KIRKCUDBRIGHT Galleries will begin to hang artistic works from the town’s many creative forces from this weekend.
The three-month exhibition has been commissioned to mark ten years since the opening of local art studio, Cannonwalls & Claverhouse.
The previously council-owned High Street building was bought-up by arts organisation Workshop and Artist Studios Provision Scotland (Wasps) in 2010 and transformed into 14 studios for artists living in Kirkcudbright.
A decade on, Cannonwalls & Claverhouse boast a vibrant and diverse artistic community and hosts a range of creative practices including printmaking, graphics, photography, film, theatre, textiles, sculpture, artist books, research and writing.
The new showcase, titled Ten Years On, will be go display at Kirkcudbright Galleries from Saturday, July 10 to Sunday, November 28.
It is being supported by Dumfries and Galloway Council and will feature works from the studio’s current and former tenants, including Nickie Newsum, Laura Derby, Catherine Coulson, Claire Cameron-Smith, Ian Cameron-Smith, Cate Ross, Hannah Morris, Ian Cameron-Smith, Lizzie Farey, Maggie Ayres, Margaret Milligan, Marianne Davidson, Ross Fleming, Patti Lean and Sarah Thomas.
Initially, the artists’ plan was to celebrate the anniversary earlier this year, but the global pandemic meant they were forced to move the timing of the exhibitions until it was possible for visitors to move around the country and enter public spaces safely.
Patti Lean, one of the featured artists helping curate the exhibition, found herself isolated in Europe for seven months, only recently managing to return home to Dumfries and Galloway.
She said ahead of the show opening: “This exhibition presents an illustration of the creativity in this area, and also highlights the potential for facilities like Cannonwalls & Claverhouse to bring artistic communities together.
“It has been invaluable to my work, and I hope that our visitors, in person and online, enjoy viewing what our Kirkcudbright artists have produced over the years.
“I’m delighted to be back in Dumfries and Galloway to see it happen.”
Furthermore, for those unable to visit Kirkcudbright Galleries physically, Wasps are hosting a parallel digital exhibition, which has already gone live.
Details on how to attend can be found on Wasps’ website, www.waspsstudios.org.uk
