| As Mark Twain once said “Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated” and the same might apply to your local arts centre! Despite inaccurate stories that the centre is to be axed, it’s very much business as usual at Gracefield with a host of exciting new exhibitions and events for all. As Councillor Tom McAughtrie says: “This is one of the gems of the Council and we’ll continue to support and develop our arts and museums provision for the enjoyment for all our locals and visitors.”
Coming up at the end of May is the hotly anticipated solo show by one of the regions’ most successful local artists, Hazel Campbell with her new show ‘Outside Influences’ running from 28 May – 9 July in Gallery 2. This is the artist’s first major solo show at Gracefield and features work from the last 3 years. Hazel started her career in the 1960s and trained to be a teacher at Jordanhill Teacher Training College, with art as her specialism in her final year. She has lived and worked in Galloway for most of her adult life and through attendance at painting classes over a number of years, including those of her mentor Archie Sutter Watt RSW, she has developed her own vigorous style of painting. She has continued with her teaching and has run summer schools from her farm studio for the last eighteen years. The Galloway landscape is the inspiration for much of her work in oil and gouache but still life and flowers are also subjects and like the landscapes, are being treated in an increasingly broad and expressive manner. The exhibition is accompanied by a colour catalogue and Hazel is also running a painting masterclass workshop on June 11. Please call Gracefield for details.
Over in Gallery 1, Modern Painters features some of the leading artists from Scottish art history, selected from the Gracefield Permanent Collection exhibition by Arts Officer, Dawn Henderby. John Bellany, Elizabeth Blackadder and Barbara Rae may be some of the familiar names, but the show will also feature less-known talent and cast an eclectic eye over the painting practice in Scotland and other key artists from UK and abroad over the last 70 years – including an etching by Picasso, arguably the world’s most famous artist, and a work which will featured on a special programme on the Collection of D&G Council on Border Life on ITV. Modern Painters runs from 28 May – 9 July.
If all this art has you inspired to try your own hand, then Jenny Smith is running an Intuitive Collage Workshop on Saturday 21 May, 12noon-4.30pm (£35 / £30conc.) The Surrealists often created intuitive collages, inspired by their dreams and inner world. In this workshop we will explore the way collage can be used to access our intuitive, inner creativity. No experience or pre planning necessary. This work is most powerful when you are just present in the moment and see what arises in the process of collaging. Based in Edinburgh, Jenny Smith studied Drawing and Painting at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art, Dundee and Multi Disciplinary Print at UWE, Bristol and she now exhibits her work nationally and internationally. As well as adult workshops, Gracefield continues to offer fantastic selection of kids’ classes on Saturday morning – you can book just one, or sign up for a season, the choice is yours and each session is led by professional artist and makers. Cost £5.50 for the two hours and you can book and pay over the phone on 01387 262084.
We won’t have any workshops during the Spring Fling Weekend however, as the activities rooms will be used to host three artist’s studios as part of the region wide event from the 28-30 May. Andrew Adair, Morgan Hardie and Gwen Adair will showcase their work over the long weekend including extra opening hours on Sunday and Monday.
Admission to exhibitions is always free and there’s also a Café, which features a fascinating exhibition of wooden clocks and mirrors by Tom Goff, and our Craft Shop, Printmakers Studio and activity rooms. For full details, please give us a call or visit the Council website at www.dumgal.gov.uk/gracefield
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