Exciting news! Our sculptor Eve Shepherd has won a major award for her 2021 monument to Welshwoman Betty Campbell. When the public was asked to vote in the Public Statues and Sculpture Association (PSSA) Marsh Awards for Excellence in Public Sculpture, they chose Eve’s stunning monument to Wales’ first black head-teacher, unveiled in Cardiff last year.
We're thrilled, for it shows you’ve picked a winner to sculpt Emily Williamson. Eve Shepherd is one of the most exciting sculptors working in Britain today. Investing in a limited edition maquette of Emily for £11,000 is likely to prove a savvy asset – while helping our statue become a reality. To find out more, contact Andrew Simcock at info@emilywilliamsonstatue.com.
Statue campaigns take time, but we're making progress. We’ve sold two maquettes and also raised £9,138 via crowd-funding. Can we make it to £10k by the new year? DONATE HERE.
Incredibly, just 5% of British statues are of named women – but now there’s a growing movement to redress the balance (see https://www.invisiblewomen.org.uk/). It's been a good year for statues: here are four unveiled in 2022, each a triumph of teamwork and fund-raising:
Clockwise from top left:
Mary Anning: Pioneering palaeontologist; Lyme Regis. By Denise Dutton.
Elizabeth Wolstenholme Elmy: Lifelong campaigner for women’s rights; Congleton. By Hazel Reeves.
Virginia Woolf: Iconic feminist author, Richmond, London. By Laury Dizengremel (shortlisted for Emily Williamson statue).
Dame Ethel Smythe: Conductor, suffragette and early LGBTQ+ figure. By Christine Charlesworth.
The Emily Williamson statue campaign got a boost this summer with the visit of TV’s Antiques Road Trip. Presenter Margie Cooper met Emma Marsh of the RSPB in Emily WIlliamson's living room at the Croft – the same room where Emily started her ‘Wear No Feathers’ campaign in 1889. Margie (below) was incredulous to hear all about hats, feathers, ‘murderous millinery,’ and the anti-fashion origins of the RSPB. WATCH THE CLIP HERE
Emma Marsh, Director for RSPB England and Andrew Simcock, Emily Williamson Statue Campaign Chair, in Emily's living room at the Croft, Fletcher Moss Park, Didsbury.
NEWSFLASH!
The Croft, home to Emily and Robert Williamson from 1882–1912, now stands empty, and Manchester City Council is exploring options for its use. Want to see inside? Click HERE to watch Andrew’s guided tour. We would love to see this historic building at the heart of Fletcher Moss Park help tell the inspiring story of Emily Williamson, eco pioneer. Watch this space...
Happy New Year to you all - and thank you for supporting us on the journey so far. As Emily Williamson showed, from small beginnings, great things can grow.
Great cause! Well done Andrew Simcock for promoting the memory of more women (apart from Queen Victoria) in Manchester. But would like to see the Croft in Fletcher Moss Park still used as a tea room!