Tag: art

June’s September sale raises £1500 for MND Scotland

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Over £1,500 has been raised for MND Scotland through the exhibition and sale of more than 60 paintings by local amateur artist and Hanover (Scotland) Housing Association resident, June McCulloch.

June, who has lived at Craigview Sheltered Housing complex in Bo’ness for over 12 years, lost her husband to Motor Neurone Disease (MND) in the summer of 2000, only a few days after they celebrated their Ruby wedding anniversary. It was not until June’s eldest daughter gave her a large box of art supplies that Christmas, with the aim of keeping her busy, that she first began to paint.

“I watched a man on television paint and taught myself that way. I lost myself in iJune said. A year later she joined her local art club, Winchburgh Day Art Group, and never looked back!

Craigview residents and Hanover staff all helped in their own way to raise as much money as possible for MND Scotland, selling sausage rolls and nail manicures in the few days before the exhibition. Further donations are still coming in and as well as June’s artwork that was on sale over the weekend there was a tombola, raffle, and home baking, with many residents and staff contributing their time and resources.

June lives in a two-bedroom flat at the development in Bo’ness and uses her second bedroom as an art studio. In 2006 June was persuaded by Marian, Craigview’s Housing Manager, to enter UK based Housing Advice Charity, the Elderly Accommodation Counsel (EAC) over-60s Art Awards. Her painting, ‘Islands of Eigg and Rhum’, was selected as one of 100 finalists chosen from over 1,500 entries to be exhibited at the Mall Galleries in London.

Iain McWhirter, Head of Fundraising and Volunteering at MND Scotland, said “We cannot thank June enough for choosing to support MND Scotland at her exhibition. The event was a fantastic success and we are very grateful to Craigview for their support.

“The money raised will go towards helping us continue to support people, across Scotland, who are affected by MND, as well as fund vital research, to take us a step closer to finding a cure for this devastating illness.”

Speaking after the exhibition, June said: “I have been overwhelmed with all the support from everyone at Craigview, residents and staff, as well as from friends, family and those in the local community.

“I am so pleased we have been able to raise over £1,500 for a cause which is so dear to my family’s heart. When my daughter first gave me the box of art supplies I never dreamt that it would come to this. I feel very lucky to have the space and peace and quiet to paint, some days I look up and realise I’ve forgotten to have my lunch!”

The exhibition and sale of June’s artwork took place in Hanover’s Craigview Sheltered Housing Complex, Bo’ness on Saturday 3rd and Sunday 4th September

Edinburgh folk get their city back!

Fireworks concert brings record-breaking Festival to a close

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After 50,266 performances of 3,269 shows in 294 venues across Edinburgh, the final curtain has fallen on the 2016 Edinburgh Festival Fringe – and it’s been yet another record-breaking year for the luvvies …
Continue reading Edinburgh folk get their city back!

Major new exhibition to open at City Art Centre

Exhibition features works by William Gillies and John Maxwell

John Maxwell: Vase of Flowers (Yellow and Orange)

This summer the City Art Centre stages William Gillies & John Maxwell, a major new exhibition exploring two of the best-loved Scottish artists of the 20th century.

The exhibition features over 70 artworks and archival objects displayed across two floors of the gallery. It includes drawings and paintings from the City Art Centre’s own collection, supplemented by loans from the Royal Scottish Academy of Art & Architecture, the University of Edinburgh Art Collection and several private lenders.

At the heart of the exhibition is the Fletcher Collection, a group of 43 artworks that has been on long-term loan to the City Art Centre since 1995. This is the first time in over 20 years that the Fletcher Collection has been displayed together in its entirety.

Councillor Richard Lewis, Edinburgh’s Convener of Culture and Sport, said: “This is a rare opportunity to see some of the finest artworks by William Gillies and John Maxwell – two very distinctive Scottish artists.  This exhibition is particularly exciting considering the Fletcher Collection is being shown together for the first time in 20 years.”

