The streets of Sheffield are full to bursting with art. From the quirky to the beautiful and even the unusual, you won’t be able to turn a corner without finding something unique around every street corner.

Here are 11 of the favorite pieces found on the streets throughout Sheffield:

  1. Stag crossing sign (Hungate) 

A stag carved into this crossing sign has been attracting attention for years now. The plaque below it reads, “beauty is power,” which makes me think that perhaps people have just recently started posing for pictures next to it? Either way, you can’t visit Hungate without looking out for this beauty!

  1. Arbourthorne Community Shed (Arbourthorne) 

A small community shed in the Centre of a local park that’s been artistically reborn to showcase what can be done when you give people free rein and materials to make what they want!

  1. The Friendship Bench (Millhouses Park) 

A friendship bench with the inscription “You are never alone when you have a friend” was originally commissioned in memory of a local man, Byron Hemmings, who had recently lost his battle against cancer. Since then, it has been adopted by more than just close family and friends. People travel far and wide to sit on this bench for a moment’s peace after their struggles.

  1. Sheffield Skate Park (Neepsend) 

Perhaps one of the most famous art pieces in Sheffield, it became an accidental tourist attraction when the skate park made national news after being vandalised with graffiti that turned into something amazing!

  1. Snake Path (Meersbrook Park) 

This path in Meersbrook Park is designed to be walked along, and should not be tackled on wheels – although many people like nothing more than to take their chances!

  1. Portal (City Centre)

A brilliant piece of art that’s been created out of a recycling initiative by students from Sheffield Hallam University. The dance music lovers among you might recognize this as being inspired by the legendary “Portal” events logo. The building behind it has a variety of murals inside too!

  1. Metal Moose (City Centre)

Standing outside Yates, this rusty old moose looks impressive against the backdrop of Pinstone Street at night time. I think that he would look better if he was restored back to his former glory, but for now, I guess he just adds to the urban street art that Sheffield is famous for!

  1. Fibre Optic Lamp Post (City Centre) 

Every Christmas, these lamp posts are dressed up with garlands and lights – they’re stunningly beautiful! The effect was only made possible by a very generous donation by one of the local businesses in this area.

  1. Baby Raccoon (Arbourthorne)

A huge mural of a baby raccoon covering an entire wall has recently appeared next to the bowling green at Arbourthorne Leisure Centre. People were quick to mobilize and cover the surrounding area with personal photos of their pets after it was discovered that someone had taken a marker pen to it and scrawled all over the mural! They’re now keeping an eye on it with regular patrols.

  1. Tree House (Arbourthorne)

The Tree House is a unique, iconic community building built in 1994 on the former Arbourthorne Community School site. It stood 9 meters high and was designed to allow young people from all backgrounds to come together and use local resources for their development. With space for activities such as dance, music, and media skills, it also had areas set aside that would be available for parents at drop-off times or staff meetings.

In its early days, it was even used as a polling station during a local election. But more recently, teenagers have been seen hanging around outside, causing antisocial behavior issues, leaving some residents feeling intimidated by groups of youths “hanging around” near their homes. Over time its graffiti has become more and more extreme and in recent years, it has been used as a haven by drug users.

The Tree House is now closed with boards restricting access. However local residents have said that they would like to see it reopened if possible.

  1. The Peace Wall (City Centre) 

The Peace Wall, also known as the “Anti-Vietnam War Mural,” can be found on Brook Hill in Sheffield city Centre. It was painted by local artists between 1972 and 1974 and is made up of fourteen different paintings that create a single panel. The wall measures about 36 meters long and 2 meters high and some of the artwork has faded due to weathering.

The wall commemorates those who died during demonstrations for peace held in London before the war ended. There are four panels showing soldiers returning from Vietnam, bringing back coffins draped with American flags, followed by civilians waving banners demanding an end to the war. This leads onto two panels showing politicians embracing each other at a press conference where they have declared an end

Whether you’re an art enthusiast, interested in the history of Sheffield or simply looking for some culture, there are plenty of reasons to visit our city’s museums and galleries. We hope this blog has given you some ideas on how to make your trip more memorable.

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