Eggsplore Trail brought to life by Ceramic Technician Sarah with York School of Art student Lisa's help

Our Ceramic Technician Sarah Schiewe’s free ceramic sculpture Eggsplore trails will be coming to the streets of York and Haxby from 28th March to 12th April.

One of the sculptures has even been designed by a York College University Centre student Lisa Foster, who is currently in her second year on our York School of Art BA (Hons) Graphic and Communication Design degree, having previously completed an Access to Higher Education Art & Design diploma with us after attending an Adult Summer Showcase session in July 2022.

Sarah is a former College student, herself, having graduated as a BA (Hons) 3D Contemporary Crafts degree student after completing an Access to HE course. She has also attended adult classes in CAD (Computer-Aided Design) Parametric Modelling and German.

Her Schiewe Ceramics business secured funding for the project from the Vibrant and Sustainable High Street Fund, which is supported by York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority Mayor David Skaith.

Despite being a huge undertaking, Sarah is now hoping that the trail can be established as an annual event.

Lisa’s design was the winning concept from a competition to design one of the sculptures that was open to undergraduates on our BA (Hons) Graphic and Communication Design and BA (Hons) 3D Creative Practice courses.

Explaining why Lisa was chosen as the winner, Sarah said: “I chose Lisa’s entry because her work showed a real willingness to explore and experiment.

"She incorporated a range of techniques - from illustration and lino print to mixed media - demonstrating both versatility and confidence in trying new methods.

"Her inspiration was thoughtfully developed and she built on it in a way that felt personal and authentic. By combining strong influences with elements of her own creative voice, she produced a series of thoughtful and visually engaging outcomes that stood out within the competition.”

Lisa's sculpture is now being exhibited on a plinth at the Pyramid Gallery in Stonegate as part of the trail and is inspired by the story of the York School of Art, her own educational journey at York College and her life, including the IVF birth of her son.

Outlining the concept behind her piece, Lisa said: “I am very excited and proud to be given this opportunity. I wanted my design in part to represent my very intense and challenging College journey, which has been so rewarding and varied over the past four years.

“My initial inspiration was Mark Hearld - a York artist whom I very much admire and has studied and been a tutor at College. His work often features birds and animals, is very colourful and he frequently uses collage and print making which are mediums I particularly enjoy.

“I wanted to include some of the many projects we have worked on during the courses, including lino prints I produced during print and bookmaking (York Railway Station), book cover design (Wuthering Heights) and painting and drawing (Askham Bog). During my studies, I quickly discovered I had a love of surface pattern and I have also included references to my life outside College as a wife and mother and my previous career for many years as a veterinary surgeon. 

“Eggs played a huge part in the birth of my son in my early 40s when I was very lucky to conceive using a donor egg. I have included a human egg to allude to this, made using Tetra Pak - a recycled material used in printmaking. Also, the anatomy of a chicken’s egg is a reference to a dear friend and previous lecturer of mine, who was an expert in avian anatomy and taught at Edinburgh Vet school for many years. The crow on the nest may be looking in to steal something shiny or even some of the eggs. 

"There are also quotations included on the bird's feathers, which keep me going from day to day. Many are from poetry or literature, some are from friends, relatives and tutors who have encouraged me when I have floundered.

“As my son approaches his 18th birthday next month and I turn 60 in September, having retired from one compelling and engrossing career, which I loved, I feel very lucky to have found something new, different, but very rewarding, to immerse myself into.”  

There will be 14 other sculptures on the York trail and 12 exhibits on the Haxby trail, each incorporating an egg theme.

Everybody who completes the York or Haxby trails will be entered into a prize draw to win a luxury local hamper and the chance to commission a bespoke ceramic sculpture.

At the end of the project, meanwhile, the sculptures will be auctioned to raise funds for Door 84, a local youth charity.

A map of the York trail can be downloaded here 

A map of the Haxby trail can be downloaded here

To learn more about our BA (Hons) Graphic & Communication Design degree, please click here

For more details on all our York School of Art courses, visit here

Want to discuss any of our degree, higher-level, vocational, T Level, A Level and adult courses or apprenticeships with our expert team of tutors and check out our state-of-the-art facilities? Then, please come along to our next Open Event. Details on dates can be found here