Young artists to showcase work at Paisley exhibition
A group of care-experienced young artists from East Ayrshire have been invited to participate in ‘The Big Art Show’ in Paisley.
The event, hosted by Outspoken Arts, will take place in ‘The Art Department’ venue in Paisley town centre. With an ethos of inclusion, the event will give rise to entries from a wide range of ages, stages and artistic abilities.
The invitation comes following a series of recent success from the ArtClub? Collective, a group of care-experienced young people in East Ayrshire who share a passion for contemporary art.
Chair of Outspoken Arts, Steven Thomson, said:
“ArtClub? has an opportunity to hang, display and install artworks as a group show in the windows of The Art Department. The works can be mixed media, hanging artworks, floor standing, in display cases or window vinyls.
“The windows are on the mall side entrance and comprise of three huge sections. They benefit from all footfall entering the mall seeing any work lit and featured there, giving high visibility. The ArtClub? are free to decorate and cover the windows with any artwork.”
This is a fantastic opportunity for our care-experienced young artists. In recent weeks ArtClub? have devised their own artists’ brief to give their work and output a coherence and themes, while enabling them to express themselves individually as well as collectively.
Inspired by the theme of ‘Nostalgia’, which the ArtClub? chose themselves, club member Emma Kasper put together an artists’ brief from various sessions which captured views and ideas from the group. This co-curated approach is key to how the club operates.
Led by Promise Participation Lead, Eòghann MacColl, ArtClub? runs in partnership with the East Ayrshire Leisure Trust, whose exhibitions have been inspiring and thought provoking to group members.
These include an ‘Artists Rooms’ exhibition by Martin Creed and the recent touring show from Cornelia Parker, titled ‘One Day This Glass Will Break’. Parker’s work also inspired our young artists’ input for the Shifting States exhibition in the Dick Institute’s Young Peoples’ Gallery.”
‘Sea creature and boat’ by Joseph Banner O’Neill (mixed media on paper).
Artwork by Emma Kasper, inspired by ‘Work No. 370 Balls’ by Martin Creed.
‘Do I Love This?’ by Zakai (digital painting).
Eòghann said:
“ArtClub? is part of the participation work we do to enable the voices of our care-experienced young people through consistent engagement and a safe space for dialogue, whether art related or not. We greatly value our partnership with East Ayrshire Leisure for making the ArtClub? group possible.
“We aim to build confidence and provide hope and have seen some changes and wee victories coming out of this work as well as showcasing the great creativity of our young people. Being able to raise their voices at the Big Art Show is a real acknowledgment of their presence and being present.”
We look forward to seeing what our incredible young artists have in store for what promises to be an exciting event! Watch out for details of their work and progress towards the show!
‘The Big Art Show’ is an ongoing piece of work and open to all with care experience. The event will open on Friday 30 August and will run until Saturday 16 November.
Find out more at https://outspokenarts.org/bigartshow/.
Artclub? meets weekly in Kilmarnock and Cumnock and warmly welcomes more participants from the care-experienced community.
Know a young artist with care experience who’d love to share their passion with others? Contact Eòghann MacColl to find out more!
