An exhibition featuring more than 230 pieces will highlight the creativity of artists and makers from all across Perth and Kinross.
The POS Festival Showcase is a chance to see examples of work by most of the 120 participants in this year’s Perthshire Open Studios Festival.
The free exhibition, in the Barn Gallery at The Bield, Blackruthven, from 2-11 September, incudes everything from painting, original prints and photography through to ceramics, jewellery and much more.
Among those taking part is Babs Pease, whose studio is a converted cow barn on a small farm near Rumbling Bridge, whose beautiful nature-inspired artwork has been chosen to promote the showcase.
Others will include landscape painter Libby Scott (pictured) and ceramicist Ceri White.
Libby, from Stanley, is one of the many artists inspired by the region’s environment – in her case the land and skyscapes of northern Highland Perthshire.
It’s a fascination that developed while she was working as an off-road driving instructor and after she inherited her 98-year-old grandmother’s painting set.
She said: “When I was working I noticed the sheer drama of the weather, and all the panoramic views, and increasingly spent time drawing and painting the places I saw.
“Perthshire is quite astonishing, it has just about everything, from lochs and rivers to mountains and wide open spaces. And each of the seasons is spectacular in it’s own way. That’s partly because it’s Big Tree Country, and we are heading towards autumn when the colours will be absolutely astounding.”
Visitors to the Bield will see a set of four small paintings that reflect Libby’s interest in the power and drama of the weather as it sweeps through the landscape.
Ceri, from Dunning, will be showing three pedestal pots at the exhibition – and will also be welcoming visitors to her studio in Perth during the POS Festival, which runs from 6-11 September.
She said: “The showcase is a great opportunity for people to see work by lots of Perthshire artists and makers all in one place – and often inspires them to visit particular studios during the festival.
“I’ve been taking part in the open studios since it started and I love it. People come and chat – and I can impart my enthusiasm. And you really get to see their perceptions change and develop as they discover all about everything that goes into creating hand-made work.”
Cathy Wagstaff, who will be exhibiting at The Bield, has been selected as this year’s POS “emerging artist”.
Her latest work depicts the gentle Scottish springtime, from evening light reflected in the River Tay, to the clouds and colours of the golden hour drifting across the valley giving you a sense of freedom and wide-open space.
There will also be the chance to see paintings by Kinross landscape artist Nichol Wheatley (whose accomplishments include working for Oscar-winning film designers) and by Jonathan Sainsbury, a Scottish wildlife and landscape artist whose pictures hang in public and private collections worldwide.
Heather Budge-Reid, Chair of POS, said: “The showcase is a fantastic way for us to highlight and celebrate the scale and breadth of the creative talent of beautiful Perthshire in all its glory and to offer a foretaste of what you can enjoy during the festival.
“You can come along and enjoy it as a fabulous exhibition in its own right, or to help you decide which studios you want to go out and visit.”
If you miss the festival there is now the year-round Perthshire Creative Trail with a searchable website with artists and galleries places to visit.
The trail features 15 galleries and 32 artists’ studios (including 17 in the Perth Creative Exchange) allowing people to meet artists, visit galleries, discover walks and distilleries whatever the season.
- POS Festival Showcase, The Barn Gallery, The Bield, Blackruthven, Tibbermore, PH1 1PY, 10am-5pm every day.
- See https://perthshireopenstudios.com.
- Picture by Colin Hattersley.
-Ends-
Notes for editors
About POS
POS aims to contribute to strengthening the economic, cultural, tourism and heritage environments throughout Perthshire by: Supporting Perthshire creatives
- Increasing the number of residents and visitors who get a sense of place through travelling around Perthshire and ‘Seeing the Inspiration.’
- Strengthening artists’ marketing skills
- Increasing cooperation and support between individual artists and Perthshire-focused organisations.
The objectives of POS are to:
- Organise and promote an all-year-round Perthshire Creative Trail.
- Organise and promote an open studios festival in Perthshire that supports economies of scale.
- Develop marketing/promotional skills of POS members and their access to the benefits of membership.
- Endeavour to work in coordination with other organisations with similar goals.
Perthshire Open Studios (POS) has been running for over 13 years. Entirely volunteer run, the open studios festival event across Perthshire attracts visitors and residents, supporting economic and cultural growth as well as cultural benefits. In 2021, 143 venues and 198 solo artists participated in POS. Previous research shows that for every pound spent on organising the festival each year, £15 is spent in Perthshire.
POS is now focusing on three events a year – an all year-round creative trail, a September open studio festival and a summer exhibition. In addition to developing training events for artist looking to spread the word about their art. It was also agreed that it was important to work with other artist organisations in Perthshire.
POS is made possible with the support of Perth and Kinross Council, UNESCO City of Craft (Perth), VisitScotland, Perth Creative Exchange, Growbiz, Perthshire Artisans, and the team at The Quair and is organised by Perthshire Open Studios.
For media information contact Matthew Shelley at SFPR on 07786 704299 or at [email protected].
Perthshire Open Studios CIC. Company number: SC498236. Registered office: Artisanand, 13-15 Bank St, Aberfeldy, PH15 2BB