From murals to monuments, there are more than 50 public artworks located across Solihull. Flying into the country, international visitors are greeted by Walenty Pytel's Take Off (c.1989) which features the silhouettes of three egrets flapping their wings.

Not only is this an appropriate sculpture for its location at Birmingham International Airport but connects to a great number of other works in the borough, which is well known for its green spaces, notable conservationists and local artists such as Emmy Bridgwater, who took inspiration from nature.

Here are seven public artwork highlights to look out for – while walking, cycling or soaring through Solihull.

Edith Holden Owl sculpture by Robot Cossey, 2018

In 2020, the village of Olton honoured one of its most famous female residents, Edith Blackwell Holden (1871–1920), who once lived on Kineton Green Road. Marking the site of her former home is a wooden owl, carved from an old tree trunk by Midlands-based artist Robot Cossey.

Perching on a pile of books, it nods to Holden's career as a naturalist, artist and illustrator. Influenced by the Arts and Crafts movement, which flourished across the West Midlands during the late nineteenth century, she specialised in painting birds, animals, flowers and plants in exquisite detail.

Knowle Library's Owl by Robot Cossey, 2018

Another wise-looking wooden owl sculpture by Robot Cossey can be found roosting in Knot Garden next door to Knowle Library.

Carved in 2018, it commemorates one of the founding fathers of the Knowle Society, and its first Chairman, Dr Ronald J. Bower. The bird is seated comfortably on a stack of books, with these titles referencing local interests while the medical tome Gray's Anatomy recalls Dr Bower's long service in the community as a GP.

Take Off by Walenty Pytel, c.1989

Take Off can be spotted in the middle of Bird Island near Airport Way, heading towards Birmingham Airport. The British-Polish sculptor Walenty Pytel used steel sheets to depict three flying birds mounted on a tall, slender pedestal, which create a strong silhouette against the skyline – and airplanes taking off behind it.

While the physical mass and industrial materials of the piece are belied by the illusion of weightlessness and the elegance of birds, the sculpture represents the phenomenon of flight. Known for his welded constructions which depict nature, Pytel also designed Take Off to commemorate 40 years of peace in Europe.

Beyond all Limits by Luke Burton, 2012

In 2012, Solihull-based artist Luke Burton transformed recycled aluminium, stainless steel and titanium from the NEC into an 18-foot sculpture, Beyond All Limits. It represents a diver in motion, who appears ready to plunge into the NEC's iconic lake, next to which the artwork has been positioned.

2012, aluminium, stainless steel and titanium sculpture by Luke Burton

As the artist has said, 'The NEC piece reflects the fact that athletes are ruled by mind and body, with its design being fluid from a solid structure, morphing into the body of a diver'.

Commissioned to commemorate the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics, it highlights sport's relationship with nature.

Poppy Island by GRP Building Products SR David Architects, 2017

Gigantic metal poppies were installed in the middle of a traffic roundabout on the Stratford Road in Shirley in 2017, to mark the 100 years since the First World War, Remembrance Sunday and fallen soldiers.

2017, metal and fibreglass by GRP Building Products SR David Architects

In total, 18 poppy stems with red fibreglass flowerheads reach upwards in various directions. Given its scale, the flourishing memorial also has a wonderland feel and nods to a nearby housing development called 'Poppy Fields'.

Walking or driving by, residents can enjoy the flowers by day or illuminated by street lighting by night.

Shirley's street boxes by Pickle Illustration, 2022

Residents and visitors can also follow a trail of six eye-catching utility boxes, each covered in colourful floral designs, thanks to Pickle Illustration, who specialise in creating characterful art for the public realm.

2022, painted mural by Pickle Illustration

Commissioned by Solihull Council to help revitalise Shirley High Street and deter graffiti and vandalism, the once mundane utility boxes have been transformed into swirling sites of brightly coloured bugs and flowers.

Mural at Shirley Iceland Car Park by Joe Miles, Rich Peacock and Daniel Coyne, 2023

Street art can be found in surprising places and that is no different in Solihull. Commissioned by Solihull Council to deter graffiti and vandalism, Graffwerk's artists Joe Miles, Rich Peacock and Daniel Coyne hand painted a colourful mural to cover the walls of Iceland's car park.

2023, painted mural by Graffwerk (Joe Miles, Rich Peacock and Daniel Coyne)

Among the trollies, shoppers can spot large flowers bursting with contrasting colours and references to the local area.

As well as a black decorative arch inscribed with the words 'Shirley Park', red and black painted poppies connect to the nearby roundabout's floral memorial.

Ruth Millington, art historian and author of Muse: Uncovering the Hidden Figures Behind Art History's Masterpieces

Solihull Council continues to invest in public art across the borough and in 2025 the outdoor exhibition 'Surreal Solihull' will celebrate former resident Emmy Bridgwater, the great surrealist artist and poet. It will feature images of her artwork alongside new 'surreal' work by 30 local artists.