MaclaurinONLINE EDITION SPRING 2021

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MaclaurinONLINE EDITION SPRING 2021
Maclaurin
The                                 ONLINE EDITION   SPRING 2021

      Pomegranetes and Flowers by Jolomo (Detail)
MaclaurinONLINE EDITION SPRING 2021
EDITOR’S
NOTE
Who would have thought twelve months             Lots of interesting articles in the magazine.
ago that we would only now be coming out         We are joined for the first time by the
of the third lockdown due to the Covid Pan-      Gracefield Art Centre in Dumfries, who are
demic. As we ease gingerly out of this last      hosting a centenary exhibition of work by
(and hopefully final) lockdown it is lovely to   Joan Eardley. Good to have a new
see galleries and museums open their             contributor.
doors again after such a long winter.
                                                 Obviously with the long closures of the
At the Maclaurin we opened our doors             galleries all around Scotland things are just
again on Monday 26th April and following         getting back to the ‘new’ normal now with
government guidlelines we ask prospective        some exhibitions still happening on line.
visitors to book a slot to come and see the      The Harbour Arts Centre in Irvine is one
exhibitions. Phone -01292 445447 to book         such gallery. The Bowell Book Festival, a
your place. The Tearoom is doing a roaring       hugely popular event is also on line, as is
trade during the spring weather., All over       the exciting Spring Fling in Dumfries and
the closed months Rozelle Park was always        Galloway. However, the Maritime Museum,
busy, it is such a lovely park and people        in Irvine has a physical exhibition telling an
have been taking full advantage of the           exciting story about an Arctic expedition
various walks. Now they can visit the            from Scotland to Norway by kayak.
Tearoom once again.
                                                 Our thanks must go to Corton Plants for
So right now we have Digital Art on the Run      sorting out our planters in the courtyard.
from local digital artist Ian McKinnell.         They do a magnificent job for us and make
His exhibition was only open for such a          the courtyard look pleasant and inviting.
short time before the last closure we felt it    And I have just recently learned that the
only right to have him continue. It’s a          much- promised painting of the House and
fascinating exhibition and the works are for     the Gallery is scheduled to start shortly and
sale. Also on view are curated pieces from       will be completed by the end of the year.
the Maclaurin Collection. Opening on the         That is very good news indeed as such an
fifteenth of May we are delighted to exhibit     important House in such a lovely park will
recent work from three well known Ayrshire       be made to look its best again.
artists John MacDonald, Bridget Hunter and
Margaret MacDonald, all paintings are for        A smaller magazine this time but there are
sale.                                            still lots of articles to read. This is the
Huge excitement from the 3rd July we are         fourth online version and it does seem to
hosting a Jolomo Retrospective. This was         reach a much wider audience. I hope you
originally scheduled for last year but Covid     enjoy it.
got in the way so it is now happening this
year. This exhibition will trace John Lowrie
Morrison’s career from a young art student
at Glasgow School of Art through to the
present day. This is bound to be the major         Editor
event of the year.

                                     2
                                    www.themaclaurin.org.uk
MaclaurinONLINE EDITION SPRING 2021
NOw ON vIEw

Digital Art on the Run
from local digital artist Ian McKinnell.

Also on view
are curated pieces from the
Maclaurin Collection.
                                                                                Work No 72
Phone 01292 445447
to book your place.

                                                            An exhibition of recent paintings by three Ayrshire artists

CLOSE TOHOME                                                Saturday 15th May to Sunday 13th June 2021

“Tree Line, Carrick Hills, Ayrshire.”   “Pink in a Landscape”                    “Snow Shadows, Stewarton, Ayrshire”
John MacDonald                          Bridget Hunter                           Margaret MacDonald

                                        JOlOmO
                                        RETROSpEcTIvE
                                        Opens on the 3rd July

                                        This exhibition will trace John Lowrie Morrison’s
                                        career from a young art student at Glasgow
                                        School of Art through to the present day.

