Following a national competition, a number of artistic reflections of Scotland by amateur and professional artists (of all ages) have been selected by the globally renowned author Alexander McCall Smith to feature in a new national exhibit telling the people’s story of the Covid-19 lockdowns. The winners include Chris Moody, a professional artist from Dumfries with a ‘narrative view from her window.’
Revealing the winning entries and the secret inspiration behind the Reflections of a Nation exhibition, Sandy Maxwell-Forbes, Centre Director of the new purpose-built national Great Tapestry of Scotland gallery and visitor centre said: “Our Reflections of a Nation exhibit will bring the Tapestry’s wonderfully moving people’s story of Scottish history, heritage and culture (from millions of years BC to 2013) right up to present day, when our new visitor centre opens this summer.
“We were overwhelmed with the great variety and volume of moving submissions that we received for this exhibit. It was incredibly tough to shortlist entries as the standard was so high, however we are delighted with the winners Alexander McCall Smith has selected. They each tell of quite different reflections that I’m sure many of those who live in or love Scotland can relate to.
“I can also reveal today that the exhibition tells its own secret hidden story of how family and working life have become much more closely aligned during lock down.”
Selected from a range of different amateur and professional categories, the winners of the competition who will feature in the exhibit are:
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Chris Moody, a professional artist from Dumfries (@ClaraPlumTree on Instagram). Chris said her narrative painting made in lockdown “started as a landscape of the view from my window and developed into something more.” Alexander described this painting as “a wistful and beautifully composed picture. It expresses the loneliness of these last months and also refers rather strikingly to the greater connection many people have felt with nature during this period.”
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Margot Montgomerie, an amateur artist from Galashiels who said she missed the Scottish coast during lockdown. Speaking of her submission, she said: “This is an imagining of Arran from Prestwick seafront which holds many special family memories for me.” Alexander McCall Smith said Margot’s picture was “a vivid, beautifully balanced and intriguing picture. Full of life. A remarkable work.”
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Daisy Alderson (now aged 18 and head girl at New Hall School in Chelmsford). Speaking of her portrait of TJ, a senior respiratory staff nurse on the Covid 19 frontline at the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, Alexander said: “This is a very accomplished, and indeed haunting, portrait. It is remarkable how the artist has managed to convey the combination of anxiety and sympathy in the subject’s eyes.”
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Heather Wilson a professional artist and print maker from Edinburgh. She submitted a range of wood engravings and small editioned prints “which describe how I have felt over the past few months about where I live, what is important, what I miss and the things I have treasured, like walks and growing vegetables, and especially my two adult sons being at home. Some are reminders of the past, and what seemed normal. Most of the images feature Edinburgh, the buildings and hills which surround the city.” Alexander describes her winning Into Perspective entry as “utterly memorable – a glimpse into a mental interior, juxtaposed very skillfully with architectural references.”
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Ally Pritchard, now aged 9 from Tweedbank in the Scottish Borders. His depiction of Shetland’s Up Helly Aa captures the global desire to return to Scotland’s world renowned cultural events when restrictions allow. Speaking of his entry Ally said: “l learned about the Viking fire festival Up Helly Aa when my teacher sent me work to do at home during the coronavirus lockdown. I made this picture on my iPad. It is the Viking boat being set on fire and people celebrating on the beach with flaming torches. I would really like to visit Shetland and go to the Up Helly Aa festival one day.” Speaking of Ally’s digital artwork, Alexander said: “Ally has captured the feel of Up Helly Aa. His ability to depict darkness and light is very striking. A very mature and well composed picture.”
The Great Tapestry of Scotland’s Reflections of a Nation exhibit and art competition was inspired by the Tapestry itself and 6-year-old artist Rory Innes (now aged 7 from Gorebridge, Midlothian). As Rory’s mum, Kirsty (a former Galashiels Academy pupil) worked with the Tapestry team throughout the first lockdown, Rory began to show great interest in her work. She showed him images of the Tapestry and told him how each panel showcased a different story of Scotland’s history, heritage and culture through wonderfully detailed imagery. She then encouraged him to create his own visual lockdown picture to share with his grandparents in Galashiels, who were missing him greatly. Using a range of mediums (including his then 4-year-old brother Euan’s hand print) and following YouTube tutorials from Arts for Kids Hub and Draw with Rob, he created a picture of his family Facetiming his grandparents.
