Anew ‘Generosity of Spirit’ sculpture will take pride of place in the Penola Town Square next year.

The Penola community donated just under $40,000 towards the empowering and uplifting sculpture, which will be established at the Alfred Street end of the town square.

Penola Town Square Working Group secretary Anne Johnson said it was “heart-warming” the project had received so much community support.

“We are very grateful for the generosity of the donors,” Ms Johnson said.

“We got one grant from Bendigo Bank here in Penola and that was $5000 and the rest of it was donations from the community.

“We have called it Generosity of Spirit, which is what we feel is the characteristic of the women in the community that we want to celebrate.

“It’s really a tribute to the women of Penola past, present and future and the intergenerational relationships and support and generosity.”

The project has been driven by the Penola Town Square Working Group of seven dedicated volunteers.

“Our whole town square group have worked very hard, we have got a great group and we work so well together,” Ms Johnson said.

“We could not have done it without each other.”

The categories of donors included people who donated up to $1000, people who donated $1000 or more who could pay tribute to a woman or a group of women with a plaque and major benefactors who donated $2000 or more.

“We did not just want to name one person because it’s a community that we want to celebrate,” Ms Johnson said.

“That’s what we felt was important. So many people make up this community and each and every one of them contributes something in their own way.”

Donations were made tax-deductible through the Stand Like Stone Foundation, which Ms Johnson said they were “very grateful” for.

The artwork will be completed by Adelaide sculptor Gerry McMahon, who specialises in Corten steel and has lots of experience creating public art.

“He’s such a lovely bloke and so talented. We have seen lots of his sculptures so we’re very confident that he is going to do a great job,” Ms Johnson said.

“Our entrance panels are Corten with the stainless steel support, so we wanted to be consistent with the materials used on the sculpture so that it flowed.”

Ms Johnson said Wattle Range Council would be undertaking the excavation and installing the concrete base and lighting.

Ms Johnson said the aim was to have the sculpture installed during April, 2023 and officially opened during the 2023 Penola Coonawarra Arts Festival.