MaclaurinONLINE EDITION AUTUMN 2021
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Maclaurin
The ONLINE EDITION AUTUMN 2021
HERON by Lisa Hooper
EDITOR’S
NOTE
This is the Autumn Edition of the Maclaurin Magazine, the fifth
edition we have published online and we are continuing to WHO’S WHO
publish this way for the time being. This is the 21st Century AT THE MACLAURIN
after all and most people are now well used to accessing
things online.
Patron
Peter Howson OBE
With Covid restrictions being loosened we can look forward to a
much more open and welcoming gallery in the months to come.
Patron Emeritus
We did wonder if all the earlier restrictions might put people off,
Helen M Turner
but happily the draw of a Retrospective Exhibition by the
renowned Scottish artist John Lowrie Morrison was enough to
Trustees
keep the visitors coming. Jolomo, as he is best known, kindly
John Walker Chair Maclaurin Trust
agreed to allow us to have some very recent paintings for sale
Nicholas Kilpatrick
and these have sold extremely well. Aficionados of his work
Helen M Turner
have come from as far away as Orkney and London to buy.
Michael Clark
The Retrospective itself was extremely thought provoking, let-
Celia Stevenson
ting us see the development of the artist from his earliest days.
There was even an accomplished drawing done at age eight!
Curators
A very worthwhile exhibition.
Celia Stevenson
Dianne Gardner
Coming next we have the well-known wildlife artist Lisa Hooper Michael Clark
with her exhibition of Wildlife Prints. She works in many Alan Moir
mediums, her prints are delightful, and widely collected. Fiona Robertson
You can read about her in the magazine, where she talks about
her work. Friends of the Maclaurin Committee
Alan Moir Chair
We are also hosting the very popular Save the Children exhibi- Douglas Gulland Treasurer
tion again – good to have them back after the lockdowns kept David Reader Membership Secretary
them away last year. And in October the Glasgow Society of Celia Stevenson
Women Artists make a welcome return. And later still just Editor Maclaurin Magazine
before Christmas we will have the first exhibition of mixed crafts Fiona Robertson
From Riverside Studios in Ayr. This will run up to Christmas and
Dorothy Fisher
beyond and as there are so many crafts represented there will
be great opportunities for Christmas shopping. Gail McAulay
Jennifer Dudney
The Friends of the Maclaurin have been of necessity quiet over Sheila Maclean Minutes Secretary
the last eighteen months as the chance of volunteering in the
galleries was out of the question, so it is hoped that in the New South Ayrshire Council at the Maclaurin
Year things will get back to some sort of normality and we can Gallery
have some evening talks and other entertainments as well as Laura Kerr
the welcome always given to visitors by our volunteers. Co-ordinator Cultural People Directorate
Cllr Chris Cullen
There’s quite a lot going on in the South West of Scotland as Economy & Culture Portfolio
you will see when you read through the magazine. I hope you Bill McLellan
Manager Rozelle House Galleries
enjoy it and find something worthwhile to visit.
The Maclaurin Trust is a Scottish Charity No 12798
Editor 2
www.themaclaurin.org.uk
LISA HOOPER WILDLIFE PRINTMAKER
Saturday 11th September - Sunday 14th November
Brent Geese Port William
Lisa Hooper ASWLA,
wildlife printmaker, Port William.
It’s been very exciting to work with the end of Galloway builds a certain amount of
Maclaurin Gallery on such a large solo self-reliance but by the summer even
exhibition; especially after being in virtual Galloway’s considerable charms were
isolation for so long. Living at the western wearing a bit thin!
LISA HOOPER
WILDLIFE PRINTMAKER
Saturday 11th September -
Sunday 14th November
However I’ve been luckier than most. I work
from my home studio, so I’ve been able to keep
creating new prints (which is very therapeutic),
and the local beach is a two minute walk from
the house.
During this unique period I’ve created an aston-
ishing amount of new work, all of it on display
in the exhibition. Unusually, two commissions
also came my way. One was an opportunity to
produce 9 small bird images to accompany a
series of poems by Ken Cockburn as part of a
writer’s residency at the Wigtown Book Festival
and the other involved working with the South
of Scotland Golden Eagle Project. Both feature
in the exhibition.
