Deputy Provost, Kathleen Matheson, today (24 March 2007)  launched the Highland Open Studios 2007 ‘Artists Catalogue’ at a reception in the Inverness Town House. The free catalogue lists nearly 100 artists and will be widely distributed throughout the Highlands and beyond.

What’s so special about HOS?

HOS is the largest voluntary and non-profit making group representing the Visual Arts in the Highlands. We started in 2006 and now comprise 99 members; 21 galleries, involving 13 different artistic disciplines, employing 126 choices of art styles at 72 separate venues and all now being made readily accessible to the public through HOS. Within one year only, we have increased our membership by over 33%, a remarkable success which bodes well for the future and is especially important in 2007, Scotland’s year of Highland culture.

Our membership includes both professional and semi- professional artists resident in the Highlands and working in a very diverse range of media. Many artists are well known regionally, as well as being acclaimed nationally and internationally (e,g. Peter Bell, Gwen Black, Clare Blois, David Body, Michael Stuart Green, James Hawkins, Christine O’ Keeffe, and Ingeborg Smith.)

Our craftmakers comprise bookartists, ceramicists, a cartographer, glassblowers, stained-glass artists, woodturners, furniture makers, jewellery-makers, textile workers, tapestry artists, weavers ( e.g. Joan Baxter, Ruth Black, Half- a -Moon , Kirstie Thornber, Glasstorm, Daniel Kavanagh, Carron Pottery to name but a few).

Prestigious galleries such as The Castle Gallery, Scottish Flair and the Riverside Gallery all in Inverness, the Lime Tree Gallery in Fort William, the Tore Art Gallery, the Beauly and Kilmorack galleries and several from Skye including the Raven Press Gallery have enthusiastically shown support for individual artists by also becoming members.

What do people say about HOS ?

•  Dorothy Francis, HOS member, West Lewiston:“I am so glad that I’ve joined HOS. It’s been a great motivating force and having to exhibit my work and explain my ideas and techniques has inspired me to try to accomplish more.”
  
• Alison Magee, Chair Highland 2007: “Highland 2007 is happy to support Highlands Open Studios and welcomes this initiative which gives a wide range of artists, makers and venues the opportunity to work together and provide a Highland-wide showcase for themselves in 2007, Scotland’s year of Highland culture.” 
  
• Robert Livingston, Director HI-Arts: “HI- Arts is pleased to be able to assist the development of Highlands Open Studios, with funding provided by Highland and Islands Enterprise. As a development agency we’ve been long aware of the immense pool of talent in the Highlands, and it’s heartening, now, to see how artists themselves are coming together to promote that talent to the wider world.”

What’s in the future?

Our next major calendar event is, of course, the Open Studios Week, running from Saturday 1 to Sunday 9 September 2007. This is a wonderful opportunity for the public to see artists and makers at work in their own ‘studios’. The term ‘studio’ is used euphemistically as studios can be anything from excellent commercial galleries, and professional studios to kitchen tables, attics, garden sheds, even marquees ( but not pavements so far). The catalogue provides a map and directions to each studio and since many studios are quite near to each other, it’s possible to plan your own studio trail visiting several venues throughout the Highlands. The public can buy straight from the artist and can even commission a piece of work unique to themselves.

People feel visiting an individual artist in the intimacy of his or her own workplace is a hugely enjoyable and even an inspirational experience where the artist can explain his or her ideas and demonstrate his or her methods.

Two other events are planned in 2007: HOS will be taking a stand at the Moy Games Fair on Friday 3 and Saturday 4 August, 2007 and our Members’ Exhibition will be open to the public from Sunday 7 October to Wednesday 14 November, 2007 at the acclaimed Lime Tree Gallery in Fort William.