An unusual advertisement that is not selling anything has appeared in Barrow town centre.
The bus shelter poster, near The Forum, is actually a work of art and not a piece of marketing.
Created by Romanian artist Dana Olărescu as part of the Deluge exhibition at Barrow’s Art Gene gallery, the artwork features an image of a group of people walking across wetlands, alongside the strapline Salt Marsh Saviours.
It carries an important message about protecting the local environment, and looking again to discover hidden beauty on your doorstep.
The poster reads: “Between land and sea, saltmarshes stand as nature’s quiet guardians, softening waves and shielding our shores from storms and incoming tides.
“Absorbing the energy of surging water to prevent it invading our homes, their power extends beyond protection.
“Teaming with life, they shelter wildlife and filter pollutants, acting as nature’s own defence against a changing world. Wetland saviours deserve praise.”
Maddi Nicholson artist, founder and director of Art Gene, said: “Dana Olărescu’s bus stop artwork catches people off guard as they shelter from the weather to wait for their ride.
“In a world that deals us an ever present onslaught of promotional messages for fast food, holidays and cars, we hope passengers and passers-by will be surprised at what they see – and relieved that they are not being sold anything other than an idea about protecting what they already have.
“Saltmarshes are such an important environmental feature, but their flatness and lack of striking features mean they are often dismissed as uninspiring wastelands.
“We are very lucky to have a large area of saltmarsh right on our doorsteps in Barrow, Dana’s artwork helps us take a second look at this hidden part of our coast and celebrate it. Acting as a vital carbon capture, our saltmarsh truly is our coastal protector and a wetland saviour.
Further artworks inspired by saltmarsh landscapes in Barrow and further afield can be seen at the Art Gene gallery until March 28. These include large scale photographic panoramas, pencil drawings and installations.
Barrow’s coast includes around 130 hectares of mudflats, saltmarsh, beaches, and freshwater marshes within South Walney Nature Reserves, North Walney National Nature Reserve, the Duddon Estuary and Morecambe Bay.
These areas are recognised for their ecological significance, with large sections designated as Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).
The UK only has about 45,000 hectares of natural saltmarsh remaining.
Deluge is free and is at the Art Gene gallery on Abbey Road until Saturday March 15 from noon to 4pm (Closed Sundays and Monday).
It will be open by appointment from Tuesday March 18 to Friday March 28 by emailing rachael.barker@art-gene.co.uk or calling 01229 825085.
