Gairloch Museum summer exhibition to showcase art celebrating the Shiant Isles between Wester Ross and the Outer Hebrides
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During July and August, Gairloch Museum will display drawings, watercolours and photographs of the Shiant Isles by artist Alison Dunlop.
Two years in the making “The Spirit of Beyond: The Shiant Isles” has seen Alison work with writers, poets, naturalists and Gaelic speakers to bring their perspectives to bear on her celebration of place.
The exhibition features Gaelic folklore and song inspired by the islands and has spawned a mini-festival of events that also celebrate the geology, history, birdlife and inspiration that the Shiant Isles provide.
A book has been produced to accompany the exhibition and comprises the entire collection of work including many drawings, watercolours and photographs not featured in the exhibition.
Born in Canada, Alison began her studies there before continuing in France and Britain. In 1982, she came to Scotland to undertake postgraduate studies at Edinburgh College of Art and has since made Scotland her home.
She said: "Ever since moving to Gairloch to establish my studio here, the Shiant Isles have been an enigmatic presence on my horizon.
"Some days their form is barely discernible through veils of mist but, in 2019, I finally set foot on the Isles.
"When seen close up, they teem with a life and richness which I hadn’t imagined; the sheer scale and drama of the daunting cliffs of columnar basalt rising from the sea is overpowering.
"My work explores these two edges – the distant and the close up – and I am thrilled at how this extraordinary place has inspired me to create this new body of work."
Curator Dr Karen Buchanan said: “The Shiant Isles may not be as well known as St Kilda, but their presence, history and mythology is just as interesting and exciting – even more so, due to their undiscovered quality. We’re really pleased to be hosting Alison’s work and are delighted at the other events which will accompany her exhibition.”
Gairloch Museum is open Monday to Saturday from 10am to 5pm. To book your visit call 01445 712 287.
Due to Covid restrictions, there are a limited number of tickets available for the programme of events.
Details of charges and how to book can be found at www.gairlochmuseum.org/events
Events
The Wondering Fiddlers – Early Music as Education
Friday 9 July at 4pm, 4.45pm, 5.30pm and 6.15pm
In-person Event – £10 per ticket
A unique opportunity to hear composers including; Mozart, Parcell, Bach and Correli in the Museum's Am Bàrd Cafe. These informal 30 minute performances (4pm, 4.45pm, 5.30pm and 6.15pm) will include conversation with the musicians about the selected music. Tickets are sold as households to comply with physical distancing requirements.
Creative Writing Workshop with Kevin MacNeil
Monday 12 July at 7pm
In-person Event – by donation
A creative writing workshop, led by Scottish novelist, poet, playwright and screenwriter, around the theme of islands. Open to those who wish to write and those who already do.
Poetry Reading with Brian Hill
Friday 16 July at 7.30pm
Online Event - £3
Brian Hill reads his series of poems written for Alison Dunlop’s Spirit of Beyond: The Shiant Isles Exhibition.
The Minch Torc with Matt Knight
Wednesday 28 July at 7.30pm
Online Event - £3
In 1991, fishermen pulled up a Bronze Age gold torc while dredging for scallops in the Minch, off the Shiant Isles in the Hebrides. Matt Knight, National Museums Scotland explores the significance of the Minch torc and sets it in the wider context of other seabed discoveries and the role of gold in Britain and Ireland.
Making Geological Maps with Professor Rob Butler
Tuesday 3 August at 7.30pm
Online Event - £3
Geologists make maps of the distribution of the earth’s surface (and in the subsurface) but these are far more than simply spatial catalogues of rocks. This fully illustrated talk looks at how mapping has created geological knowledge in north-west Scotland – both onshore and offshore.
The Shiant Isles – Adam Nicolson
Saturday 14 August at 4pm
In-person and Online Event £6
Adam Nicolson once owned the Shiant Isles and is the author of Sea Room published in 2014 and many other titles. In an illustrated presentation, Adam will share stories about life on the island.
Brian Hill Poetry Reading
Wednesday 21 August at 3pm
Full details of how to attend TBC
Brian Hill reads his series of poems written for Alsion Dunlop’s Spirit of Beyond: The Shiant Isles Exhibition.
Seabird Island – Robin Reid, RSPB
Tuesday 24 August at 7.30pm
Online Event - £4
These spectacular islands are home to around 100,000 pairs of breeding seabirds making this one of the most important and arresting seabird colonies in Scotland. Robin Reid RSPB Conservation Officer shares stories of the rich wildlife as well as the conservation projects that help to protect them.