As the inspiration behind the Reflections of a Nation exhibit, Rory’s picture will be displayed alongside the competition winning entries in the exhibition. Speaking of Rory’s contribution, Sandy Maxwell Forbes said: “Not only does Rory’s picture wonderfully depict how family relationships have been forced online during lockdown, but it also tells the hidden story of how our colleagues’ children and families have become an increasingly integral part of all our working lives throughout lockdown.
“When we first saw his picture, we thought it would be wonderful to create a wider display of artistic reflections of those living in or missing Scotland during these tough times.”
The Great Tapestry of Scotland, hand stitched by a team of 1,000 stitchers led by Dorie, tells the visual story of Scotland’s history, heritage and culture from its formation to present day. It was the vision of one of the world’s best loved writers Alexander McCall-Smith, designed by artist Andrew Crummy and teams of stitchers around Scotland from a narrative written by the award-winning writer and historian Alistair Moffat. It is made up of 300 miles of wool (enough to lay the entire length of Scotland from the border with England to the tip of the Shetland in the North Atlantic).
The new national Great Tapestry of Scotland gallery and exhibition space, purpose built to house the tapestry, will be where Scotland’s story begins. It has received over £6.7 million funding from the Scottish Government Regeneration Capital Grant Fund, the Borders Railway Blueprint programme and Scottish Borders Council. It will open in Galashiels in the Scottish Borders, one of the UK’s leading textile regions, later this year. The cultural venture is operated by the charity Live Borders, which also manages many of the cultural and leisure facilities in the Borders, including the five star Jim Clark Motorsport Museum.
In addition to housing the Tapestry and the Reflections of a Nation exhibit, the building will host a range of visiting exhibits, tours and workshops. The first temporary exhibit will be Iconic Scotland, which will feature written and photographic contributions from 40 iconic, inspiring and pioneering individuals including Outlander Stars Sam Heughan and Grant O’Rourke, actress Joanna Lumley, sports stars Doddie Weir and Liz McColgan and human-rights activist and brewing pioneer Sir Geoff Palmer.
For more information about the new visitor attraction visit www.liveborders.org.uk/gtos or follow @GreatTapestrySc on Facebook or Twitter, and @GreatTapestryScotland on Instagram.
Great Tapestry of Scotland
- The Great Tapestry of Scotland was the brainchild of one of the world’s best-loved writers, Alexander McCall Smith. The 44 Scotland Street author, together with historian Alistair Moffat, and with the artistic talents of Andrew Crummy formed a team set to produce the world’s longest tapestries through one of the biggest community arts projects ever to take place in Scotland.
- It is a unique project to stitch the entire story of Scotland from pre-history to modern times.
- Through its wonderful artistry and visual storytelling, it makes Scotland’s history, heritage and culture accessible to all.
- The project took over two years to complete and the finished tapestry toured Scotland from September 2013.
- Galashiels was then selected as the permanent home for the visitor attraction and the new build has been made possible thanks to support from the Scottish Government, the Scottish Borders Council and Live Borders.
- The new Great Tapestry of Scotland building, constructed by Scottish contractor Ogilvie Constriction, has been designed by one of Scotland’s leading architectural practices, Page\Park. The contractors are repurposing the adjacent former Post Office, a B-listed building with exterior carvings by the once world-renowned 19thcentury sculptor George Paterson Sutherland, who hailed from the town and later emigrated to Toronto. There will also be retail, café, educational and touring exhibition space, as well as an ongoing events and exhibitions programme.
- The Great Tapestry of Scotland helped secure a £1.18m Scottish Government Regeneration Capital Grant Fund for Galashiels, which is supporting a number of regeneration projects in the town, such as the new town trail includes a sculpture dedicated to Galashiels sweet seller Robert Coltart who wrote the world famous children’s lullaby Coulter’s Candy (Ali Bali Bee). It will play a vital role in supporting economic and social regeneration across the south of Scotland.
- The regeneration of Galashiels has the support of the Scottish Government through the Borders Railway Blueprint programme, as well as community groups such as Energise Galashiels Trust.
- The new attraction will be managed by Live Borders, a charity employing over 250+ people across the cultural, sports and leisure sectors, and welcoming well over a million people to its sites per year. They operate many of the cultural and heritage highlights in the Scottish Borders, such as Jim Clark Motorsport Museum, Heart of Hawick, Harestanes Countryside Visitor Centre, Mary Queen of Scots Visitor Centre and Jedburgh Castle and Jail.
- All Reflections of a Nation competition winners will be given family passes to the new visitor experience and will be invited to be among the first to see the new Great Tapestry of Scotland centre when it opens later this year.