Westray Gannets
www.themaclaurin.org.uk
Sandwich Terns My work is predominantly of birds and wildlife, peppered with Scottish landscapes that I love. I’m a printmaker, so you’ll see woodcuts, linocuts, etchings and a small number of more obscure printmaking techniques in the exhibi- tion. All are hand drawn, hand cut and hand printed by me in small editions. In October 2019 I was proud to be elected an Associate Member of the Society of Wildlife Artists. The Society “seeks to generate appreci- ation and delight in the natural world through all forms of art inspired by the world’s wildlife”, which is an aspiration that is close to my heart. I see my work increasingly as a hymn to the natural world which I love and which has en- riched my life so much, at a time when it seems to be under attack from all sides. Lisa Hooper www.hoopoeprints.co.uk
GLASGOW SOCIETY
OF WOMEN ARTISTS
Saturday 7th November
In 1882 eight women, some of the first stu-
dents at The Glasgow School of Art, formed a
society known as The Glasgow Society of Lady
Artists. The Society grew, flourished and raised
funds which enabled them to purchase their
own property at No5 Blythswood Square.
After 64 successful years severe financial pres-
sures led to the premises being sold to the
Scottish Arts Council. Shortly after in 1971 the
Society was dissolved. Fortunately some mem-
bers were determined to re-establish the Soci-
ety and in 1975 it was revived as The Glasgow
Society of Women Artists.
The Society continues to this day and has a
healthy membership of over 200 artists and lay
Paintings by Lesley Banks members.
The Membership covers all genres of creativity
with painters, sculptors, textile artists, photog-
raphers, print makers and silversmiths all shar-
ing skills and knowledge.
Although attitudes to female artists have pro-
gressed since 1882, today's Society is in-
debted to the determination of all the women
who have worked so hard to be recognised as
equals within the very male dominated art
world. Their belief in the value of their artistic
talent is tantamount to the growing success of
21st century women artists.
In 2020 we now have the first female Presi-
dents at both The Royal Academy and The
Royal Scottish Academy, impossible to imagine
in 1882.
GLASGOW SOCIETY OF WOMEN ARTISTS Saturday 7th November Ceramics by Anne Morrison Glasgow Society of Women Artists runs a full programme of exhibitions, talks and artist demonstrations throughout the year and we welcome artists of all disciplines to apply to join us. New members can submit their work for consideration once a year usually in September. GSWA is proud to acknowledge the determina- tion shown by the 8 students of Glasgow School of Art who helped pave the way for women artists to be regarded as equals in today's art world.
SAvE THE CHILDREN Saturday 25th September - Sunday 24th October The gallery welcomes the return of this popular exhibition. Still Life by Dorothy Fisher Finding a Table by Michael Clark Crail Reflections by Ronnie Russell Ardnamurchan Lighthouse by Pat Kramek
Open Weekend
10 - 13 September 2021
ww w.o p e n s tu d i o s a y rs h i re .c o m
Open Studios Ayrshire began with a small venues which will make it easier to visit,
group of Ayrshire artists in 2012.Their aim take the opportunity to find out how artists
was to raise the profile of the artists and and makers work, ask questions and find
makers working throughout Ayrshire, to pro- out what has been going on behind those
vide marketing opportunities for their work studio doors.
and to provide support to each other by
sharing expertise and ideas. Our 2021 Brochure is available in the
Maclaurin Gallery as well as local shops,
Going from strength to strength our mem- and outlets across Ayrshire. Full information
bers now encompass artists, ceramics, can be found on the Open Studios Ayrshire
glass, silversmithing, textiles and sculpture. website www.openstudiosayrshire.com
Working together as a co-operative we have where you will see details of our members
been able to support each other through the and when they are exhibiting over the week-
difficulties 2020 brought, hold virtual meet- end, explore the possibility of joining our
ings and a virtual exhibition, welcome new mailing lists for regular updates or perhaps
and returning members and prepare to becoming a part of our artistic community.
welcome our dedicated followers to the We also have an active Facebook page.
2021 Open Studios Ayrshire weekend. We hope that you will be able to join our
For 2021 a number of our more isolated Open Weekend from Friday 10th to
members have joined together in larger Monday 13th September.
The Dunure Art Classes, run by artist
and teacher Tom Rennie, is now
enrolling for the Autumn session and has
a number of places still available.
At the beginning of lockdown, the
classes went Online.
They will restart for this series, both
online and also, as they have for the
past few years, every Wednesday, in the
Kennedy Hall, right by the beach, in the
beautiful South Ayrshire village of
Dunure.
There is a morning class and an
afternoon class. Come to either, or come
for the day.
The ancient Castle of Dunure and the
17th century harbour are right outside
the door and with views over the sea
towards Arran, the Mull of Kintyre and
Ireland, the class takes advantage of an
amazing location.