     Archie the Jura by Jolomo
MaclaurinONLINE EDITION SPRING 2021
JOlOmO                      In 2017 the Maclaurin Gallery hosted one of the
                            most popular exhibitions it had ever staged it
A RETROSpEcTIvE             was of course, new work by Jolomo,
                            ‘The Magical Light of the West. When we made
                            our first approach to Jolomo 2016 his response
July 3rd to September 5th   was warm, enthusiastic and positive. You could
                            use those three words to describe his colourful
                            and familiar paintings, they exude a zest for life
                            and an optimistic outlook which is just what is
                            needed at the moment.

                            www.themaclaurin.org.uk
MaclaurinONLINE EDITION SPRING 2021
JOlOmO
A RETROSpEcTIvE
July 3rd to September 5th
Jolomo has strong roots in Ayrshire. In the
1960’s Glasgow School of Art kept a studio at
Culzean and as a student he developed his
unique expressionistic style, influenced by
artists such as Kokoschka, Chagall and
Soutine. He returned to Ayrshire landscapes in
his 2017 exhibition.

We are delighted to welcome Jolomo back to
the Maclaurin with a spectacular retrospective
exhibition opening on 3rd July. A feast of
drawing, painting and design with work from all
periods of his career. For more than 20 years he
worked as a teacher at Lochgilphead High and
was seconded as an art advisor for Strathclyde.      Auld Jeannie
He only began to work as a full time artist in
1996. It is such a privilege for all of us to have
this opportunity to examine the work of a great
living artist.

A Meeting with Christ                                Sandy
MaclaurinONLINE EDITION SPRING 2021
JOlOmO
A RETROSpEcTIvE
July 3rd to September 5th
There will also be new pieces and we suspect
that Ayrshire will feature heavily. This summer
come and find a unique vision of Scotland
through the work of Jolomo at the Maclaurin
Gallery.

                                                  The Spark the Duke and the Vic

Pomegranetes and Flowers
MaclaurinONLINE EDITION SPRING 2021
SOuTh AyRShIRE cOuNcIl’S muSEumS AND GAllERIES

Throughout 2020 many of us were missing trips         – come for the beaches, stay for the sunsets!
to a favourite museum and gallery, along with the     2021 is also recognised as the centenary of the
hours of entertainment, time for reflection, and      birth of Joan Eardley, one of the most original
slices of cake these visits bring. Whilst you might   and admired British artists of her generation, and
not be able to attend in person, South Ayrshire       so we are delighted to be working with our
still has a lot to offer!                             neighbours in Dumfries and Galloway, to host an
                                                      exhibition of their Eardley collections with
Visit our website
                                                      photographs by Audrey Walker, towards the end
www.south-ayrshire.gov.uk/galleries
                                                      of 2021 and into 2022.
to explore the South Ayrshire Museum
collections online through videos, blogs and our
                                                      In Girvan, the McKechnie Institute’s permanent
collections database. Pick your favourite of the
                                                      display of artefacts highlights the town’s heritage,
Council’s Art Treasures, enjoy one of our
                                                      geology and natural history with displays on the
memorable seascapes, see all of Alexander
                                                      Bronze Age Cinerary Urns dating 2100-1500 BC,
Goudie’s 54 paintings telling the tale of Tam o’
                                                      Ailsa Craig and its granite, model ships, a
Shanter and his trusty steed Meg, and find out
                                                      Victorian lounge and bedroom, and a selection of
more about the Ronald Rae statues at Rozelle.
                                                      works of art from the Girvan Burgh collection.

Coming up in 2021 – we are planning a physical
                                                      Follow us on twitter @samuseums for all our
exhibition of our specially selected Year of Coast
                                                      latest news, and check out our website for
and Waters inspired exhibition. Co curated with
                                                      current visitor advice.
the brilliant Working Art Appreciation Group of
                                                      www.south-ayrshire.gov.uk/galleries
U3A Ayrshire, it will shine a spotlight on works of
art featuring the magnificent South Ayrshire coast

Sunset from Girvan Harbour by William Muir (1828–1910) reference AYRRH:000729
MaclaurinONLINE EDITION SPRING 2021
CLOSE
                  TO
                 HOME
                Saturday 15th May to
               Sunday 13th June 2021
                                                              Back Garden Evening by Bridget Hunter

An exhibition of recent paintings by three Ayrshire artists
Bridget Hunter, John MacDonald and Margaret MacDonald
who have had to find their inspiration in near surroundings
over the past year.

