The Meeting Place
 

The Taigh Chearsabhagh Museum and Art Centre in Lochmaddy celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. FIONA PEARSON reminisces over the last decade.
 

IT HAS BEEN an exciting and challenging 10 years since two community groups joined forces to open the newly renovated building on the edge of the bay in Lochmaddy, North Uist.

It was a huge act of faith, driven by the needs of the Uist  Art Association and the Comann Eachdraidh Uibhist a Tuath  (North Uist Historical Society) to have a place to celebrate the environment and heritage of the Uists.

The initial building opened in 1995 and had to be extended in 1997 to accommodate the soaring visitor numbers. 23,000 then, this figure has risen to 32,000 and a further extension is actively being planned.

The meeting between arts and heritage has remained a lively arena for creative projects.  ‘Road ends’ where artists worked with 4 different crofting communities to make site-specific sculptures to reflect the specific character of their ‘place’, is a good example.
 

This notion of Taigh Chearsabhagh as a meeting place of people and ideas has led to a range of stimulating exchanges and residencies. Jose Smith, the Fulbright Scholar from New York, came in 1994 for a year, and since then we have residencies from Finland, Sweden, Ireland and France.

“Taigh Chearsabhagh’s future planning reflects a growing commitment to environmental issues.”

This international outlook was very evident in the ‘Comhla’ workshops held in conjunction with the Triangle Arts Trust in the summer of 2003. 10 international artists joined 10 Scottish artists to live and make work responding to the special nature of the Uist landscape.
 

Taigh Chearsabhagh offers practical workshops in traditional crafts such as papermaking, weaving and stone carving. The residential Environmental Summer School attracted over 40 participants from all over Britain, and Taigh Chearsabhagh’s future planning reflects a growing commitment to environmental issues.

The new creative project ’Landmarks’ will examine the intervention of man within the land, past and present. There are also opportunities to explore new digital and film media, and Taigh Chearsabhag has shown exciting work in this area.
 

Taigh Chearsahbagh remains a warm and lively meeting place. 98% of residents have visited the Centre and enjoyed a variety of changing exhibitions, the museum resources, the shop, and not least the large spacious café.

On one cold day in March two young strangers were made welcome. Oded, an art graduate from Israel, and Enrico from Columbia, studying World Heritage, were here only briefly. Both plan to come back, pleased to have made, in Taigh Chearsabhagh, a real connection to the islands and the people.
 

© Fiona Pearson, 2005

Related Links

• Taigh Chearsabhagh website 
• Gulbenkian Prize website