Silver figures can now be seen all over Perth and these sculptures are designed to bring special women whose lives should be celebrated into wider public awareness.
The hollow Wire Women silhouettes are part of Raise The Roof 2022 and will be out on the Fair City streets to create curiosity and wonder until September.
This summer, Raise the Roof invites everyone to explore the hidden tales of adventurous, brave and innovative women.
“Artists, engineers, tea ladies and Olympic medallists – our trailblazing women have been immortalised in sculpture and all have a story to tell,” wrote Sharon Sampson Jones, who compiled the stories of each special female figure that has been created from wire by artist Vanessa Lawrence.
“Our women have been chosen as trailblazers in their field by a number of local community groups.
“These groups then worked closely with a local artist to research the woman and create a project to understand more about her and her art.
“All the work was shared with artist Vanessa Lawrence who developed the sculptures that you will discover on our trail.”
Anyone with a bit of time is encouraged to follow the sculpture trail around the city. Walking the trail will ensure that 20 inspirational stories and extraordinary deeds that changed the course of our history, society and culture can be discovered.
They can be found mainly clustered around the city centre but also on the edge - at Branklyn Gardens to Dewars Centre.
Take figure number nine at Bell’s Sports Centre, for example, which salutes Olympic athlete Eilidh Doyle.
Eilidh Doyle, née Child, was born in Perth in 1987 and has become one of Scotland’s most successful athletes.
She first joined Pitreavie AAC at nine years old and her love of sport propelled her to complete a degree in Physical Education at Edinburgh University.
Following this, she taught PE at Perth Grammar School, leaving only to focus on her training.
Eilidh has carved out a remarkable career, winning 17 international medals, holding multiple records in hurdles and relay, and competing in the Olympics twice – London 2012, followed by Rio in 2016 when she won bronze for the British team. She officially retired from competition in 2021 to focus on her family and explore a different career in sports.
Figure 19 on Kinnoull Hill looks at traveller and writer, Jess Smith.
Jess, born in Aberfeldy in 1948, is a proud descendant of the travelling community and a renowned author and storyteller.
From the age of five to 15 Jess lived with her seven sisters and parents in a single-decker blue Bedford bus.
She has published several books inspired by the lives of her ancestors and her community, including three autobiographies.
Jess visits schools, universities and prisons using storytelling to raise awareness of the travellers’ culture and community.
She is the patron of the young Travellers’ rights organisation and won the Herald Society Equalities Project of the Year Award in 2012.
People are being encouraged to get up close for a selfie and raise the roof for these amazing women on social media, using the hashtags: #storiesofwomenperth, #YS2022 and #TalesOfScotland.
To find a map visit https://www.perthcity.co.uk/section/raise-the-roof-2022/follow-the-sculpture-trail or pick up a printed map in most independent shops in Perth, at the museum and also at the Visitor Centre.
