4 minute read
Eve Shepherd announced as winning sculptor of A Statue for Emily Williamson
Advertisement
Above: Eve Shepherd announced as winning sculptor of a statue for Emily Williamson. Announcement made at Manchester Art Gallery.
After the casting of thousands of public votes Eve Shepherd has been chosen as the sculptor who will create a statue of RSPB founder and eco pioneer Emily Williamson (1855-1936).
Once an untold story, this is now a story that has captured the heart of the nation and which Eve will bring alive with her beautiful sculptural tribute to Emily. Over 12,000 people have voted in this final stage of the campaign, with the public having already narrowed down from 24 initial designs to four shortlisted designs, each of which was created into a maquette (miniature statue).
Eve’s striking design is truly captivating; it both encapsulates Emily Williamson the young woman and then, though Eve’s creative genius, reflects her story and her legacy in the ruffles of her crinoline skirt. A look with a closer eye reveals Emily’s skirts are actually a cliff-face punctuated with vignettes depicting the birds once used in Victorian millinery that she campaigned to save. www.lancmag.com
Eve Shepherd’s most recent work celebrated the achievements of another great woman; educational and equality campaigner Betty Campbell, whose statue was unveiled in Wales in September 2021.
Sculptor Eve Shepherd says, “I’m deeply honoured to be chosen to create the Emily Williamson statue for Fletcher Moss Park, Manchester and the bird loving community. I feel very humbled and privileged to sculpt such an important pioneer and eco-activist. She was an incredible visionary, a quiet, yet stoic woman, who stood against the norms of her day. She cocreated a legacy, the RSPB, a charity that has saved countless bird lives and protected precious natural habitats for future generations to enjoy. In my eyes Emily is a shining beacon of how we can save our fragile ecosystem in these unprecedented times.
“Emily Williamson was one of those amazing women who has been forgotten because of her gender. This statue will be a triumph, a milestone, for how far we have come to balance the scales of equality for women within public sculpture, though we still have some distance to go. I am so very delighted and excited to have been selected to be part of this!”
Beccy Speight, CEO of the RSPB, says, “I’m delighted that over 12,000 people took part in the vote to decide this important, timely statue for Emily Williamson. 100 years ago, alongside other determined, inspirational women, Emily successfully campaigned to stop the slaughter of millions of birds for fashion. While the RSPB which they founded has grown and evolved, campaigning is still at the heart of what we do, perfectly illustrated as we took to the UK’s streets during COP26 to demand that world leaders urgently address the nature and climate emergency which threatens wildlife, habitats and humanity itself.
“Eve Shepherd’s glorious, beautifully detailed vision of Emily serves as a reflection to the past, our heritage and the unbreakable bond between nature and people. But crucially, this statue can inspire the next generation, who understand the power and fragility of nature, and will be reminded by Emily’s legacy, that there is always hope, and the fight must continue.”
Chair of the Emily Williamson Statue Campaign, Andrew Simcock, says, “We had four exceptionally high quality entries on this shortlist. On behalf of the Selection Committee I’d like to thank Clare Abbatt, Billie Bond and Laury Dizengremel for their massive contribution to this contest. Their designs all polled well with the public and it is telling that less than 1% of those voting said ‘none of the above.”
“As I toured the four countries of the UK visiting RSPB reserves with the maquettes there was tremendous engagement with the designs. Eve’s, in particular, was a big hit with children. There was a real sense of their delight as they realised how many birds were present in Emily’s skirt.
“Many congratulations to Eve and I really look forward to working with her to create this statue of Emily Williamson.”
Author and social historian Tessa Boase, who has done so much to bring this project to life, says, “Sculptor Eve Shepherd is renowned for the depth of her research, and her iconoclastic approach to public artwork. Her statue of Emily Williamson will be an inspiring monument not just to a woman, but to the beauty and vulnerability of birdlife.
“If we want the next generation to cherish nature and to safeguard biodiversity, we need to engage young minds and hearts – through telling stories. This statue will contain a multitude of stories and species, drawing the viewer back again and again. Shepherd’s proposed use of augmented reality technology to enhance interpretation will bring an exciting extra dimension.”
Above: Emily Williamson ©Bateson family archive
The Emily Williamson Statue Campaign will be focusing on fundraising activities in the coming months, which will include the release of twenty limited edition maquettes of Eve’s design.
To make an expression of interest email: andrew4didsbury@gmail.com
Emily’s statue will be unveiled on 17 April 2023 (her birthday) and will stand in Fletcher Moss Park in Didsbury, in the grounds of her former home and from where her campaigning began.
For further information on the Emily Williamson Statue Campaign visit: www.emilywilliamsonstatue.com
