Scotland’s leading contemporary art and craft open studios event has unveiled the list of artists and makers selected to take part in 2025.
Among the more than 80 participants are internationally renowned names such as the slipware potters Fitch and McAndrew – who recently had two pieces purchased and placed on immediate public display by the V&A.
Other high-profile people include glassmaker Amanda J Simmons, textile designer Morag Macpherson, landscape painter Angela Lawrence and Daniel Lacey, maker of exquisite bespoke furniture created from storm felled timber.
Spring Fling, which takes place across Dumfries and Galloway (from Moffat to Stranraer) on 24-26 May, attracts thousands of visitors to meet artists and makers of every kind working in one of Scotland’s most beautiful rural regions.
The range is extraordinary, encompassing everything from painting, printmaking, jewellery, photography, furniture, glassmaking and ceramics to handmade chef knives, carved wooden mobiles, decorative metalwork, installation art, tapestry, costume and hats.
Natasha Kinsella, Events and Exhibitions Development Manager for Upland CIC which runs Spring Fling, said:“Revealing the artists and makers taking part in Spring Fling is always such an exciting moment.
“People love finding out if their favourite familiar faces are back, spotting new names on the list, and starting to plan their trips. This year’s line-up is fantastic – there’s something for everyone.
“And, as always, Spring Fling is about more than just the art. It’s a chance to meet amazing people, peek inside inspiring studios, and explore the stunning villages, towns, coasts, hills, and rolling farmlands that make this part of Scotland so special.”
The 2025 event features 13 first-time participants, including Rhiannon Dewar and Murray Young who are the beneficiaries of Upland’s annual Emerge bursary and mentorship scheme which is designed to nurture fresh talent.
Among the frequent Spring Fling participants – who many visitors return to see year after year – are the textile maker Gyllian Thomson, potters Andrew Priestman and Mary Gladstone, visual artists Anne Butler and Hazel Campbell, hatmaker Kay Ribbens, blacksmith Adam Booth and many more.
The full Spring Fling list
Ceramics: Andrew Priestman, Clare Dawdry, Fitch & McAndrew, Heather Armstrong, Joshua Williams, Mary Gladstone, Rebecca Woods, Ruth Elizabeth Jones, Samuel Sparrow, Frances Ross, Julian Francis, Lorna Phillips
Costume design: Alexander Rigg
Glass: Amanda J Simmons, Katy Quinn
Hand-forged knives: Chris Renshaw, Timothy Westley
Hats: Kay Ribbens
Illustration: Ailsa Black, Louisa Birdsall, Sarah Stewart, Suzi Plunkett
Jewellery: Alison Macleod, Jesse Ball, Kaz Robertson, Natalie Vardey, Sheena McMaster, Sonny Cooper
Metalwork: Adam Booth, Nathan Robinson
Mixed Media: Alison Corfield, Linda Mallett, Martha Schofield, Murray Young, Rhiannon D Dewar, Stephanie Lightbown
Painting and Drawing: Angela Lawrence, Anne Butler, Elizabeth Dagg, Elizabeth Gilbey, Gloria Newlan, Hazel Campbell, Heather Davies, Heather M Nisbet, Kate Bentley SWA, Kevan McGinty, Martin Clarkson, Michael Johnson, Scott McFarlane, Amanda Hayler, Catherine Corfield, Maggie Ayres, Mark Welland, Catherine Coulson, Julie Hollis, Sally Jennings, Suzanne Stuart Davies
Photography: Alistair Hamilton, David Quinn, Claire Cameron-Smith, Joshua Miles, Laura Boswell, Sarah Ross-Thompson, Alan Cameron, Pamela Grace
Sculpture: Kerry Samantha Boyes
Textiles: Jo Gallant, Morag Macpherson, Rebecca McLellan, Gail Kelly, Laura Derby, Yvette Phillips, Linda Ann Irving, Gyllian Thomson, Louisa Ruthven
Wood: Jane Alison Fraser, Jay Rubinstein, Daniel Lacey, Ian Cameron-Smith, Rachel Ashcroft, Mike Dixon.
- See the Upland website at www.weareupland.com.