                                                              Shore Line by John MacDonald

Tree Line, Carrick Hills by John MacDonald                    Geraniums in the Garden by Margaret MacDonald
MaclaurinONLINE EDITION SPRING 2021
CLOSE
                                                                              TO
                                                                             HOME
                                                                            Saturday 15th May to
                                                                           Sunday 13th June 2021

Pink in a Landscape by Bridget Hunter

Shadows in the Snow by Margaret MacDonald     The Dark Blue Jug by Bridget Hunter

                                                                      An exhibition of recent paintings by

                                                                      Bridget Hunter,
                                                                      John MacDonald and
                                                                      Margaret MacDonald.

Approaching Shower, Loch Doon by Margaret MacDonald
MaclaurinONLINE EDITION SPRING 2021
DuNuRE ART clASSES

                                                    The (actual) Dunure Art Classes take place
                                                    every Wednesday, in the Kennedy Hall, right by
                                                    the beach, in the beautiful South Ayrshire vil-
                                                    lage of Dunure.
The popular Dunure Art Classes, run by artist &     There is a morning class and an afternoon
teacher Tom Rennie, moved online last March,        class. Come to either, or come for the day.
as the first lockdown took effect across the        The ancient Castle of Dunure and the 17th
country.                                            century harbour are right outside the door and
Since then, the artist members, known as the        with views over the sea towards Arran, the Mull
Dunure Art Classes Online, have                     of Kintyre and Ireland, the class takes
produced an impressive amount of work, which        advantage of an amazing location.
is enjoyed and evaluated weekly,                    Whether you are an experienced artist or are
in an Online Gallery.                               just starting out, you’ll be very welcome and
The Classes also moved their annual                 have the opportunity to practise and improve
Summer Exhibition Online.                           your Drawing and Painting skills in a friendly
This exhibition took place last July and had        and inspiring environment.
over 2000 visitors.                                 If you would like to join the online classes, or
It was one of the first online exhibitions to be    would prefer to join when the classes
designed as an interactive experience.              return to Dunure, please call Tom on
Below are some screenshots from the online          07833 516 049 or email –
exhibition:                                         dunureartclasses@btinternet.com

                                                   www.themaclaurin.org.uk
Scottish authors, exploring different aspects
                                                           of life writing: diaries, letters, biographies
                                                           and memoirs as well as new digital forms
                                                           such as podcasts, YouTube and blogs.

                                                           The day dedicated to diary writing will range
                                                           from Simon Heffer on editing the unexpur-
                                                           gated diaries of 1930s politician and so-
                                                           cialite, Chips Channon, to Kapka
     moves online 10-16                                    Kassabova, born in Bulgaria, now living in
                                                           the Highlands, who keeps a diary in two lan-
     June 2021                                             guages on her journeys. She will be in con-

                        Date!
                                                           versation with adventurer, politician and
          S a v e th e
     Join us from your deckchair,
                                                           journal keeper, Rory Stewart, equally at
                                                           home writing about his great walk across
     kitchen table, sofa or even a                         Central Asia as he is about exploring the
                                                           borderlands between Scotland and England.
     café to take part in this life-
     writing bonanza.                                      Side events will include readings from
                                                           Boswell’s own frank and confessional jour-
     Dear Friends,                                         nals, wine tastings and vignettes shining the
                                                           light on the art of portraiture as another form
     It’s time to get your diaries out again and           of biography. A series of masterclasses
     make sure that you save the date for this             will encourage people to start writing
     year’s festival: 10-16 June. Please also take         their own life stories in whatever form.
     a few minutes to look at our updated web-
     site www.boswellbookfestival.co.uk wher               Children’s Festival
     e you will find new gallery images of previ-
     ous festivals as well as details of how to get               This year’s children’s festival will run over
     involved or make a donation.                                 the course of the weekend for families at
                                                                  home and into the following week in
          When you join the festival online you will be schools. Curated by former Edinburgh Inter-
          hearing from some of the greatest biogra-               national Book Festival Programme Direc-
          phers and memoirists writing today from                 tor, Janet Smyth, the performances, talks
          across the globe including the Pulitzer prize- and workshops will tell the stories of inspir-
          winning historian Fredrik Logevall, who will ing lives, past and present, and explore
          be talking about his acclaimed volume on                ways for young audiences to find ways to
          JFK’s early life, described by one critic as
Save the Date 2020.indd 1
                                                         a
                                                     21/11/2019 16:05:33

