CITY OF RIVERS
The rivers that have shaped Sheffield over the centuries are celebrated with an exhibition at Weston Park Museum
Sheffield is a city born from its rivers, sculpting the landscape and powering the industries that made it prosper.
Today, they’re the arteries that flow through the urban sprawl, continuing to shape the character of the city and our lives in it. From vast reser voirs and cascading weirs to the brooks that trickle through our many green spaces, they also provide a home for a rich abundance of local wildlife.
City of Rivers brings together a wide range of historic and contemporary artwork, stories, objects, film and photographs to chronicle Sheffield’s relationship with its water ways. Drawing on contributions from people across the city, it reflects on our connections to them in our work, leisure time and our impact on the natural habitats they represent. Visitors will discover art, poetry and film by Alison Churchill, Holly Clifford, Catherine Higham, Ruth Levene, Joe Scarborough, Harriet Tarlo, Benjamin Tassie and more.
Over 300 artworks and objects on display include:
Robert Hudson, Brook Scene, Endcliffe Woods, Sheffield (1870-1884): Robert Hudson was a Sheffield artist who predominately painted landscapes. In this painting, Hudson depicts an autumnal day in Endcliffe Woods (now known as Endcliffe Park).
Alison Churchill, Water Marks (2022): Informed by practices of both Zen and Zen calligraphy, Alison describes her work as exploring ‘…the mystery, energ y and transformative power of water. Long contemplation of the constantly changing and mesmerising patterns which play on the surfaces of the streams, mill-ponds and mill-races in Sheffield’s Porter Valley has given me direct experience of the life-force energ y of the natural world.’
We Enjoy (2022): This collage was created as part of ‘We Make It Happen Together’, a partnership project between Efficiency North and Ignite Imaginations in 2022, working with community groups to create largescale works of art in the city. Artist Ali Bird says: ‘This piece is based on what people enjoy about the riverside environment. The participants experimented with gel printing, stencil printing and carbon transfer drawings to create layered images. These were then collaged together with leaves stencil printed over to “knit” the images together.’
Otter (Lutra lutra): Otters were almost completely wiped out from the Sheffield region as a result of hunting, persecution and water pollution. As people have become more tolerant of wildlife and the rivers have become cleaner, they are slowly repopulating Sheffield’s rivers.
A Sosell, A Faithful Friend (1895): This poster was used to advertise ‘Melie &Co’s High Class Teas’. Depict
