The Highland Society of London and Wasps Studios are delighted to announce that Crofts at South Dell/Croitean aig Dail bho Dheas by David Greenall from An Lanntair/Open Studios Hebrides is the winner of the 2023 Highland Art Prize. The winner was announced by competition judge Ishbel Murray, artist and art teacher based on the Isle of Lewis, at the prize-giving ceremony in Glasgow on Friday 20th October.
Hosted at Scotland’s provider of creative spaces Wasps’ venue The Briggait, in conjunction with the Royal National Mòd, the prize-giving was attended by many of the 74 artists from 16 art organisations across the Highlands and Islands who had submitted artworks to this annual exhibition and competition. Lady Of The Flowers by Leah Davis from the Society of Caithness Artists was also highly commended by Ishbel Murray.
Welcoming everyone to The Briggait, Audrey Carlin (CEO, Wasps Studios) said: “It is Wasps’ pleasure to host the Highland Art Prize this year, and be in a position to host Highland Art Prize winner for 2022 David Page’s stunning exhibition. The Briggait has been bristling with colour and energy. We were delighted with such a strong turnout on the day, making the Highland Art Prize announcement all the more enjoyable. Congratulations to our winner and to all entrants. The quality and diversity of works has been extraordinary. It seems that the Highland Art Prize has a bright future.”
Introducing the awards ceremony, Maggie Cunningham (President of An Comunn Gàidhealach, organisers of the Royal National Mòd) added that: “Visual arts are an integral part of Gaelic culture, and An Comunn Gàidhealach are delighted with the success of the Highland Art Prize and look forward to working together for many years to come.”
Announcing the winner of the 2023 Highland Art Prize, Ishbel Murray commented that: “David’s artwork captures the atmospheric essence of this crofting location by the sea through a highly sensitive use of colour involving the demanding method of blending pigment and wax to achieve a shimmering effect in an image that has been beautifully reduced to its essential elements.”
The winning artist receives £1,000 (to be shared with their local art organisation), plus an exhibition opportunity at The Briggait in Glasgow, courtesy of Wasps, a charity and social enterprise that provides studio spaces to artists and creators across Scotland. The 2023 Highland Art Prize was also supported by Renfrewshire Council and Bòrd na Gàidhlig.
We are very pleased to share that viewings of the hot desk and dedicated desk services at our brand new creative industries location will take place at Granton Station on Thursday 17 August.
This tour will be for those interested in the hot desking and dedicated desk facilities on offer. If you are are freelancer or creative business looking to expand into a new space within the exciting Granton Waterfront area, come along. Hourly slots are available at 3pm, 4pm, 5pm and 6pm.
Another tour will be hosted on Thursday 7 September for interested parties looking for contained spaces to see the offices.
Granton Station is a £4.75m project funded by City of Edinburgh Council to restore and adapt the B-listed former Granton Gas Works Railway Station, a landmark building that sits at the gateway to the Granton Waterfront Regeneration area. Disused as a station since 1942, the new facility will deliver a 600m2 creative hub offering affordable, high quality workspaces, co-working desk spaces, a gallery/workshop space and meeting room provision, set in a newly landscaped public realm and outdoor events space.
If you are a freelancer or creative business looking to expand into a new space within the exciting Granton Waterfront Regeneration area, come along.
Contact lettings@waspsstudios.org.uk with your details and what time you would like to view the space next week.
For a refresher on the development and the Granton brochure, click here.
An inviting, flexible and social public space has been installed at Perth Creative Exchange, and now you can have your say on the engagement process and finished designs.
The Perth Creative Exchange Pocket Places project was delivered by Sustrans in partnership with Wasps, North Inch & Muirton Community Council and Perth & Kinross Council. With help from the local community, Sustrans in partnership with the team at Wasps have designed and delivered simple interventions in the outdoor grounds of the building for tenants, residents, and the wider community to connect, be creative and enjoy together.
If you live locally, or connect with the community using Perth Creative Exchange, please tell us your thoughts by completing this online survey. As a thank you for taking part in this survey, you will have the option to enter a prize draw.
Pocket Places supports communities across Scotland to find simple, quick, temporary solutions to improve the look and feel of their streets. By making small-scale changes to local streets, the project hopes to inspire further improvements and encourage communities to apply for other Sustrans support for larger-scale change, such as Street Design or Places for Everyone funding.
Recent refurbishment works at The Booth in Scalloway are now complete, and the location is open once again for artist residents looking for an inspiring setting in which to create new work.
