People in Kent are being asked to nominate their favourite piece of public art for one of the largest art prizes in the UK, which carries a total prize value of £20,000.

The nomination can be for anything to which the public has access, such as a sculpture, mosaic, wall hanging, street furniture or mural. The piece can be outside or inside, for instance in a library or park, and it must have been completed between April 2006 and March 2007.

All the nominations will be put forward for the Rouse Kent Public Art Award which is given annually by Liberty Property Trust UK, the developer of the Kings Hill business park; Kent County Council and Arts Council England, South East. Examples of past winners can be seen at www.rousekentpublicartaward.co.uk, together with the downloadable nomination form.

The prize money for the main award totals £15,000 and will be divided between the commissioner of the winning work and the artist. The winning commissioner will also keep the Rouse Chair for a year.

With so much new housing earmarked for Kent, Kent County Council and its co-sponsors are keen to promote the benefits of public art in creating a sense of place in new communities. As such a new home builder category was launched in 2006, sponsored by Kent County Council. £5,000 of the award money is being utilised to continue to develop this emerging category. An art consultant has been engaged and is working with developers who have already expressed an interest to work up vision proposals for a public art commission for a new housing development in Kent

The winners will be selected by a panel of judges which will include Vivien Taylor, associate director and architect at Liberty Property Trust UK Ltd; Chris Marsh, managing director of Christopher Marsh & Co, architect, town planner and principal lecturer University of Westminster; Stephanie Fuller, South East visual arts officer (Public Art & Architecture), Arts Council England, South East; Kevin Wilson, director of Artpoint; Michael Pinsky, urban planner, researcher and artist; Trisha Gupta, director and group chief architect of Countryside Properties and Rick Kirby, artist and winner of the Rouse Kent Public Art Award in 1998 for ‘Ring of Hope’ in Cranbrook.

The panel will be chaired by an eminent representative of the art world and details will be announced soon.

The judging panel will make its shortlist on 23rd March and the winner will be announced at a VIP dinner at the Kings Hill Golf Club on 23rd May.

Anyone wishing to nominate a piece of public art for the Rouse Kent Public Art Award should contact Clair Bushnell of Cultural Development, Kent County Council on
01622 696460 / clair.bushnell@kent.gov.uk. Or download the nomination form on www.rousekentpublicartaward.co.uk. Closing date for entries are 2nd March.

Last year’s winner was ‘Chatham Vines’ which was created by installation artist John Newling and commissioned by Medway Renaissance, Medway Council. As well as Chatham Vines, the other shortlisted pieces were 'Lamb' in Canterbury; 'Four Shores' in Sheppey and 'Somewhere We Meet' in Hextable.