Cardiff’s Betty Campbell monument wins public vote at prestigious statues awards

The Betty Campbell Monument has been announced as the winner of the public vote at the prestigious Public Statues and Sculpture Association PSSA Marsh Awards 2022 for Excellence in Public Sculpture.

The Betty Campbell Monument was designed and created by renowned figurative sculptor Eve Shepherd. It was unveiled in Cardiff city centre in September 2021 following a campaign by the Monumental Welsh Women group.

For the first time in the history of the awards, the public were given a chance to vote for their favourite work at the awards announced tonight.

Sculptor Eve Shepherd said: “I am truly honoured that The Betty Campbell Monument has won the Public vote.

“Who, in my opinion, is better qualified to judge sculptures made for public spaces, than the public themselves!

“A public sculpture depicting not only women, but the black community has been long overdue and I’m proud of the Monumental Welsh Women’s Committee, Betty Campbell’s family, the people of Cardiff and the Black community for entrusting me to represent this sculpture and an incredible woman.

“Thank you to all who took the time out of their busy lives to vote for The Betty Campbell Monument.”

‘Impact’

The Betty Campbell Monument is the first of five statues of named Welsh women being erected by Monumental Welsh Women and was the first ever statue of a non-fictionalised Welsh woman erected in a public space in Wales.

People voted from a shortlist of nine public works of sculpture from across the UK:

• Alex Chinneck, A Spring in your Step, Circus Street, Brighton, Sussex
• Alexandre da Cunha, Sunset, Sunrise, Sunset, Battersea Power Station Underground, London SW8
• Laurence Edwards, A Rich Seam, Print Office Street, Doncaster, West Yorkshire
• Laurence Edwards, Yoxman, The Suffolk Colossus, Cockfield Hall, Yoxford, Suffolk
• Diane Lawrenson, Contemplation, Anne Lister, Piece Hall, Halifax, West Yorkshire
• Veronica Ryan, Custard Apple (Annonaceae), Breadfruit (Moraceae) and Soursop (Annonaceae), Narrow Way Square, Hackney, London E8
• Eve Shepherd, The Betty Campbell Monument, Central Square, Cardiff, Wales
• Lee Simmons – The Tay Whale, Dundee Waterfront, Dundee, Scotland
• Ben Twiston-Davies, Ebenezer Howard, Howardsgate, Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire

Helen Molyneux, Chair of Monumental Welsh Women said she was “delighted that Eve Shepherd’s groundbreaking monument of Betty Campbell has been honoured in this way”.

“It’s a true testament to the visual and emotional impact that the monument has had in its relatively short time in situ in Cardiff City Centre.

“Eve Shepherd’s multi-layered work has been taken into the hearts of people not only in Wales, but the world over and this award is a wonderful honour to our monumental women.”

The Betty Campbell Monument was also shortlisted for the Public Statues and Sculpture Association Marsh Award for Excellence in Public Sculpture, the winner of which – Veronica Ryan – was decided by a judging panel.