Both the living space and the studio have been updated including; all new furniture added, the floors sanded and varnished, a new kitchen installed and the lighting improved. The studio has been given a refresh with a new coat of paint.
The Booth was constructed by Scalloway Waterfront Trust in 2001. It was built on the site of a fisherman’s store which was the oldest building in the town. Now converted into a live-work space for visiting artists, The Booth is managed by Wasps in partnership with Shetland Arts Trust. Former residents have often made use of the artist facilities situated close by to The Booth, including printmaking and ceramics resources.
The Booth consists of a combined ‘clean’ working area and living space which is located on the upper level and a stone-walled basement for more ‘dirty’ work. The living accommodation has a fully fitted kitchen, washing machine/tumble dryer and a bathroom with a fully accessible shower. There is a bed space located above the kitchen/bathroom, the sofa also opens up into a double bed and towels and bedlinen are provided.
For more information on The Booth, click here for the location’s webpage. To apply for a residency, click here.
After a successful run of our Wasps Summer Artist and Makers Markets, we are returning with the Wasps Winter Artist and Makers Market series! Applications are now open for these markets and will take place in Inverness and Glasgow. Save the date and share with your creative network and let’s make this year the best yet.
Inverness Creative Academy
Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 November 2022
Apply for this Winter 2022 Market here.
The Briggait, Glasgow
Saturday 3 and Sunday 4 December 2022
Apply for this Winter 2022 Market here.
The deadline to apply is Monday 3 October. Should you have any questions about the application process, contact us on info@waspsstudios.org.uk.
Printmaker Claire Cameron-Smith and her husband Ian have taken up residency at Wasps’ Isle of Skye retreat The Admiral’s House on more than one occasion, drawn by the beauty and uniqueness of the area. Claire, a Wasps tenant at Cannonwalls & Claverhouse studios in Kirkcudbright who specialises in the Japanese woodblock tradition of printmaking, tells us about one of their visits to the largest of the Inner Hebrides.
It was our aim to use our time on artist residency at the Admiral’s House for a healthy mixture of “work and play”, and the house, the studios and the surroundings provide the perfect environment to achieve both these objectives.
The house is comfortable and quiet, and the wood-burning stove provides a cosy atmosphere in which to enjoy some much-needed rest and relaxation – just getting away from it all! On the work side, the studios were perfect for our needs. I used Lady Joan’s bright new-build studio which has wonderful natural light and a very calming sense of peacefulness, although I must confess the ever-changing view from the huge picture window can be quite a distraction at times!
I intended to use my time in the studio to create the woodblocks for a print based on something that inspired me on my arrival in Skye. Given the impressive nature of the surrounding landscapes on the island, it is perhaps surprising that what really caught my attention on the first day at the Admiral’s House was an unusual tree with purple flowers. I’d noticed it in the garden as I walked back and forth carrying my equipment to the studio. Research revealed that it’s a type of daisy tree, Olearia Semidentata, which is native to New Zealand, leading me to speculate on how it came to be in the garden of the Admiral’s House in this little corner of Scotland! And so, this delicate little flower became the subject of my print project during my residency. Since my return to my Kirkcudbright studio, I’ve completed the print and it will be a lasting memory of my time spent in Lady Joan’s studio.
In between the studio work, we took some time to explore what Skye has to offer – touring the island to visit places like the Fairy Pools, or just staying local for walks and beach visits which someone has kindly listed in the information folder. The beach nearby was great for swimming and spotting seals, and we were also lucky enough to watch an otter during one of our walks just a bit further down the road.
A visit to the Aros Centre near Portree to watch the Skye Story presentation was very worthwhile – the film gave us a valuable insight into the island’s history and culture. (The Centre also has an excellent food shop!)
Our time at the Admiral’s House was everything we’d hoped it would be, with just the right balance of studio-based work and time spent exploring the island. I returned home feeling relaxed and well-rested but had also been uplifted and inspired by the grand scenery, our glimpses of the local wildlife, and the little purple flowers of the extraordinary daisy tree!
You can find more of Claire’s work at www.cameronsmithdesigns.co.uk
Wasps is currently taking bookings for winter artist residencies, offering full house bookings for groups of artists or creative families. A full house booking consists of three rooms and three studios for a maximum of 6 guests and can be booked for a week, fortnight or full month. If you’re interested in taking a winter retreat at The Admiral’s House please click below for available dates and how to apply.
