Painting Challenge

If you're wondering what to do on a miserable Saturday afternoon why not pop in to the library for a bit of inspiration?

Stromness is of course a community full of creativity, and as regular readers will know there are often exhibitions of the many talented artists in the town.

But for those of us for whom a paintbrush is more of a DIY tool than a means of self expression, the recent BBC television series The Big Painting Challenge may have sparked an interest in exploring our own inner artist. 

If you're looking for a bit of guidance then we can help, we may not be able to offer artistic advice but we can certainly find you a book that can. With titles from 'Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Oil Painting' to 'Reader's Digest Guide to Drawing and Painting' there should be something to help you choose the right materials and tackle your first masterpiece. 

While you're in the library you can also pick up an entry form for The Little Painting Challenge. Create a drawing or painting on the blank side of the postcard and then send in your entry for the chance to win a prize and perhaps even see your work exhibited in the newly refurbished Whitworth Art Gallery in Manchester from the 4th of May 2015. 

Entries close on April 2nd so you still have plenty of time to find your muse and get creating. 

Diana Leslie exhibition

A familiar sight around Stromness is local artist Diana Leslie, who can be seen out in all weathers working at various locations around the town. Tomorrow, Saturday 7 June sees the start of her latest exhibition, 'Pitch' at Northlight gallery in Stromness, where the public will get the chance to see the finished pieces until Saturday 14 June. 

We are looking forward to seeing familiar local landmarks from the artist's perspective, but for those of you who won't make it along here is Diana's  painting of the Northlight gallery in Graham Place, and a link to her website where you can find out more about the artist and her work. 

http://dianaleslieinorkney.com/

Gunnie Moberg Archive Open Day

Our exhibition 'Between the human and the natural' – portrait and landscape photography of Gunnie Moberg – continues until Wednesday 5 February.

 Following the success of the first open day, Rebecca Marr will be back tomorrow, Saturday 1st February, with boxes of prints of Stromness from the Gunnie Moberg Archive for you to look through. 

The Open Day runs from 1-4pm and everyone is welcome to come along to look through the images, and see if they can identify the people and places Gunnie captured on film. 

You can see examples of some of the prints of Stromness on the Gunnie Moberg Archive Blog.

Here are some images from the first Open Day on 18th January, when around sixty folk came along and enjoyed delving into the treasures from the archive. 

images: Mark Jenkins. Stromness Library 18 January Gunnie Moberg Archive Open Day

Exhibition and Open Day

‘Between the human and the natural’

This is the title of the exhibition of portrait and landscape photography by Gunnie Moberg, which opens in the Stromness Library this Saturday 18th January, with an Open Day from 12pm-4pm offering the chance to find out more about the contents of the archive and the process of creating the digital archive. 

At the Open Day Rebecca Marr will be bringing along boxes of prints for folk to browse, Gunnie’s published books and newspaper clippings spanning her artistic career,  as well as documents and diaries from her working life, and Gunnie's trusty Olympus OM1. The film 'Gunnie' by Mark Jenkins will also be shown. 

The exhibition runs until Wednesday 5th February. 

You can read more about the Gunnie Moberg Archive on the archive blog. 

Open Windows 2013

Today sees the opening of a new exhibition which turns the main street in Stromness into a gallery space. The theme for the Open Windows 2013 exhibition is No Ordinary Journey - referencing the title of the book about Orcadian arctic explorer Dr John Rae, whose 200th birthday falls on 30th September 2013. 

The writers and artists involved have not necessarily made their work about John Rae but have interpreted the wider theme suggested by the title. 

Take a wander along the street during the exhibition and look out for the compass logo in windows displaying the art works. Including the window here at Stromness Library which features work by Yvonne Gray, Pamela Beasant and the late Margaret Storr Bell.

This is the second Open Windows exhibition with the first taking place in 2011 which you may remember we also took part in.

