Local artist Susan Brown is making the most of the opportunities offered by an talla solais the new Visual Arts Centre in Ullapool. Susan rents one of the individual studios and has now agreed to show her work in the gallery space, with her exhibition Duality opening on Sunday 3rd August.

‘This is an exhibition of painting and sculpture, based on the duality of existence. The work is based on the balance created by the natural creation of opposites. Inside/outside, light/dark, black/white, everyone lives somewhere on the sliding scale that happens between them. The meeting of the two sides is the critical point, the point of changeover between one and the other.

Much of the paintings are involved with the existence of the space within the mind and the space in reality. The images of real life are transferred into mind space, where they can interact with thoughts and the memory.

The sculptures use solidity and space to portray the point where both mind and real space meet. The point where thoughts become conversation and reality becomes memory.

The exhibition aims at the minds and thoughts of those viewing the work. To visualise their own mental images in relation to their own reality’
Susan Brown



The exhibition will run for 2 weeks and is open daily 2 -5pm. Entry is free. Access to the arts centre is beside Lochbroom Leisure Centre from Quay Street, whilst building works take place in Market Street.

an talla solais moved to the former Medical Centre on Market Street in February this year when Highland Council and the Scottish Executive both agreed to a long term let for the emerging arts centre.

Ullapool Visual Arts began life officially in December 2004. The Gaelic name ’an talla solais’, ‘hall of light’ in English, was adopted and a voluntary committee of local people began working towards establishing a Visual Arts Centre to serve the North West of Scotland.

Building upon the success of an exhibition held to coincide with the first Ullapool Fish Week in 2004, an talla solais has been based in the old Library in Market Street and has presented a full programme of courses, classes and exhibitions, including ceramics, textiles, painting, sculpture and photography.

With the proposed redevelopment of the old Library site a new venue became priority for the committee, led by Chairperson Barbara Peffers.

The medical centre building opens up new opportunities including the individual artist’s studios on long and short term lets and group studios for classes and workshops. The former waiting room and office are now transformed with new lighting and clean white walls to house smaller exhibitions. Larger exhibitions can spread to group studios and corridors making the most of this flexible space.

The committee’s aim of establishing a Visual Arts Centre at the heart of Ullapool which will enhance the provision of local amenities and complement the existing facilities is now becoming an achievable goal.