Norfolk and Suffolk artists’ collective Abraxas Academy, which works out of Holkham Forge, is hoping to have its bronze sculpture ready for installation in the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire in August.
The piece, called An Opened Letter, emerged as a recommendation following an independent review into the historical treatment of people sacked or forced out of the military for being gay.
The group found out their design had been picked out of 38 entries by a specialist panel in January.
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Nina Bilbey, from Wells, has been one of seven East-Anglia-based artists working on the project based on the Holkham estate.
She said: “The important thing about Norfolk is the collaboration between the different networks of disciplines coming together on a unified project.
“Norfolk’s full of us, we’re tucked away, we’re a little bit hidden, but actually there’s some very successful and high profile artists in the county.
“It’s just exciting to work with a group of exceptional craft people.”
Blacksmith artist at Holkham Forge, James Spedding, said: “The rural nature of the county makes these networks even more important because it’s not natural that you bump into other artists.
“You have to make efforts to nurture and cultivate those connections.”
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Veterans have been invited to Holkham Forge to see the project first-hand.
Former Royal Military Police officer Kate Holvey-Williams left the armed forces just 12 days before the ban on being openly gay in the army was lifted in 2000.
She said she hopes the artwork will bring some closure to soldiers, sailors and airmen forced out of the armed forces.
In addition to An Opened Letter, the group has also recently been commissioned to create a piece for the Time and Tide Museum in Great Yarmouth, paid for by the National Grid.