Street Shapes

Sorry for the late notice but if you are free this evening you might like to get along to Northlight Studio in Graham Place, Stromness, for the launch of a new book of poems, prints and paintings offering a

 journey through Stromness in time and space... full of childhood memories and well known places.

Street Shapes features poems by local author Morag MacInnes and prints and paintings by local artist Diana Leslie and the launch will include an exhibition of the original artwork and poems as well as readings by Morag.

If you can't make it along tonight then the exhibition will also be open tomorrow (Saturday 27th April) and the book, which is available in black and white or in colour will also be available from Stromness Books and Prints.

Advent - 9th December

Stromness during advent is the place to be to see lots of exciting local artworks on display  - today's exhibition is the Pier Art Centre's Christmas Open Exhibition. Packed with local talent it is well worth a visit.

Advent - 4th December

As part of our blog advent calendar we thought we would take you on a virtual walk along the street to give you a feel for Stromness at Christmas.

To start you off here is the Northlight Gallery window, which is worth a look all year round as the artist's mannequins act out various topical scenes. 

Here they are getting ready for Christmas and demonstrating the various crafts on show in the gallery's Christmas exhibition - The Gathering - which features work by members of the Orkney Crafts Association and runs until Christmas Eve. 

Remember that a Christmas shopping trip to Stromness also gives you the chance of winning £1000 in the Stromness Bonanza - you get an entry number for every £5 you spend, with the winner being announced on Hogmanay! 

More festive views of Stromness to follow, but for now here's a view looking south along Victoria Street towards Graham Place, showing the Christmas lights. 

A rainy day in Stromness

It is not the nicest of days in Stromness today, though when the sun shines off the wet street it is kind of bonny.

If you are looking for something to do to keep out of the weather today then you are in luck - as you are just in time to catch the final day of the exhibition 'An Island Gateway', which is on show upstairs in our exhibition room.

Featuring works by local artists John Cumming, Diana Leslie and Rik Hammond, and participants of the community workshops, along with poetry by Morag MacInnes, the exhibition explores the unique identity of Stromness through its architecture and heritage. Further work from the project is also on display in the newly refurbished former Commercial Hotel in Victoria Street, which will be open today from 10am- 2pm for folk to view the building and art work, along with details of the upcoming Stromness website and information about other council projects.

http://www.orkney.gov.uk/OIC-News/commercial-hotel-to-open-to-the-public.htm

The refurbishment of the Commercial Hotel is part of the Stromness Townscape Heritage Initiative, which has seen many buildings along the street being renovated and restored. This project, and the exhibition, have been supported by Orkney Islands Council, Historic Scotland, The National Lottery Heritage Lottery Fund, Awards for All Scotland, and the European Regional Development Fund.

Exhibition

The sound of gentle tapping fills the library this afternoon, as a new exhibition is being hung upstairs. Starting tomorrow (12th July) you can come along and view drawings and paintings by Jennifer McKinlay, Holly Pearson and Amy Firth, upstairs in our exhibition room during library opening hours, which in case you had forgotten are Monday-Thursday 2pm-7pm, Friday 2pm-5pm and Saturday 11-5pm.

The exhibition runs until Friday 20th July so come along and discover some exciting new art.

Open Windows

You may have noticed something a little different about us recently as we are delighted to be part of the Open Windows exhibition currently running along the street in Stromness. This exciting and inovative project has placed work by 45 artists in 45 windows along the street, from The Pierhead to The Museum. Each of the participating windows is marked with brightly coloured streamers attached outside - just so you know which windows you are supposed to be looking in!

As you can see we got two works to display, making use of our large windows looking down the street. The works are:

Nousts  by Yvonne Gray - a limited edition digital print on hand made Japenese paper.

Nousts by Yvonne Gray    

and

Poems  by Pamela Beasant & Alex Ashman

Poems by Pamela Beasant & Alex Ashman  

The exhibition runs until 26th June so you still have plenty of time for a wander along the street - what better way to pass the time between festival performances? The isle may be full of noises but the street is full of art.