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Rooftop location is the perfect spot for giant ox overlooking the city, thanks to donation from Lewis Carroll Society
A giant art sculpture from the City’s summer OxTrail event has found a permanent home following a generous donation.
The ‘Looking for Alice’ ox can now be seen on the rooftop of Westgate Oxford after it was gifted by the Lewis Carroll Society.
‘Looking for Alice’ was one of over 30 oxen which took over the city last summer as part of Sobell House Hospice’s OxTrail event.
The Alice in Wonderland themed sculpture was painted by local artist Caroline Ritson and sold for £3,000 at the fundraising auction through a combination of Lewis Carroll Society funds and contributions from individual members, enabling local historian and Lewis Carroll Society trustee, Mark Davies, to make the successful bid.
Image by: Howard Davies
The Society has now donated the Ox to Westgate Oxford so it can have a permanent high-profile position in the city where people can visit and where it will serve as a reminder of Oxford’s world-famous creative heritage. It is the only one of the ‘herd’ which will remain in public view in the city centre.
Brendan Hattam, Centre Director at Westgate Oxford, said: “We’re delighted that ‘Looking for Alice’ has joined us permanently at Westgate Oxford. Situated on our rooftop terrace with stunning views of Christ Church College, the statue is an apt tribute to Oxford’s literary legacy. We’d like to thank the Lewis Carroll Society for their generous donation and invite guests to come down and visit the Ox in its new home.”
The official unveiling on 27th January marked Lewis Carroll’s birthday. Mark Davies said: “The Lewis Carroll Society is delighted to have found such a willing host in Westgate Oxford for its ‘Looking for Alice’ ox so that this evocatively decorated sculpture will remain in Oxford, where the story of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland originated. The 27th January is poignant in being the day that Lewis Carroll – the pen name of Charles Dodgson – was born in 1832. The ox will also be positioned to gaze towards Christ Church, where Carroll lived all his adult life and where the real Alice and her sisters were the daughters of the Dean.”
Sobell House Hospice Charity’s OxTrail event gave Oxford a £1.2 million economic boost, as people from near and far visited the giant art sculptures.
It was also a huge fundraising success for the hospice with over £306,000 raised. £150,000 of this was raised at the OxTrail auction when more than 250 people bid for the oxen.
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