Art Week 2024 in review

An Talla Solais Art Week 2024 kicked off in true party style with cocktails, canapes and music from celebrated artist duo Mairearad Green and Kim Richards, musician Martin Gilligan and acclaimed local writer and musician Jon Miller. The Member’s Show in the gallery at An Talla Solais (Ullapool Visual Arts) offered a beautiful backdrop and an exciting glimpse of the creative adventure in the week to come for Ullapool’s first Art Week.

Director and Curator at An Talla Solais, Mhairi Muncaster opened Art Week with a run down of a few of the many exhibitions, workshops, events and artists opening their studios throughout the week. One such highlight including new work by renowned Scottish artist Will Maclean RSA. Macleans’ work draws on his strong connection to the sea, both through time he has spent in the Merchant navy, and being born into a family of fishermen. Ghost Boatsmainly references the decline of the Ring Net herring fishing in Skye and Loch Fyne and the Bag Net Salmon fishing of Coigach. Maclean has family links to both Coigach and Skye and experienced these industries as a young man. Ghost Boats comprises of a series of mixed media miniatures on paper with accompanying texts relating to the sea, boats and the fishermen that skippered them.

The Art Week workshop programme offered participants of all ages the opportunity to try out a wide range of creative disciplines including children’s book making, painting, creative writing, drawing, charcoal making and creating wildflowers out of clay. The workshops at ATS have never been so full, as visitors and locals worked elbow to elbow to create clay wildflowers for a collaborative community art piece with guidance from Ceramicist Steve Paterson.

At Kinder Croft C.I.C. the fire was lit by Practititioner Stephanie Martin and Artist Rhiannon Van Muysen, who guided workshop goers through the process of charcoal making and techniques for creating drawings with charcoal. The Open Studio Trail which ran from Lochside through Ullapool and North to Achiltiebuie offered people the chance to meet 27 local artists in their studios and find out more about their creative practice.

Painter Rachel Grant who also delivered two painting courses over the week said “Being part of the studio trail has been really exciting! Presenting my work in an informal way in my studio has allowed me to reflect on my practice and feel a part of a vibrant creative community. I think we are all hoping that Art Week can become an annual event.”

Exhibitions were held in both permanent and pop-up venues throughout the week. Artists Eleanor White and Joanna Wright opened up the studio space at Bridgehouse Art to exhibit jointly. Joanna said, “Eleanor White and I have been grateful to An Talla Solais Art Week for giving us the motivation to get our most recent work up on the wall. After working in the studio privately for months it is lovely to find an audience. I've also really enjoyed the energy of knowing there are masses of other artists out there doing the same thing, and I've loved discovering where people work.”

Another highlight of the week included the open studio for the Dolphin Arts Project, a weekly creative session for people with the diagnosis of dementia and their carers which is supported by An Talla Solais. The Dolphins beautiful art works were also displayed in the windows of Ullapool Bookshop.

Ullapool High School students presented an exhibition at the Ferry terminal and the Creative Hands inclusive art group exhibited a wild flower themed work at the Macphail Centre.

Director and Curator of An Talla Solais said of Art Week, “We know there are lots of artists in Ullapool, Achiltibuie and the surrounding area, but we have been amazed by the positive response, and the talent of our community. Visitors to the studios and exhibitions have been so enthusiastic, and we have had folk come from around the country to visit Art Week. People are already talking about next year…watch this space! The support for Art Week demonstrates the important role that art and artists play in our area, and the way art enriches our lives.”