The FREE Create to Escape Exhibition is open at the Drill Hall in Dalmeny Street until TODAY – Friday 8th September!
Hurry – this excellent exhibition closes at 2pm!
PICTURES David Bishop/ArtSquat
The young people who attend Spartans Alternative School are excited to share with you their up and coming art exhibition CREATE TO ESCAPE
Where: Out Of The Blue Drill Hall, 36 Dalmeny Street, Edinburgh, EH6 8RG
When: 5th – 8th September 2023
Exhibition and coffee shop
Open daily 10am-5pm Friday 10-2pm.
The collection of collaborative work by the Young people attending the Alternative School at Spartans Community Football Academy explores the interaction between art, mental health, social identity, and personal perception.
Through spray painting, film, sculpture, design, music, and photography, young people take art outside the curriculum to create space for escapism and well-being within their sometimes hectic and stressful days.
You will also get the chance to see CONCRETE JUNGLE, a film written and directed by the young people and filmed and edited by Rory Easton. This was a collaborative project with writer in residence, Edinburgh International Book Festival’s Chris Barkley.
Sales from the Exhibition will raise money for the charity Turn The Tables DJ, which offers workshops to improve mental health for those affected by homelessness
This exhibition has been possible with the support from ArtSquat, a charity that supports artists on low income to showcase their work.
We are very excited to see you there!
Your Art World
FREE
National Galleries of Scotland: National
24 June 2023 – 14 April 2024
A sculpture created by school children in Orkney will arrive at its new home in the National at the National Galleries of Scotland this month. Named Bob, the inspirational artwork has been travelling across Scotland touring to schools and communities to highlight the importance of art for young people.
Bob has become a school mascot, spreading the children’s important message to protect our world from pollution.
Created by Dounby Community School the sculpture will join the Your Art World exhibition, which opens today (24 June).
The exhibition aims to engage with young people and encourage them to think creatively, supporting future generations of artists.
Digital screens will also display the artwork from over 270 incredible 3-18 year olds who uploaded their creations to the website. The young people could be as imaginative as they liked and use any type of materials for their creations, resulting in a superb and broad range of artwork.
The exhibition is a celebration of what happens when young people are encouraged to be wildly imaginative with no limitations.
Families and young people inspired by the creativity will also be able to get involved in making their own creations in the galleries this Summer.
With a specially created ‘make and share’ area allowing them to produce and upload their own work to the website. There is also the added bonus of having their artwork added to the digital showcase on the screens.
Four core groups have created spectacular physical installations for the exhibition, which will be displayed alongside the collection of digital art works.
Dounby Community school’s installation will feature, as well as creations from young people in their final year at Galashiels secondary school and Granton Primary.
A group of children and their families from PAMIS, an organisation in Scotland working with people with profound and multiple learning disabilities for a better life, are also featured.
Touring to schools and communities, Bob has challenged children across the country to make and share their own creations.
Giving them the opportunity of having their own works displayed on digital screens as part of the final exhibition at the National. Bob visited Inverness, Skye, Aberdeen, West Lothian, Dundee, Fife, Stirling, Glasgow and Galashiels along the way.
Even taking a trip to Holyrood to join Orkney MSP Liam McArthur (top), where the school pupils were commended in the Scottish Parliament for their hard work.
The creation was inspired by Dounby Community School’s chosen theme of ‘protect’, with the children making a life size character named Trashy.
Made of rubbish found on the beach, the sculpture is a meaningful representation of their desire to protect the world from climate change. As a friend for Trashy they created Bob as their mascot.
Bob will soon re-join Trashy at the Your Art World exhibition, as part of the wider installation created by the 152 pupils from Dounby Community School.
Dounby Community School Head Teacher, Islean Gibson, said: “Being part of such an amazing gallery exhibition has given everyone here at Dounby School such a sense of pride and motivation.
“Sharing our thoughts and ideas as part of a national project has really inspired our whole school community. The power of creation will have a lasting legacy.