                                                                  tell their own stories.
          “revelatory biography of the iconic, yet still
          elusive, thirty-fifth president.”                       Schools should REGISTER HERE to re-
                                                           ceive details of the schools’ programme.
     Amongst other speakers already confirmed
     for June is the indomitable Lady Anne
     Glenconner who, in conversation with                  Donations Welcome!
     Royal expert Hugo Vickers, will share her
     extraordinary life as revealed in her captivat-       Rather than charging for talks this year, we
     ing memoir Lady In Waiting. While Charlie             will be relying on your donations to help fi-
     Gilmour, adopted son of Pink Floyd’s David            nance the Festival which is run by a charity.
     Gilmour, talks of father-son relationships,           With no geographical boundaries for atten-
     prison life and how a fledgling magpie saved          dance, please spread the word to friends far
     him.                                                  and wide for what promises to be a standout
     All human (and bird) life will be aired at the        Boswellian occasion and you will receive a
     festival with each day’s events, chaired by           programme in late April.
JOAN EARDLEY: A PAINTER’S LIFE
             GRACEFIELD ARTS CENTRE, DUMFRIES

             Joan Eardley, Brian and Pat Samson, Oil on canvas, Gracefield Arts Centre.
             ©The Eardley Estate. All rights reserved DACS, 2021. Photo credit: Mike Bolam

This year is the centenary of the birth of the          of Catterline and its surrounding landscape near
renowned artist Joan Eardley (1921-63).                 Aberdeen which brought her both creative
Gracefield is celebrating her life and remarkable       frustration and artistic fulfilment.
work in an exhibition of her paintings, pastels
and sketch drawings from our permanent                  She was nominated to the Royal Scottish
collection together with black and white                Academy in 1955 and made a full member in
photographs by the artist’s friend and                  1963. Her works are enjoyed as much today as
photographer, Audrey Walker. The exhibition             when they were first seen in their ability to
(if Scottish Government guidance permits)               capture a moment in time - be that the cheeky
runs until the 3 July.                                  smile of one of her child subjects or a stormy
                                                        winter seascape. Joan met Audrey Walker, a
Born in England on 18 May, 1921, Joan Eardley           talented violinist and photographer, in 1952
returned to her mother’s home in Scotland in            through a mutual friend and their shared love of
1939 and was a student at the Glasgow School            music created an immediate bond. Audrey
of Art from 1940-43. Eardley’s portrayal of the         often documented Joan at work at the Walker’s
streets and children of Glasgow first brought           holiday cottage in the Ettrick Valley in the
her work to public attention in the 1950s, but it       Scottish Borders, at Joan’s Glasgow studio,
was her fascination with the tiny fishing village       and in the wild landscape of the North East.
JOAN EARDLEY: A PAINTER’S LIFE
                GRACEFIELD ARTS CENTRE, DUMFRIES

                Joan Eardley’s Glasgow Studio
                ©Audrey Walker images Courtesy of the Walker Family.

