THE piece of Triennial artwork on Folkestone Seafront may be Out Of Tune – but it is in the running for a prestigious award.

AK Dolven's 16th century bell suspended 15-20 metres above the ground, a feature of this year's A Million Miles From Home festival, has been shortlisted for the Liberty Kent Public Art Award 2011.

Spokesman Alison Hardy said the list of finalists "reflects public artworks of high quality that engage audiences and communities, generating interest and understanding of the environment and the community in which it is situated".

The tenor bell was taken down from Scraptoft Church in 2003, as its tone did not match the standard pitch. Its clapper was removed but Miss Dolven "made its voice heard" by positioning it on the seafront where visitors could pull a bellrope.

Creative Foundation spokesman Trevor Minter said: "We're delighted that a piece of Triennial art has been chosen and obviously we're hopeful, but we're delighted just to be shortlisted.

"What we tried to do with the Triennial was put art in places people could see and understand and the positioning of the bell by the sea is particularly important so the comments on the shortlist are real praise.

"If we won, some of the £15,000 prize would go to the artist and some to the Triennial pot, which would help secure permanent pieces in the town."

Sally Staples, head of Kent County Council's arts development unit, said: "The shortlist reflects the exciting variety of works being commissioned in the public realm in recent years. Public art has evolved to include a spectrum of artworks from the permanent sculpture through to temporary interventions and pieces with which the audience can interact directly.

"They also have an important economic role. The shortlisted works – as well as installations such as Cornelia Parker's in Folkestone – illustrate the investment that has been made in cultural led regeneration in East Kent over recent years. Turner Contemporary in Margate, the Folkestone Triennial and the Whitstable Biennale have all proved to be successful catalysts for change."

The winner will be announced on October 19.

For more information, visit www.libertykentpublicartaward.co.uk