Whether you are an experienced artist or
are just starting out, you’ll be very
welcome and have the opportunity to
For the last 2 years, the Dunure practise and improve your Drawing and
Painting skills in a friendly and inspiring
Art Classes annual exhibition
environment.
has been online. You can call Tom on 07833 516 049
To see the Dunure Art Classes or email –
dunureartclasses@btinternet.com
Summer Exhibition 2021 on
Instagram, please visit –
www.instagram.com/dunureartclasses
www.themaclaurin.org.ukBOSWELL
BOOK FESTIVAL
Boswell Book Festival returns As one attendee in June said:
for an online encore “I have always meant to come in past
29-31 October 2021 years -
never managed! This was a great op-
portunity to do so on line. I bought
The Boswell Book Festival, as many books, took part in the wine tasting,
of you will know, moved online for viewed several performances includ-
2021. Owing to the positive feedback ing festival plusevents and even have
of this festival which fills a real niche plans to visit the Boswell Quill.
in biography and memoir, we are Loved it all and it will now be on my
staging a re-run of most of the events must do list annually !”
over the last weekend in October.
Looking forward to 2022, please
Again talks will be free to view so if make a note of the Festival dates at
you missed out in June or couldn¹t Dumfries House over the weekend
see as many events as you might 12-15 May with a much anticipated
have wished to, why not join us this return to live performance as well as
time round. retaining our new online format.Rozelle House
Museum & Galleries
Monument Road
Ayr KA7 4NQ
Open Monday – Saturday 10am-5pm,
Sunday 12noon – 5pm.
JOAN EARDLEY: A PAINTER’S LIFE
WITH PHOTOGRAPHS BY AUDREY WALKER
OPENING OCTOBER 2ND 2021
The Samson children in Eardley’s Studio, photograph by Audrey Walker,
courtesy of the Walker family.
This year is the centenary of the birth of the her love for the tiny village of Catterline, and its
renowned artist Joan Eardley, born 18th May surrounding landscape near Aberdeen, which
in 1921. brought her both creative frustration and
Rozelle House is delighted to celebrate her life artistic fulfilment.
and remarkable work in an exhibition kindly
loaned to us by Dumfries and Galloway Joan met Audrey Walker, a talented violinist
Council - which includes paintings, pastels and photographer, in 1952 and their shared
and sketches along side photographs taken by love of music created an immediate bond.
her friend Audrey Walker. Audrey documented Joan at work at the
Joan Eardley’s portrayal of the streets and Walker family’s holiday cottage in the Ettrick
children of Glasgow first brought her work to Valley, at Joan’s studio in Glasgow and in the
public attention in the early 1950s, but it was wilder landscape of the North East.JOAN EARDLEY: A PAINTER’S LIFE Brian and Pat Samson © Joan Eardley Estate. Audrey’s striking black and white photographs Glasgow studio and interviews with her created a remarkable archive of her best biographer and Catterline neighbours. friend’s life and work, but also record her own This exhibition has been made possible as a considerable talent as a photographer. result of the Government Indemnity Scheme. Joan died aged just 42 from cancer in August Rozelle House Museum & Galleries would like 1963 with her mother, sister and Audrey by her to thank HM Government for providing side. Government This exhibition features a selection of Joan’s Indemnity and the Department for Digital, works bequeathed by Lady Audrey Walker in Culture, Media and Sport and Arts Council her will in 1997, works owned by the England for arranging the indemnity. Dumfriesshire Educational Trust, and selected loans from the Walker family, as well as two To book your free visit, please telephone short films featuring Joan at work in her 01292 445447 or, drop in to see if we are busy.
The McKechnie Institute,
THE Dalrymple Street,
MCKECHNIE Girvan KA26 9AE
Open Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 1pm -
INSTITUTE 4pm, Wednesday 1:30pm - 4:30pm and Satur-
day10:30am - 4pm.
BRITISH WILDLIFE
PHOTOGRAPH AWARDS
Exhibition extended until 23rd September.
The McKechnie Institute is delighted to
extend the award-winning exhibition of
photographs from across the UK covering
habitat, coast and marine life until Thursday
23rd September 2021. Established to
recognise the incredible talents of
photographers practicing in Britain, whilst at
the same time, highlighting the great wealth
and diversity of Britain’s natural history, it’s an
ideal exhibition for all the family.
Following on from this exhibition, works from
the South Ayrshire Council Fine Art Collection
featuring our coasts and waters, will set sail
from Rozelle House to take up a berth at the
McKechnie for the remainder of 2021!