Her striking black and white photographs not          artist’s family website set up especially for this
only add up to a remarkable archive of her artist     year: www.joaneardley.com
friend’s life, but also show Audrey’s consider-       For further information on visiting the Gracefield
able talent for seeing a good picture. Audrey         exhibition please visit DGCulture.co.uk or email
was with Joan when she died aged just 42 from         arts@dumgal.gov.uk. Visitor numbers will still
cancer in August 1963.                                be limited due to Covid restrictions so advance
                                                      booking via Ticketsource on DGCulture is rec-
(Lady) Audrey Walker and her husband retired          ommended, but we can book you in on arrival if
to his home town of Dumfries and she lived            there is space in the gallery, and our Café and
there until her death in 1996. She bequeathed         Craft shop will also be open as usual. For our
a number of Eardley pieces to the Gracefield          younger visitors, there’s a gallery quiz (with free
Collection, with Audrey’s photographic archive        takeaway pencil!) and we’ll have free art activi-
given by her son John in December 2004.               ties planned for the summer holidays -more info
Gracefield is very grateful to the Walkers for        to follow.
additional loans to the exhibition from the
family’s collection. The exhibition also include 2    Also opening in early May is the tour of the
short 7 minute films featuring the artist at work     British Wildlife Photographers Awards Exhibi-
in her Glasgow studio and interviews with her         tion – over 150 fabulous images from across
biographer and Catterline neighbours.                 the UK. This is the selection from the 2019
The Gracefield exhibition is just the first of a      competition, but due to lockdown and schedul-
number of exhibitions, TV features and press          ing its display at Gracefield has been much de-
articles planned to mark the centenary – the          layed, but now it’s here, don’t miss it! An ideal
Glasgow University Hunterian is co-ordinating         exhibition that all the family can enjoy and a
the programme and further details can be found        particular favourite with our many keen local
online on Twitter: @SWARNetwork and at the            photographers for ideas and inspiration.
Dr Simon Davidson
                       Centre Director

Moat Brae, the garden that was cited by JM Barrie
as the inspiration for Peter Pan, will re-open to the
public on 17th June after 6 months of closure.
Doubling as the home of Scotland’s National Centre
for Children’s Literature & Storytelling, Moat Brae
features a unique blend of heritage, culture and play
with a ground floor restored to its 1870s heyday, a
first floor featuring exhibitions and sculptures and a
third floor highlighting interactive games and a play
theatre. The garden is now bursting into bloom with
wild plants and set within this riverside Neverland,      We expect summer 2021 will be busy as families
are the pirate ship, mermaid’s lagoon and                 seek out Scottish experiences in lieu of international
Neverlander encampment.                                   holidays but as regular visitors to Moat Brae know,
                                                          the buzz here is amazing when the house is full of
                                                          adventurers looking to charge their imaginations.
                                                          Looking ahead, we will have our regular Halloween
                                                          and Christmas experiences in the house and we’re
                                                          developing an outside space for live performances
                                                          in the autumn.

                                                          In the meantime, you can follow us across all social
                                                          media platforms including our hugely popular 101
                                                          George Street podcast (Spotify), Story Shares, En-
                                                          chanted Lands, and of course The Book Doctor. We
                                                          are always on the look-out for volunteers to help in
                                                          the house and certainly in the garden. We have a
                                                          new learning suite in the garden where aspiring hor-
                                                          ticulturalists can learn some of the many gardening
                                                          tricks from our Head Gardener Matt Lidster. If you’d
                                                          like to get involved in helping children find a path to
When we opened in June 2019, we didn’t even               reading, please do get in touch via our website
manage a year of trading before we had to close           www.peterpanmoatbrae.org.
due to the pandemic restrictions. During this
downtime, we decided to put right some of the
things we weren’t happy with and plan ahead for
some major projects in 2022. We have revamped
the café and shop, and refreshed the visitor
experience with some improvement works. When
people return, the key change they will notice will be
timed tickets that can be ordered in advance online.
This will allow us to control the flow of visitors more
safely whilst ensuring everyone gets the time to
explore and discover the many secrets the house
has to offer. We’re retaining the inspiring exhibition
by renowned Edinburgh artist and sculptor Aliisa
Hyslop for the summer season because barely
anyone got to experience it before we had to close
down. She has also hidden more Lost Boys
sculptures in the garden trees...
The Little Art School; how an
Ayrshire art business reached
families right across the world
during the Covid 19 Pandemic
On the 23rd March 2020 the Little Art
School closed their Studio doors, with
no idea when they would be able to
re-open them. Like businesses across
the world they could only sit back with
horror as their income stream stopped
overnight. What did they do? They
reached out. They offered free daily art
classes, every single weekday of
lockdown. Embracing the unknown, they
set up a YouTube channel and started
filming.                                                 Drawing Class in Action

