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Procession of Diogenes Statue through Paisley, April 1992.

Sandy Stoddart, local sculptor, was commissioned to make a statue of the ancient Greek philosopher, Diogenes, for the hall of the John Neilson Institution, our ‘St Paul’s in miniature’. There was some controversy about the decision to convert this building for residential purposes, the campaign to convert its use for arts and cultural purposes having been unsuccessful.

Procession of Diogenes Statue through Paisley

The failure of similar proposals for other buildings in recent decades can only be viewed as short-sightedness in my book. It is a way of keeping some of our home grown talent, and attracting further investment.

Diogenes

Despite the cynicism we may feel in these difficult times, further development of our cultural activities & creative industries could be a driving force for urban regeneration.
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In the tradition of the classical sculptors, the statue of Diogenes was paraded through the streets for the public to see, before being positioned in the main hall where school assemblies would have taken place in times gone by.

Diogenes

You can just about make out Sandy on the left of the photograph, looking up at the statue (behind the chap at the front left carrying the statue).

Text kindly allowed for use by Maria Jones. You can find more discussions on our Facebook Page.
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