A giant tansy beetle has appeared in the Museum Gardens – to tease an exciting new heritage trail coming to York.
The painting was created by York-based artist, Wim Standish, this morning (Wednesday) and reveals the theme of the York Trailblazers trail which will take place from May to September 2024.
The tansy beetle sculpture trail will appear across the city, and will form part of the wider Trailblazers project.
Trailblazers will be an interactive and inclusive city-wide programme of events and activities, created by York Civic Trust in partnership with Make It York, and supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
They have been awarded £249,999 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to deliver the project.
Local artists will be commissioned to customise 20 giant tansy beetles, to tell the stories of York’s greatest and lesser-known Trailblazers.
Known as ‘The Jewel of York’, the endangered tansy beetle has been chosen as the symbol of the Trailblazer project – reflecting its special status as a York resident given its riverside habitat along the banks of the River Ouse.
Like the perseverance of the Tansy Beetle, it will echo the history of people from York who have blazed their own trails locally, nationally and globally to make the world a better place.
Helen Apsey, head of culture and wellbeing at Make It York, said: “We’re really excited to be able to reveal the theme of the York Trailblazers trail, and huge thanks to Wim for creating today’s incredible Tansy Beetle artwork.
“As a powerful emblem of environmental heritage, the 2024 trail’s giant Tansy Beetle sculptures will represent and be unique to York – and we’ll be combining their symbolism with the artwork that’s created on each sculpture, which will represent York’s trailblazing residents throughout history.”
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York Civic Trust and Make It York will work with a mix of 40 organisations, from small voluntary groups to big institutions, to uncover lesser-known heritage stories of York’s people and places to empower and inspire a new generation.
Andrew Morrison, chief executive officer at York Civic Trust, said: “Our project York Trailblazers will be a fantastic opportunity for people to discover and celebrate the heritage stories of people who are important to their communities.
“The National Heritage Lottery Fund’s support of our project is an incredible boost and will enable the project to reach out to all parts of the city.”
To find out more about the Trailblazers project, head over to the Visit York website.
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