About us

The George Melly Sculpture Appeal was set up in July 2008 at the 25th Anniversary of Brecon Jazz Festival. The inspiration for this tribute to George and his long association with Brecon and Brecon Jazz is the long-held dream of Liz Elston, who was the instigator of the very first festival and Chairperson for the first ten years. She has now formed the George Melly Sculpture Appeal Committee to realise this art project and it has successfully applied for charitable status.
Other Committee members are Elizabeth Jeffreys (Chair) Oscar Williams, Brenda Goodley, Cllr Martin Weale, David Brockwell, Deborah Anthony and Robert Macdonald, who will fundraise for and drive forward this project to commission a sculpture to commemorate George Melly.
Robert Macdonald, a highly respected painter who lives in the Brecon Beacons has specific responsibility for overseeing the artistic process and chairs the Artist Selection Panel, which will short-list and select the artist to create the artwork. The Panel also includes David Moore, curator of the Brecknock Museum & Art Gallery 1992-2006, and a former art buyer for the Contemporary Art Society for Wales.
Our aim is to commission a sculpture which commemorates George Melly’s relationship with Brecon, his role in the founding of the Jazz Festival and as President of the Contemporary Art Society for Wales and to provide a lasting legacy for the town. We are not looking to commission a statue or portrait of George Melly, but rather an artwork that captures his outrageous larger-than-life character, his unconventionality and exuberance.