News / 22nd March 2024
Artist Behind Linen Quarter Artwork Discusses Fascinating Story Of How It Came To Be
Louise Walsh In Conversation With Amanda Ferguson
A Linen Quarter BID Event For Imagine! Festival Of Politics & Ideas
As a local place-making agency, LQ BID are honoured to be stewards of the historic and vibrant Linen Quarter of Belfast City Centre.
One of our areas of work is to promote all of the unique and quality attractions which can be found across the district.
One such piece is the well known Statue to the Unknown Woman Worker, which sits outside Great Northern Mall and is appreciated by millions of visitors passing through Europa Bus and Train Station every year.
On March 21st 2024, we were delighted to bring Louise Walsh, artist behind the sculpture, back to Belfast for an In Conversation event with Amanda Ferguson, as part of the 10th Annual Imagine Festival of Politics & Ideas.
During the event attendees heard first hand from Louise about how her publicly banned artwork, which intended to draw attention to the contribution of women’s work and emphasise how female labour is often underpaid and underappreciated, became tied up in a political and media frenzy in the 1980’s, with one headline at the time reading ‘Belfast has no heart for Tarts,’ before a private developer agreed to host it at it’s current home on Great Victoria Street.
Thank you to Louise for sharing further insight about this much loved statue, which residents and visitors to the Linen Quarter will no doubt enjoy for many more years to come.
Event Photos