“It makes me swell with pride every day seeing just how impactful creativity can be for a wee school and its community. I would wholeheartedly recommend everyone take that step into Your Art World and see where it takes you!”
Siobhan McConnachie, Head of Learning and Engagement, National Galleries of Scotland, said: ‘I feel so excited and proud to be showcasing the art work of the talented young artists of Scotland.
“The response to challenges has been truly inspiring and we have been so impressed with everyone’s creativity. The Your Art World project is incredibly important to us at National Galleries of Scotland as it hands over the creative process to young people and celebrates their work.
“Art has its place in every school, home and young person’s life, whether that be encouraging people to think creatively, use it as an expressive outlet or simply for some fun, this project and exhibition celebrates that art really is for everyone.’
This exhibition is made possible thanks to funds raised by players of People’s Postcode Lottery, who have raised more than £5 million awarded by Postcode Culture Trust to support National Galleries of Scotland.
All submissions can be viewed via the online gallery and will also be displayed digitally at the National until spring 2024.
ARTISTIC EXPRESSIONS FROM NORTH EDINBURGH AND WESTER HAILES
29th – 30th April 2023, 11am – 6pm (daily)
Opening event: Friday 28th April, 6pm – 9pm
Venue: Granton Hub (Madelvic House, Granton Park Avenue, Edinburgh EH5 1HS)
Join us for ’Rooted in Community: Artistic Expressions from North Edinburgh and Wester Hailes’, an exhibition showcasing the work of local artists as part of Create Community Wealth – a collaborative community wealth building project, delivered in partnership between WHALE Arts, North Edinburgh Arts, SCOREscotland and Passion4Fusion.
The project aims to support local people living in North Edinburgh and Wester Hailes to explore their creative and enterprising ideas, to tackle social exclusion and improve wellbeing and local economic prospects through creativity.
The exhibition, ‘Rooted in Community’, is a celebration of community and diversity, highlighting the unique experiences and diverse cultures of people living in North Edinburgh and Wester Hailes.
Through their work, the artists explore themes such as community, identity, grief and mental health, inviting us to reflect on our own experiences and engage with the world around us.
From colourful paintings to representative photography, sculpture, portraits and pencil drawings, we invite you to take a journey through the works on display, each one telling a different story about life in North Edinburgh and Wester Hailes.
Through their art, these talented individuals demonstrate the power of community and the importance of self-expression.
For many of the artists featured, this is their first exhibition, and the Create Community Wealth team are delighted to support them in showcasing their work publicly.
The exhibition is a testament to the importance and power of community, providing a platform for emerging artists to showcase their talent and connect with a wider audience.
As we come together to celebrate the creativity and diversity of our community, we hope that this exhibition will inspire us to continue to support and uplift one another, as we work towards building a more inclusive and equitable society.
We hope you’ll be able to come along!
EDINBURGH’s award-winning five-star Kimpton Charlotte Square Hotel has welcomed the new season through an new exhibition, ‘Gilded Attestation’, presented in partnership with local gallery Alpha Art.
With many looking out for the first signs of spring, including the arrival of the spectacular cherry blossom trees in the meadows, the hotel has collaborated with artists that beautifully encapsulate nature coming to life after a cold winter.
The new exhibition showcase works by Jack Frame, who is particularly renowned for his oil painted cherry blossom trees suspended in the centre of the canvas, isolated from all other natural elements on gold and silver leaf backgrounds.
Due to his growing popularity, he is on track to become one of the UK’s most collectable artists.
The display also features works by artist Russell Hatton, who uses gold leaf and deep colours to create reflective polished surfaces onto aluminium.
His technique of using high-tech industrial paints allows him to create striking pieces that test the boundaries of art by using non-traditional materials. Russell’s finish creates a space illusion which reflects the wonders of the universe.