BWPA exhibition at the McKechnie
October onwards
DOON THE WATER:
come for the beaches; stay for the sunsets
’Also, at the McKechnie, find the permanent
display exploring local geology, fossils, the
history of Ailsa Craig and its granite, as well as
maritime history and model ships, and the
Bronze Age Cinerary Urns dating 2100-1500
BC.
To book your free visit, please telephone
Girvan Harbour, 1900 by D. M. Caldon
01465 713643 or, drop in to see if we are busy.RIvERSIDE STUDIOS
We are delighted to say that since the last
edition, we have painted our shop front and
have finally received the go ahead for our
new signs.
Our artists have been making when they
can to keep the shop turning over and we
have had a fantastic response from our
community here in Ayr.
We are awaiting the results of a number of
funding applications that would involve our
organisation being one of four collaborating
to deliver a very special project for S3/4’s.
This project will cover North, South and
East Ayrshire
Aimee preparing some sleep masks
With 2 businesses in East Ayrshire and 2 in
South Ayrshire delivering.
Crystal's glasswork in the kiln
Ali on her potters wheel
We are happy to confirm that we do hope
to begin our workshops in the near future
and more information will be available from
our website, which is due to being launched
very soon. We will put an announcement
on this through our Facebook page.
At this time our shop is open
Tuesday to Saturday 10 till 4.30
depending on staff availability.
Our website will be
www.mascic.com
Moving Arts Scotland CIC on Facebook.
Marlene working on a commissionthe art classes as a Christmas gift and she wanted to show
willing but she needed to make it really clear to me that she
couldn’t draw a line. ‘right,’ I said, passing her a pencil, ‘let’s
start with a line then.’ Just three weeks later, this reluctant
and disbelieving student finished a watercolour painting and
sat back in her chair, staring in wonder at her work. ‘well I
never!’ she exclaimed. ‘you are right, anyone can be taught to
do this, you just follow the steps and practise! I really wish I’d
started in my seventies now!!’
CAn yOu LEArn TO I tell this story anytime someone tells me that they are too old
DrAw AnD pAInT AS to start learning to draw and paint. I told it to myself last year
when I nervously took part in my very first online Japanese
An ADuLT?
lesson. I thought of my nonagenarian art student and re-
minded myself that once I turned 60 (I’m 48 right now) I could
potentially be reading and writing Japanese fluently, some-
thing which seems unimaginable right now! I just needed to
start. There is a wonderful Chinese proverb about planting a
tree which tells us that the best time to plant a tree is 20 years
ago but the second-best time is today.
The Little Art School highly structured drawing and painting
course
we developed our Little Art School Drawing and painting
Course over several years. we created it, tested it, re-wrote
great chunks then analysed it and have finished, eight years
later, with a course which we are very proud of. It is a course
which starts by teaching how to draw a line and ends with
painting Vermeer’s ‘Girl with a pearl Earring’ in oil.
Little Art School Founding Partner, Joanne The evolution and design of the course was inspired by my
own journey of learning to draw and paint. I enjoyed drawing
Robinson, explains how the Ayrshire art
as a child and would spend hours copying from my Disney
company has shattered a myth and can now Annuals, or drawing illustrations from my favourite books. no
teach ANYONE to draw and paint. one ever taught me but I developed my very basic skills
though repetition. At secondary school my confidence
There is a myth that the ability to draw and paint is something dropped. Like many, many people I have chatted to over the
that you are born with. we have tackled that myth over the years, I started to doubt my ability. I looked at the people who
last eight years at the Little Art School here in Ayrshire, and seemed to be able to draw ‘effortlessly’ and I started to tell
our methods are now reaching people right across the world. myself it was obviously something I couldn’t do. An art
teacher backed this up, clearly separating the class into the
The ability to draw and paint is something you can learn. we
chosen few who could draw and the rest of us. I packed up
hear time and again that ‘the gene passed me by, I can’t draw
my sketchbooks and put away my pencils before I turned 13.
a stick man!’ or ‘She gets it from her gran, she has always
I gave up art at school and accepted the myth that the ability
been artistic’. The truth is that the ability to draw and paint is
to draw and paint was something you were born with, and I
not inherited. It is not red hair or brown eyes. you are not born
had missed out. Did you have a similar experience? Did you
with a latent ability to draw like da Vinci; you learn that skill.
love drawing as a child but have a moment when you were
you can be taught that skill. At the Little Art School we have
told you couldn’t do it? That your family didn’t have the gene?
demonstrated beyond any doubt that we can teach anyone to
So many of us heard and believed this myth. So many of us
draw and paint.