The exhibition is timed to coincide with the 2016 Edinburgh Art Festival. Entry is free of charge and further information is given below:

William Gillies & John Maxwell
30 July – 23 October 2016
City Art Centre, Edinburgh
Free Admission

William Gillies and John Maxwell were among the most significant and distinctive Scottish artists of the 20th century. Gillies is best known for his tonal Borders landscapes, spontaneous Highland watercolours and carefully constructed still life compositions, while Maxwell is remembered for his expressive, dream-like depictions of creatures, flowers and timeless nudes. The two artists pursued differing approaches in their work, and had contrasting personalities, but remained life-long friends.

Gillies and Maxwell met at Edinburgh College of Art in the early 1920s. After completing their studies both received travelling scholarships, which enabled them to live and work in Paris and encounter avant-garde movements like Post-Impressionism and Cubism. As they matured they developed in different creative directions, yet their lives continued to interweave as they travelled, exhibited and socialised together. Both joined the staff at Edinburgh College of Art, and while Gillies’ teaching career was longer than Maxwell’s, each of them proved to be a considerable influence on the next generation of Scottish painters.

William Gillies: Highland Landscape

 

Better Days: gifts to mark Year of Architecture

Scotland’s MSPs to receive unique, hand-made ceramics to mark the Year of Architecture, Innovation and Design

Jude Barber 1

Scotland’s political leaders are to be gifted unique hand-made ceramics created by some of Scotland’s leading female architects to mark 2016 as the Year of Architecture, Innovation and Design in Scotland.

‘The Better Days’ project is the brain child of prominent architect Jude Barber (above) and seeks to raise questions and awareness about Scotland’s political aspirations for architecture and stimulate renewed thought and discussion on the built environment.

The project is part of a busy programme of special events planned to celebrate the Saltire Society’s 80th anniversary year and was inspired by the Saltire Society’s seminal 1944 publication ‘Building Scotland’, by Alan Reiach and Robert Hurd.

The powerful and poetic foreword to the publication, written by the then Secretary of State for Scotland Thomas Johnston, forms the main driver for the project. It says:

“And in this beautiful land of ours, the free people who inhabit it, and who have paid such a high price for their freedom, will, in the better days that are to be, surely insist that the architecture of their buildings, public and private, shall be worthy of them.”

Every MSP will be gifted with an individually crafted ceramic containing words and forms derived from Jude Barber’s ‘The Better Days’ publication, accompanied with an invitation to consider the important role that architecture and design plays within our everyday lives.

‘The Better Days’ is being exhibited at Project Spaces in Glasgow until 9th July and forms part of the Archi-Fringe 2016 programme. Following conclusion of the exhibition, all of the Scottish Parliament’s 129 elected members will each receive their own ceramic as a permanent souvenir of the Year of Architecture, Innovation and Design.

Meanwhile, Jude will join award winning architects Malcolm Fraser and Neil Gillespie OBE this Thursday (7 July) at South Block, Glasgow, for a panel discussion on the themes that have emerged in their exploration of contemporary Scottish architecture. Tickets are free and available from the Saltire Society’s website – www.saltiresociety.org.uk/event/building-scotland-past-and-future

Jude Barber 3

Ahead of the panel discussion, Jude Barber said: “I am really looking forward to Thursday’s event and for what I’m sure will be a stimulating discussion about our built environment and the challenges and possibilities facing Scottish architecture and place making.”

“Malcolm, Neil and I all have something in common; a strong desire to improve the built environment in this country, and I hope that this event, their pamphlets and my ‘Better Days’ project will bring a renewed focus to architecture’s important role and how it greatly enhances our day to day lives.”

Malcolm Fraser’s pamphlet ‘Shoddy Schools and Fancy Finance: the miss-selling of PFI’ and Neil Gillespie’s ‘Building Scotland’ publication, which have been created as part of the Saltire Society’s 80th anniversary programme, will be available to purchase after the discussion.

Roost Exhibition opens tomorrow

roost exh

Roost is part of an artists residency, Arcadeum, linked to the North West Edinburgh Partnership Centre. This £12 million Centre, being built in Muirhouse, is a joint development between NHS Lothian and the City of Edinburgh Council, bringing increased health and social care services for the local community, including new GP accommodation and additional physiotherapy, podiatry, dentistry and child health services.

Arcadeum is based in the ‘satellite’ space in the shopping mall next to NEA. Artists Lindsay Perth and Hans Clausen have been leading the Arcadeum programme over the last 12 months.