Established in 2006, Alpha Art is an independent contemporary gallery located in Stockbridge. The gallery represents a wide variety of emerging and established international artists. The gallery presents a selection of events throughout the year, taking part in several festivals and contemporary art fairs. The ‘Gilded Attestation’ exhibition showcasing at the hotel is a first for the gallery.
Guests and members of the public are invited to see Jack and Russell’s work on display at Kimpton Charlotte Square from Monday 27 March and will continue until mid-May.
For artwork purchasing queries, please contact: info@alpha-art.co.uk
For the last five Friday afternoons, the Craigroyston Community High School pupils below have been working with the Granton Youth Project and the City Art Centre to create artwork for an exhibition at the City Art Centre (Market Street) on Friday 17th February:
Lamiya Hossain
Faiza Manha
Leona May
Biva Rahman
Yasmin Theisen De Figueiredo
Firdaws Yaich El Yahyaoui
If you are up town and able to, then please pop into the gallery between 2 – 4pm to meet the artists and see their fantastic artwork on display!
Congratulations everyone! 
Graeme Mortimer Evelyn brings ‘Relics from an Oasis of Good Luck’ to Lobby 37 at Gleneagles Townhouse.
The London artist’s first solo exhibition in Scotland will include pieces made over a 25-year period selected directly from the artist’s London home.
An exhibition featuring Graeme Mortimer Evelyn will run until the 27th February at Gleneagles Townhouse. Made of up of pieces created over Graeme’s long and successful career, the exhibit is titled ‘Relics from an Oasis of Good Luck’.
Many of the works are completely realised studies created during many major commissions and artist-in-residence projects during Graeme’s expansive career, and range from collages, prints, paintings, graffiti stencils, drawings, and painted relief sculpture. Evelyn has exhibited his work across the world, but this will be his first solo exhibition in Scotland.
Graeme Mortimer Evelyn is a musician and curator as well as a multimedia artist. The art he creates comments on cultural social identity, politics, belief, and language. He has created work for major municipal buildings, sites of national memory, and places of worship – subverting the settings and their philosophies to attract new audiences and democratise public spaces by opening them up to more people.
His works have also been exhibited, collected, and displayed internationally by Princeton University Centre for African American Studies, Cornell University, Kensington Palace, The Royal Commonwealth Society, Museum in Docklands, Gloucester Cathedral, Bristol Museums, The Royal Collection Trust, The Church of England, and UNESCO.
One of Evelyn’s most notable works is The Eternal Engine for St Francis Church in Tottenham Hale. Completed in November 2017, it is the largest permanent hand-sculpted contemporary altarpiece in Europe.
St Francis Church sits adjacent to where Mark Duggan, a young black man, was fatally shot by armed police in 2011, triggering London-wide riots. The church was then built to aid to the community’s healing process. The Eternal Engine represents the unifying wonder of our vast Universe and the mystery of its Creator.
Evelyn currently works in his garden studio in South London, continuing to develop his varied and innovative body of works exploring automatic experimental drawing and sculpture informed by his synaesthesia reaction to music and sound, and how these responses then relate to contemporary religious and secular belief structures.
He has recently completed vinyl album cover commissions through this lens for world renowned Jazz Artists. In late March 2023, he will begin his six-week invited Artist Residency for the Foundation for Spirituality and the Arts in Charleston, South Carolina.
Graeme Mortimer Evelyn’s works will be available to view until February 27th in Lobby 37 at Gleneagles Townhouse St Andrew Square to hotel guests, diners at The Spence and Townhouse members.
The award-winning Kimpton Charlotte Square hotel has launched its latest exhibition in partnership with local gallery, Colinton Arts.
As the city welcomes visitors from around the globe for the world-famous Edinburgh Festival to celebrate arts and culture, the Hotel unveils a collection of artists inspired by the capital’s iconic landmarks and scenery.