stopped drawing for years because we thought that some
You are never too old to learn! special magic gift had missed us out. But think back, do you
remember how drawing made you feel as a child? I remember
A few years ago, a lady in her nineties arrived for her first art losing myself in drawing. I could spend hours with some
class. She was smiling and happy but confessed that she had paper and my felt tips. It was pure joy.
no idea what she was doing there. Her niece had bought herLearning to draw and paint is like learning to play a musical The course we have created at the Little Art School is the
instrument course I would have loved to have followed during that
decade. It is highly structured. It starts with simple shapes
Imagine starting to play a musical instrument; teaching your-
and pencil grip. It breaks everything down to easy-to-follow
self, stumbling and fumbling to find your way. with no lessons
steps. It is progressive. Our artists are constantly developing
and no guidance your progress would be slow. you would
their skills, learning week by week. we also stress that our
know that to improve you need two things; to be taught and
students need to be kind to themselves. Our aim is to build
to practise. Learning to draw and paint is EXACTLy the same.
self-esteem and develop self-confidence, as well as teaching
you need to be taught and you need to practise. put those
how to draw and paint. There is a fine line between being a
two things in place and it will all come together.
reflective practitioner determined to learn from mistakes, and
My story – from first lesson to commissioned artist being a self-destructive critic. Our aim is to stress the good
and to see where development is taking place.
I was almost thirty and pregnant with my first child when I
came across a poster outside a community hall. It was a sim- The Little Art School have created a course for even the
ple sheet of A4 advertising a class: ‘Drawing and painting for most nervous of beginners
those who think they can’t’. I loved the name of the class. It
Launching the Online Adult Art Course last year marked a
addressed the insecurities that had put me off joining an art
huge moment for our whole team. we know our course works
class. I signed up and went, with some fear, to my first lesson.
and we know that it brings great joy to our students. By tak-
within ten years I was selling commissions and prints of my
ing the course online we have taken away all our previous ge-
work, mainly portraits. That decade of learning was filled with
ographic and time limitations. you can now do our course
moments of understanding, when a point about perspective
anywhere and at anytime. If you are someone who thinks you
or composition or colour mixing would suddenly become ob-
can’t draw, or you lost your confidence in a school art class
vious and I could feel ‘the penny drop’. I went to sporadic
years ago, or you put aside your pencil decades ago to follow
evening classes and day classes when I could, but I had four
other paths: take a deep breath and give it a go. The myth
babies in that decade so attending classes was difficult.
was wrong, there is no genetic tendency to drawing and
Mostly I learned from reading countless books. And making
painting. Anyone can learn, anyone can feel the joy of draw-
mistakes; many, many mistakes.
ing and painting.
Drawing Class in Action
www.themaclaurin.org.ukSCOTTISH MARITIME MUSEUM’S
Harbour Road, Irvine,
NATIONAL ART COLLECTION
KA12 8BT
www.scottishmaritimemuseum.org
ENHANCED BY TWO NEW Telephone 01274 278283
ARTWORKS WHICH OFFER A Email visitorservices@scotmaritime.org
Entrance to the exhibition is included in the
PERSONAL INSIGHT INTO Museum admission.
SCOTTISH SHIPYARDS
The Scottish Maritime Museum’s national art next generation of Britain’s naval vessels, the world
collection has been enhanced with two new leading Type 45 Destroyers and the monolithic
artworks, gifted by renowned Scottish artist, author Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers, at BAE
and broadcaster Lachlan Goudie and former Systems shipyards at Scotstoun, Govan and Rosyth.
shipyard worker and now artist Roy Fitzsimmons.
Roy Fitzsimmons has gifted a triptych of charcoal
Each artwork powerfully portrays Scottish portrait studies entitled ‘The Shipbuilders’.
shipbuilders at work and has been created from
personal experience, Goudie following a rare
opportunity to study life in the yards close up over
many months and Fitzsimmons drawing on time
spent working in the shipyards.
Lachlan Goudie has gifted ‘Shipyard Brotherhood’.
The large acrylic on canvas captures a moment of
almost reflection amongst shipbuilders in the midst
of the noise and pace of a busy yard.
‘Shipyard Brotherhood’ was first shown as part of
Goudie’s acclaimed ‘Shipyard’ exhibition, which
premiered at the Scottish Maritime Museum in late
2017.
