Venture Arts Trustee, Tutor and Artist exhibit work in MCR Sew Social Exhibition

As part of this month's International Women's Day celebrations MCR Sew Social have curated an exhibition titled, 'What does International Women's Day mean to you?'

  MCR Sew Social was established in 2018 and is run by textile artists Rowan Bridgwood and Louisa Hammond. A community of textile and fibre artists who meet in Greater Manchester, their ambition is to create a community of makers, bringing people together to create socially, to enhance a sense of well-being.   In celebration of this year's International Women's Day they brought together a collection of Manchester based female textile artists, showcasing a variety of textile mediums, from hand embroidery, weaving, sculpture, cross stitch, collage and appliqué.   We're thrilled that three members of the Venture Arts family had work selected as part of the exhibition; Sally Hirst (artist), Louisa Hammond (artist tutor) and Lynn Setterington (Trustee board member).  

  'Greta Thunberg' is a hand embroidered textile piece by talented artist, Sally Hirst. She created the piece during lockdown this year, inspired by her admiration for Greta Thunberg and her passion to fight climate change. She also felt connected to Greta, both having autism. Sally told us,

“My textile piece is a Greta Thunberg rag doll who wears a cape with the autism infinity logo as she says autism is her superpower and she is also holding up a slashing banner which says School strike for climate (in Swedish) and she is sitting on a water slashing Banner to represent flooding, and behind her is a destroying the earth slashing banner as Greta Thunberg anxiously watches humans destroying the earth and above her (which is actually old plastic pouches) is a  metaphor of the glass ceiling.   She then breaks the glass ceiling to create action by public speaking and Saving the World. Out of respect for Greta Thunberg all of the materials  I used were either small scraps of fabric, old clothing that I would have been thrown away, things from the recycling bin, reused old artwork or materials that I already had - I did not buy anything particularly for this project.”

  Venture Arts tutor, Louisa Hammond, exhibited her hand embroidered banner, 'A Woman's Work is Never Done'. Venture Arts Trustee, Lynn Setterington exhibited her piece, 'Sew Near - Sew Far'. You can find out more about these pieces and read about the other works on display in the exhibition catalogue, which can be found in Issuu here.   You can also view and explore the exhibition in ArtSteps here.   Follow MCR Sew Social on Instagram at @mcr_sewsocial     #InternationalWomensDay2021 #ChooseToChallenge