Jason Cordingley, oil painter and art educator, creates landscapes that echo the vitality of nature and the splendour of man’s architectural creations. His cityscapes capture some of Edinburgh’s most picturesque locations including Calton Hill, Princes Street Gardens and the historic Old Town. All of these locations will be at the heart of August’s festivities.
Jason commented: “Often I will push the extremes of both colour and tone in an attempt to conjure a dream like quality to my work. The exhibition pieces outline my passion for texture as I experiment with bold colours and tones to pay tribute to the Scottish landscape.
“The opportunity to exhibit my work at this luxury hotel is extremely special to me, particularly as an Edinburgh-based artist with a great love for the city. I’m thrilled that guests will see my work as we spotlight the capital in all its glory.”
In addition to the Edinburgh focussed pieces, Kimpton Charlotte Square is also showcasing work by Stephanie Pijper and Leon Anderson.
As an award-winning artist from the North-East of Scotland, Stephanie’s work features exquisite attention to detail and themes of rebirth throughout. Her featured artwork includes The Secret Garden and My Tears Made the Flowers Grow.
A self-taught artist, Leon Anderson (above) takes well known dog breeds and uses clothing and expressions to highlight traits that make them so loveable. His inspired canine characters include Lady Di-chschund, Outlander Jamie and Admiral Harvey.
Located in the historic village of Colinton, Colinton Arts is a family-run gallery presenting the very best of local and regional talent including exclusive paintings, prints and sculptures.
Lindsey Alexander, owner of Colinton Arts, said: “As a relatively new gallery and long-standing framing studio, we’re fast gaining an excellent reputation.
“We’re becoming well-known for our varied portfolio of artists working in a wide variety of media and we’re grateful to the Kimpton for this wonderful opportunity.
“Gallery Manager Lesley Briggs and I are really looking forward to this exhibition and gaining greater exposure for our talented artists.”
Kieran Quinn, general manager at Kimpton Charlotte Square said: “The Edinburgh Festival is one of the most iconic events in the city and something we as a hotel look forward to every year.
“As a boutique hotel where art is at the core of our allure, it was an obvious collaboration for us. We can exhibit breath-taking, exclusive pieces which capture the best of Edinburgh while supporting another local business.
“Our guests travel from all over Scotland and beyond so we’re excited for them to see these pieces and add to their memorable experience.”
Guests and members of the public are invited to see Jason, Stephanie and Leon’s work on display at Kimpton Charlotte Square from today (Wednesday 3 August) until the end of October.
For artwork purchasing queries, please contact: info@colinton-arts.com.
My Mind Matters
An exhibition of original works by artists who experience complex and enduring mental health conditions
Out of the Blue, The Drill Hall, Dalmeny Street, Edinburgh EH6 8RG
Open to the public Tuesday 10th – Thursday 12th May 10am – 4.30pm; Friday 13th May 10am – 2pm
This exhibition, taking place in Mental Health Awareness Week, showcases a range of original works by 22 artists. The artists all experience complex and enduring mental health conditions, and many of them have never displayed their art in public before.
The works are created using a variety of mediums and encompass a mix of drawings, painting, sculpture, spoken word, textile, and photography. Many pieces are for sale, with all proceeds of sale going directly to the artists.
The exhibition is delivered in partnership by Carr Gomm, Volunteer Edinburgh, Penumbra and the Edinburgh Health & Social Care Partnership.
Funding for exhibition space is provided by Carr Gomm Futures.
Curious about plans for a new multi generational community hub (The Heart) in Newhaven?
Join The Heart of Newhaven at Ocean Terminal on Friday 22 October 2-4pm for a chat and an exhibition called ‘Forth Reflections and Expressions of Wellbeing.’
The art work, produced as part of the Edinburgh Shoreline project, is created from the passionate responses of over a hundred people to a 1km stretch of the Forth coastline that is special to them.
A storyline of memories and visions of the Forth has emerged, linking the Fife, Edinburgh and East Lothian coasts, biodiversity, people and communities.