‘Shipyard’ was created during the artist’s unique
seven year project documenting construction of the
Fitzsimmons began his career as an electrician in the
shipyards of the West coast of Scotland before earn-
ing a place at Glasgow School of Art. He then went
on to become an artist in residence with Irvine De-
velopment Corporation/North Ayrshire Council,
where he was co-creator of the Irvine Dragon (lo-
cated on the sands at Irvine Beach)
The Grade A Victorian Linthouse was, aptly, formerly
the Engine Shop of Govan shipbuilders Alexander
Stephen and Sons before being relocated to Irvine in
1991 to house the maritime collection.
The Scottish Maritime Museum’s national maritime-
related art collection, which was unveiled in June
2018, includes oil paintings, watercolours, sketches,
photography, sculpture and mixed media by artists
including John Bellany, FCB Cadell, Ian Hamilton
Finlay, Muirhead Bone, Kate Downie, George Wyllie,
Tom McKendrick and Benno Schotz.Harbour Road, Irvine,
KA12 8BT
www.scottishmaritimemuseum.org
Telephone 01274 278283
Email visitorservices@scotmaritime.org
Entrance to the exhibition is included in the
Museum admission.
WHEN THE GLASS IS HALF FULL
Glass Ships in Bottles Exhibition
Dr Ayako Tani, glass artist and researcher.
THE LINTHOUSE, IRVINE HARBOURSIDE
Announcing the exhibition, Nicola Scott Exhibition an
Saturday 11 September – Sunday 9 January 2022
Events Officer at the Scottish Maritime Museum, says:
The exhibition, a collection of 150 vintage glass ships in
“Carving wooden ships for glass bottles can be traced
bottles and new glass artworks, has been curated by
back to the mid 19th century but the scientific glass
Dr Ayako Tani, a glass artist and researcher specialising in
blowers working at the end of the 20th century took it to
the industrial and cultural history of glassmaking at the
a new level with these beautifully crafted glass vessels.
National Glass Centre in Sunderland.
Dr Tani’s passion for keeping this endangered craft alive
shines through this wonderful collection of original glass
The exhibition of exquisite glass ships tells a remarkable
ships in bottles, some donated and some rescued from car
story of ingenuity. Faced with redundancy following the
boot sales.
decline of heavy industry in the 1970s, highly skilled
Her artworks are created through the scientific skill of
scientific glassblowers in England combined their
lampworking, which is used in making glass ships in
experience making laboratory apparatus in an open flame
bottles. She learned the skill to create her own artworks
with artistic flair to create and sell glass ships in bottles.
but also to pass the skill on to younger generations.
A boom in demand ensued and, by the 1990s, tens of
We hope visitor leave Glass Ships in Bottles with new
thousands of these intricate glass ships were in
found appreciation of this stunning craft.”
production. Sadly, growing popularity led to mass-produc-
tion which, although successful at first, brought about a
The makers of glass ships in bottles were based in
drop in quality. The craft finally disappeared from the UK in
Lymington, Sudbury, Birmingham, Dudley, Lichfield and
2005 when the last manufacturer outsourced work to
Sunderland. Production was particularly big in Sunderland,
China.
a shipbuilding city with a glass-making tradition dating
back to Anglo-Saxon monks making stained-glass
The modern skill of scientific glassblowing, which is some-
windows. Here scientific glassblowers coming out of the
times referred to as lampworking, began with the invention
local Pyrex factory, James A. Jobling, established studios
of robust Borosilicate glass in the 1880s. Today, there are
to continue the art of creating glass ships in bottles.
less than a hundred scientific glassblowers left in the UK
Working painstakingly on the detailed designs,
and the skill is recognised as ‘Endangered’ by the Heritage
the glassblowers blew each segment of the ship
Crafts Association.
separately. Then, fusing the hull to a glass plinth they built
the vessel up piece by piece before finally blowing the
The Glass Ships in Bottles exhibition also includes ‘Ves-
surrounding bottle.
sels in Memory’, an oral history and art project featuring
filmed conversations with former scientific glassblowers
who describe their work. Glass Ships in Bottles
is included in Museum admission.
Also on show are brand new artworks by Dr Ayako Tani, Up to three children go FREE with each Adult Admission.
inspired by the heritage of glass ships in bottles and the For more information, or to book a visit:
skills of scientific glassblowing. www.scottishmaritimemuseum.orgWELCOME TO THE MULTIVERSE
A new Venue for Southern Scotland By the time you read this our first initiative,
By Gillian Khosla, Music at the Multiverse (on 28 and 29
Chair of Crawick Multiverse Trust (CMT) August) will already have taken place.
Two days of music showcasing some of
Just around the border between Ayrshire southern Scotland’s finest established and
and Dumfries and Galloway is a whole other emerging rock, folk, trad, classical and
multiverse waiting to be discovered. reggae musicians.
