Max Stewart, The Sea Witch.
Inhabitants of the Scottish Highlands know a thing or two about migration. The turbulent history of the region is fraught with movement, as periods of cultural strife and economic upheaval sparked mass migrations, leaving the mountainous regions the most sparsely populated in the country. It is fitting, then, that the Scottish Glass Society‘s retrospective exhibition of glass art will be a touring exhibition, kicking off in Inverness on July 4, 2009. Entitled “Migrate: 30 Years of Scottish Glass,” the show seeks to capture the region’s history and diversity through glass sculptures, stained glass, engravings, and castings, which examine how Scottish artists capture a sense of place and identity in their work.
The exhibition features a medley of 30 artists at all stages of their careers, from recent graduates of the Edinburgh College of Art to established artists. Among the artists with work in the exhibition: Alec Galloway, Max Jacquard, Alison Kinnaird, Nichola Burns, and Carrie Fertig.
It is appropriate that many of these artists are themselves former migrants, drawn to Scotland from Japan, England, the United States and elsewhere to hone their craft. Works on display are an eclectic mix, with pieces that have been cast, fused, blown, engraved, stained, and painted.
The show is presented by the not-for-profit Scottish Glass Society, which will celebrate this summer the 30th year since its conception in 1979. The touring exhibition kicks off at the Inverness Museum & Art Galleries on July 4, and will continue on through the final showing at the West Midlands’ Broadfield House Glass Museum in March 2010.
A series of talks and workshops will complement the exhibition, offering a detailed look at contemporary Scottish glassmaking—where it’s going, and, perhaps more importantly, where it came from.
EXHIBITION SCHEDULE:
Inverness Museum & Art Gallery, Inverness (July 4 – August 1 2009)
St Fergus Gallery, Wick (August 7 – September 12 2009)
Iona Gallery, Kingussie (September 19 – October 17 2009)
Broadfield House Glass Museum, West Midlands (November 14 – March 11 2010)
—Brett Nuckles