesowen.

The design was inspired by conversations with local people, colours taken from Tom’s own photographic archive, and shapes that reflect the visual character of the Black Country.

Steve Macaulay, our Estimation Manager, worked closely with Tom to bring his drawings and ideas to life. Collaborating with Shard-e from Powder Coating, they have been able to highlight potential limitations and suggest new ideas to try if needed.

“It’s always good to see parts we’ve had on screen come to life once they’ve been painted and assembled.”
Steve Macaulay, Estimation Manager.

You can read more about the commission on the Ikon Gallery website. Or explore more of Tom’s work over at Black Country Type.

Stay tuned for our short video from the unveiling coming soon (complete with my accidental mic fail!). Plus we will share a few more projects we have been involved in.