A strange-sounding claim but true. The line-up included international harp
Crawick Multiverse, for those who don’t player Wendy Stewart, folk duo Smith &
know, is a 55-acre land artwork created by McClennan, opera singer Claudia Wood
the late Charles Jencks, in a former open- and bands such as The Dangleberries and
cast coalmine. It’s a landscape of great Lucky Doves.
mounds, avenues of standing stones, and What we’ve discovered is that performers
even the huge Sun Amphitheatre. All are love the idea of having a venue that’s an
inspired by astronomy and the cosmos. attraction in its own right, a place full of
At a time when the world is trying to adapt beauty and atmosphere. Attending outdoor
to the changes forced on us by COVID-19 events is hopefully all the more attractive to
CMT believes that the Multiverse can offer audiences as well if they can both be
something hugely valuable – providing a entertained and spend time exploring a
large and beautiful outdoor venue for wonderful visitor attraction.
events and activities of all kinds. Located just outside Sanquhar, we believe
We are now in the process of piloting that Crawick Multiverse is in the right place
the idea. to attract people from all over rural southernWELCOME TO THE MULTIVERSE
Smith & McClennan
Our ambition is also that Crawick Multiverse
Wendy Stewart will act as a magnet for musicians, perform-
ers and others from all over the UK and far
Scotland, as well as the Central Belt cities beyond – somewhere with a reputation as
and parts of northern England. And as our THE outdoor venue in Scotland’s south to
region seeks to rebuild economically and put on a show.
socially, it also provides exactly the kind of In the weeks and months ahead we hope
platform we need to show off its artistic you’ll look out for the events we have
talents. planned and give them a try. But there’s a
So the hope is that Crawick Multiverse will whole other side to Crawick Multiverse as
be a place where people can enjoy events well – as a lovely place to visit, relax, have a
and activities of all kinds – performing arts, picnic, walk the dog, admire the art and
visual arts and craft, stargazing, storytelling, enjoy the countryside.
festivals of many kinds. There’s even plenty Find out more from
of potential for yoga and pilates.
www.crawickmultiverse.co.ukWIGTOWN WELCOMES FESTIvAL
Audiences Back to Scotland’s national Book Town
By Anne Barclay
Wigtown Book Festival Operational Director
One of the most enjoyable aspects of can return to the festival in safety.
Wigtown Book Festival is the very fact of One example is that at the town's heart will
being there – browsing bookshops in a be a new, free outdoor venue, The Gardens,
small rural town in between talks by superb with a large screen and informal seating
authors and taking part in some quirky which aims to be Wigtown's answer to
events. Last year everything had to go Wimbledon's Murray Mound. Selected live
online. It was great, it worked well. audience events will also be streamed from
But it inevitably lacked the joy and intimacy Wigtown to audiences around the world.
of being surrounded by Wigtownshire’s
beautiful countryside in the company of
remarkable novelists, journalists, scientists,
poets and others.
But this year the emphasis will be on
physical first, with a festival that has been
designed to be rich with wit, wisdom and
fun. At the same time the number of events
has been reduced, to around 140, and
another couple of days added (it runs from
22 September to 4 October) in order to
make it COVID secure.
Lots of other measures have also been
taken to give people confidence that they
Fatima Manji © Sophie Davidson
Salena Godden © Trisram KentonAnd the festival has a really cracking line-up drama at the Swallow Theatre (Scotland’s
of guests talking about an astonishing smallest theatre).
variety of books. They include: The festival will also feature the awards
• Janey Godley – Frank Get the Door ceremony for the Wigtown Poetry Prize –
• Alexander McCall Smith – The Joy and Light Bus Company which celebrates and nurtures poetry in Scot-
• Val McDermid – 1979 land’s three indigenous languages, English,
• Ruth Jones – Us Three Scottish Gaelic and Scots.
• Gavin Hastings – Legacy of The Lions There will be the annual Magnusson Lecture
• Salena Godden – Mrs Death Misses Death (celebrating the life and interests of the
• Robin Ince – The Importance of broadcaster, academic and polymath Magnus
Being Interested:
Adventures in Scientific Curiosity Magnusson) in which Rosemary Goring will
• Fatima Manji – Hidden Heritage discuss “the Afterlife of Mary Queen of
• Rory Cellan-Jones – Always On Scots”. And new for 2021 will be the
• Emma Soames – Mary Churchill’s War announcement of the winner of the new
• AC Grayling – The Frontiers of Knowledge Anne Brown Essay Prize for Scotland.
