Currer, Acton and Ellis: The Brontë signatures loom large in the Yorkshire landscape

A new piece of public art will go on display along the Brontë Way, West Yorkshire, this autumn as part of Brontë Parsonage Museum’s five-year programme celebrating the bicentenaries of the Brontës’ births.

Sew Near - Sew Far, a collaboration between celebrated textile artist Lynn Setterington and Brontë Parsonage Museum, will see a large-scale, textile artwork at three sites on the Brontë Way; each one celebrating the famous signatures of the literary sisters.

Artist Lynn Setterington said: “Signatures are an important marker of identity and the Brontë sisters famously used pseudonyms at their time of writing to disguise the fact they were women.

“I’m creating an artwork for Brontë Parsonage Museum exploring the adopted and real signatures of Charlotte, Emily and Anne Brontë. I’ll be working with local people to develop the artworks and inviting them to add their own signatures to the piece.

“We’re also creating a film documenting the whole process, which will be shown later in the year. I’ll be collaborating with community groups, volunteers and local people in West Yorkshire to create Sew Near - Sew Far and capturing the process is an important part of the artwork.”

On display from 30 September to 14 October 2017, Sew Near - Sew Far forms part of of Brontë200, a five-year programme from Brontë Parsonage Museum celebrating the bicentenaries of the births of four of the Brontës - Charlotte in 2016, Branwell in 2017, Emily in 2018 and Anne in 2020.

Sew Near - Sew Far marks the museum’s first outdoor exhibition.

Lauren Livesey, Arts Officer at Brontë Parsonage Museum said: “Whilst we have a long standing reputation of working with leading artists, this project with Lynn will be a first for Brontë Parsonage Museum as we take the exhibition out of the museum and into the landscape that was so important to the Brontës.

“We’ve been able to work with local communities as part of the project and really involve people in our Brontë200 celebrations.”

Sew Near - Sew Far is presented as part of Meeting Point2, a year-long project led by contemporary art agency Arts&Heritage that sees artists partner with museums in Yorkshire, the North West and the North East to produce new artworks inspired by the museums and their collections.

Timandra Nichols, director at Arts&Heritage said: “Lynn has continued to challenge how people perceive embroidery by using innovative techniques to create her artworks.

“Sew Near - Sew Far has been created with the local community ensuring it’s inclusive and something everyone can experience and enjoy. It will give visitors to Brontë Way a whole new way to experience Brontë Parsonage Museum.”

Sew Near - Sew Far goes on display at sites near the Brontë Bridge and Waterfall on the Brontë Way from 30 September to 14 October. A film documenting the collaboration with Brontë Parsonage Museum will be screened later in the year.

Special preview events for the local community and those involved in creating the artwork with Lynn Setterington will be held on Wednesday 27 and Saturday 30 September.

For more information about Sew Near - Sew Far, visit www.bronte.org.uk

For more information about Meeting Point2, visit www.artsandheritage.org.uk