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Community Textile ProjectsThe George Bain Project |
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The Groam House Museum on the Black Isle houses the national collection of the Celtic designs of George Bain, the man responsible for the modern resurgence of Celtic art. These designs lend themselves to a wide range of textile mediums so the plan, as part of a 2012 national programme of events and exhibitions of George Bain's work, is to run a number of community workshops in the Ullapool area, to help local residents to make both authentic copies and contemporary interpretations of his designs using, for example, knitting, rag-rugging, tapestry, embroidery and appliqué.
These will be exhibited, alongside the results of ceramics workshops with Allison Weightman, in a recreation of a sitting room which will feature, for example, a fireplace, a chair with cushions, a tapestry-covered stool, a firescreen, a hearthrug, and perhaps some other homely artefacts such as knitted jumpers.
The workshops will run during January and February of 2012, with the exhibition of the work taking place from the 16th to the 31st of March at an talla solais, Ullapool's visual arts centre, when it will accompany part of a national touring exhibition of George's designs.
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Project Update - 30th January 2012
If you have glanced through the recent editions of the Ullapool News then you will have noticed a sudden flurry of interest in Celtic art, with community workshops happening at various locations. If you haven't been along to any of the events then you may be wondering what all this is about. Well, alongside a display of Celtic design work by the celebrated 'father of Celtic art', George Bain, which will take place at an talla solais (17th March - 14th April), there will a room set aside for the display of Celtic art work created by the community at large. But - this will be a display with a difference!
Since George Bain was keen for his designs to find their way into and onto all sorts of useful personal and household items, the community part of the exhibition will take the shape of a sitting room, complete with furniture made by Lochside resident David Young. The Celtic-themed lighting, soft furnishings and wall decorations will be made by members of the community and the tiles for the fireplace will be made by local school pupils. A number of the many skilled knitters living in the area will be contributing Celtic-designed clothing and this too will be displayed in the room. It really should be a feast for the Celtic eye!
If you would like to take part in this exhibition, there is still time to do so. Go along to one of Allison Weightman's glass workshops at an talla solais ( tel: 07767447446) or go to one of the textile meetings either at an talla solais or Jan's studio in Elphin (all dates and times are in 'What's On'). But even if you don't want to make something, you can still help furnish this Celtic-themed sitting room. In particular, we would like to borrow an old-fashioned spinning wheel, and old wooden crib/cradle, a fire-side companion set, coal scuttle or bellows, decorated with Celtic art work. If you have anything that might help make this exhibition, or indeed if you have anything connected to the life and work of George Bain himself, then please do get in touch.
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Details of those workshops open to the general public are as follows...
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- Saturday 14th January 11am - 1.00pm Jan's Studio, Elphin.
- Saturday 14th January 2.00pm - 4.00pm Village Hall, Achiltibuie.
- Tuesday 17th January 2.00pm - 4.00pm and 6.00pm - 8.00pm An Talla Solais, Ullapool.
- Tuesday 24th January 2.00pm - 4.00pm and 6.00pm - 8.00pm An Talla Solais, Ullapool.
- Saturday 28th January 11am - 1.00pm Jan's Studio, Elphin.
- Tuesday 7th February 2.00pm - 4.00pm and 6.00pm - 8.00pm An Talla Solais, Ullapool.
- Saturday 11th February 11am - 1.00pm Jan's Studio, Elphin.
- Tuesday 14th February 2.00pm - 4.00pm and 6.00pm - 8.00pm An Talla Solais, Ullapool.
- Saturday 25th February 11am - 1.00pm Jan's Studio, Elphin.
- Tuesday 28th February 2.00pm - 4.00pm and 6.00pm - 8.00pm An Talla Solais, Ullapool.
- Monday 12th March Hand In Work 3.00pm - 6.00pm An Talla Solais, Ullapool.
- Friday 16th March Start of George Bain Exhibition, An Talla Solais, Ullapool.
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To find out more about the life and work of George Bain, have a look at Groam House Museum on the Black Isle, which houses the national collection of his work.
Visit http://www.groamhouse.org.uk for more details.
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Jan Kilpatrick
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