• Laura Bates – The Trial
• Kathleen Hart – Devorgilla Days
• Sarfraz Manzoor – They
The journalist, author and wildlife
rehabilitator Polly Pullar will also be talking
about her new book A Scurry of Squirrels and
leading red squirrel walks in the
countryside near Wigtown. She has had a
love of the animals since childhood and has
reared many orphaned youngsters by hand. Denise Mina Ruth James
© Ray Bruniston
Other activities will include fireworks and a
pipe band, the Bookshop Band’s World Tour As ever there will be a strong programme for
(with guests from the world of books), pop-up children and young people.
performances from Scottish Opera, guided While the emphasis for 2021 is on physical
walks of the Solway’s saltmarshes with Saltire first, the festival will include hybrid and online
Award-winning author Stephen Rutt and only events, allowing people to take part in
the festival wherever they are and meaning
that guests can join us from all over the world.
We hope that you will be able to join us and
can promise you the warmest of welcomes to
one of Scotland’s best-loved literary events.
And hopefully you will find much else to enjoy
while spending time in
Scotland’s National Booktown.
For further information see
www.wigtownbookfestival.com.
Gavin HastingsBAIRD INSTITUTE: IN SEARCH OF THE SOUTH WEST East Ayrshire Leisure is delighted to celebrate a photographic exploration of the natural and man-made beauties of the south-west corner of Scotland by Willie Lee and Jim Johnstone. The pair’s exhibition In Search of The South West will be on display at the Baird Institute until Thursday 16 September. The south-west corner of Scotland, bounded by the rivers Clyde in the north and Nith in the east, and the Firth of Clyde and Solway coast in the west and south, is rich in scenic beauty and man-made histor- ical relics. From the wilds of the Galloway and Arran mountains to the urban centres of Glasgow and Ayrshire, the photographs encompass imagery from some well-known sites such as the Ayrshire and Galloway coasts to some of the lesser known hidden gems of the area. This exhibition is an attempt to capture the essence of this small corner of the world in fifty photographs by Cumnock photographers Willie Lee and Jim Johnstone. Come along to this FREE exhibition and explore the South West of Scotland. Opening hours are Thu 12.30-4pm & 5-7.30pm and Fri/Sat 10.30am – 12noon & 1-3pm. For more information visit eastayrshireleisure.com or contact the Baird Institute on 01290 427084
DICK INSTITUTE
The Dick Institute, East Ayrshire Leisure’s
largest museum and gallery space
On display in the South Museum is
THE JOHnnIE wALKEr DISpLAy
featuring new objects on loan from the
Johnnie walker Archive.
Highlights include Sir Alexander Walker’s
blending notebook, 1913-1918:
Recording his ideas and thoughts on how Small Differences, an Arts Council Touring
the Johnnie Walker blends should be made. exhibition exploring group identities through
Also on display an 'Around the World' book, objects, choices, tribes and belonging.
c.1920s: By 1920 Walker’s whiskies had
travelled from Scotland to over 120 markets ONLINE:
around the world. To mark this
achievement, the company produced this During lockdown East Ayrshire Leisure
book, an early travelogue that celebrated continued to engage with our customers
and thanked all the agents throughout the through many forms, allowing people not
world. only to access but also participate in
creating culture from home. You can still
THE YOUNG PEOPLE’S GALLERY explore this information by visiting
houses what is a very important exhibition, eastayrshireleisure.com/culture/culture-at-
exploring self-expression and identity and home. Futuremuseum.co.uk came into its
featuring artwork created by over 80 young own during this time, the website provides
people from East Ayrshire. These works free access to the museum collections of
were made as a result of engagement with Ayrshire and Dumfries and Galloway
two visual art projects, responding to the creating a valuable resource to people of all
exhibitions: Grayson Perry, The Vanity of ages. The MY TRIBE project took place in
Small Differences and Claude Cahun, Autumn 2020, when schools were unable to
Beneath this Mask, as part of the East visit galleries due to the pandemic.
Ayrshire Leisure exhibition programme. Children and young adults were invited to
It gives an inner glimpse at the identity of a create a piece of personal artwork in
generation and how they see themselves. response to Grayson Perry, The Vanity of
Small Differences, an Arts Council Touring
The MY TRIBE project features work of exhibition exploring group identities through
Park School, Kilmarnock and Grange objects, choices, tribes and belonging.
Academy pupils. They were invited to You can now visit the Dick Institute’s Young
create a piece of personal artwork in People’s Gallery and see what the young
response to Grayson Perry, The Vanity of participants produced.You can also read
