As covered by both BBC News and the Henley Standard, a bronze mermaid statue was unveiled on June 6 2013 in Henley-on-Thames, on the Red Lion lawn next to the Henley Bridge. map
Photos of the unveiling and of the statue are not yet available, but will be soon. The statue is part of the Amaryllis Art for Charity project, and the statue is almost identical to this one in Cap Ferrat, France.
These mermaid statues are the creation of Amaryllis, and the plan is to eventually place about 100 of these statues in prominent and beautiful locations near water, with the aims of raising funds for charities and promoting the message of this sculpture.
The project was created by Thomas Noor, using the Ama statue created by Amaryllis.
There are unique touches to each of the statues, such as the patina chosen, the inscription with the name and the coordinates, and the item at at Ama’s feet, which often is a flower or a sea animal, or something representative of the location.
As to the message of the sculpture, I asked Amaryllis what the statue represents. In her own words:
She left her underwater world to connect with mankind and alert us that we are damaging her environment. She wants to explain that water is the cradle of life, the ultimate necessity to assure humanity’s own existence. As she arrives on more and more shorelines, it is our belief that she will gain a louder voice and will help make the point that we must respect her home.
It is a great message. It is a message of ocean conservation that is supported and furthered by many people involved with mermaids, whether as art, as a profession or as a city icon.
The web page for the Ama-on-Thames sculpture will contain updated information and photos as they become available.
Mor says
It is beautiful. I hope we will get one in Chatham, Cape Cod.