Artist Juliet Webster’s gift of ‘official crest’

Published: 18 June 2010
by SHAIMA AL-OBAIDI

A LOCAL artist created an eye-catching mosaic of Islington’s official crest to only give it as a “gift” to the council.

Juliet Webster, 65, who lives in Angel, asked Islington Council if she could copy the official borough coat of arms for a project she was doing at an art college. She offered to donate her mosaic to the council and it now hangs in the Assembly Hall in Upper Street, which was brought back into use earlier this year.

She said: “I started the mosaic in 2004 and finished it in 2005. I gave it as a present to the council because they’ve been good to me. I’ve been living in Islington since 1969, and they’ve just put up with me for 41 years.” 

“I did the Islington crest mosaic when I was in Morley College in Lambeth. My teacher, Vanessa Benson, got me going with it. Also my friend Tessa Hunkin, who mounted my work, was just great support. They’ve really helped me with it,” she added. 

Councillor Mouna Hamitouche, Mayor of Islington, said: “It’s a stunning mosaic and is being admired by people using the Assembly Hall.”