Sally Shaw attended the unveiling of the statue created by the Turner Prize-winning artist Gillian Wearing to commemorate the suffragist leader Millicent Fawcett at Parliament Square yesterday.
The Firstsite Director was part of the commissioning group invited to be part of the panel of specialists who put together a long-list of artists for the monument. Following Wearing’s selection, Shaw was involved in the development of the work, from proposal to final work.
Shaw also encouraged the decision to work with AB Fine Art Foundry in East London, where much of the suffrage movement in London took root. The foundry is close to the Bryant and May match factory in Bow. AB Fine Art also employs several women founders who were directly involved in the production process.
Said Shaw: ‘Being involved in commemorating the Suffragist movement by commissioning a statue of Millicent Fawcett for Parliament Square, London, has been a profound experience and an amazing privilege. My fellow panel members are all incredible women and I have learned a great deal about how art and creativity can be a powerful tool for improving equality for everyone. I hope to put that learning into practice in my day to day work at Firstsite.’
As a member of the commissioning group, Shaw was able to invite ten other inspirational women from Colchester to the launch. These included Sonia Coode-Adams MBE, Cllr Julie Young, Maria Wilby, Jahanara Loqueman, Rachel Walton, Vibha Osbon, Iman Mortagy and Sue Hogan.