Fast forward 12 months and the Little Art    created in response to the many
School #DailyDraw videos have been           messages received from adults who had
watched across Scotland, the rest of the     picked up a pencil for the first time since
UK and much further afield. During the       school to join in with the #DailyDraw.
2020 and 2021 Lockdowns, Ayrshire’s          The Online course, which includes all the
children’s art school created 185 free       art materials you need, is designed to
‘How to Draw’ videos which were              take a complete beginner from drawing a
watched in countries around the world.       simple line to completing complex
Viewers in the USA, Australia, Hong          portraits in oil. The course is based on
Kong, South Africa, the United Arab          the methodology the Little Art School
Emirates, India, Israel and in countries     have used in their studios for seven
right across Europe tuned in to join them    years. Less than a year since launch they
drawing and painting every day.              now have students learning to draw and
                                             paint with them from across the UK and
The #Daily Draw began as a way for the
                                             Europe.
Little Art School to reach out and help
young artists. But it soon opened doors
                                             When schools closed again in January
to alternative ways forward for the
                                             this year the Little Art School went back
business. They launched an online shop
                                             to the drawing board to create more free
selling #DailyDraw Materials in April 2020
                                             ‘How to Draw’ #DailyDraw art videos.
and have grown their online shop to offer
                                             This time many primary schools
gift packs and even online Art Parties.
                                             integrated the tutorials into their home-
However, the biggest leap was the
                                             schooling day. The Little Art School’s
launch, in August 2020, of the Little Art
                                             two charities, the Dementia Arts Trust
School Online Drawing and Painting
                                             and Little Art Stars, also adapted their
Course for Adults. This course was
own face-to-face teaching and used           their business have the Little Art School
technology to keep reaching out to           facing the post-pandemic world with
vulnerable people in the community.          optimism; ready to grow and keep
The response to the #DailyDraw, the          sharing their belief that learning to draw
huge global reach of the Little Art School   and paint builds self-esteem and
and the opening of new online strands to     spreads so much joy.

                             www.themaclaurin.org.uk
Harbour Road, Irvine,
EXHIBITION CELEBRATING                                                           KA12 8BT
40TH ANNIVERSARY OF                                                              www.scottishmaritimemuseum.org
                                                                                 Telephone 01274 278283
SCOTLAND’S FIRST MAJOR                                                           Email visitorservices@scotmaritime.org
                                                                                 Entrance to the exhibition is included in the
SEA KAYAKING EXPEDITION                                                          Museum admission.

        Into the Maelstrom:                             The other two kayaks were named ‘Nyvaig’ (Gaelic
  The Scottish Kayak Expedition to                      for ‘little ship’), after one of Somerled’s vessels, and
                                                        ‘Skuta’, a Viking longboat.
      North West Norway 1980
                                                        The Scottish Kayak Expedition to North West
An exhibition celebrating the 40th anniversary of
                                                        Norway was the result of two years of planning and
Scotland’s first major sea kayaking expedition,
                                                        fundraising after Jim, Angus, Bill and Peter found
which also included the first recorded sea kayak
                                                        themselves storm-bound on an island off the West
crossing of one of the world’s largest whirlpools, is
                                                        coast of Scotland in 1978 and made a pact to em-
on at the Scottish Maritime Museum on Irvine
                                                        bark on Scotland’s first major sea kayaking expedi-
Harbourside.
                                                        tion together.
‘Into the Maelstrom: The Scottish Kayak Expedition
to North West Norway 1980’ charts the story of Jim
                                                        Setting off from Harstad in North West Norway at
Breen, Angus Mathieson, Bill Turnbull and Peter
                                                        8.30am on Tuesday 1st July 1980, the four travelled
Wilson who, together, paddled 394 miles (634
                                                        north, around the top of the island of Hinnøya, south
kilometres) as they circumnavigated the two island
                                                        down the West Coast of the Vesterålen and Lofoten
groups of Lofoten and Vesterålen in North West
                                                        island groups to the island of Værøy at the southern
Norway, 200 miles within the Arctic Circle.
                                                        tip.

During the 28 day expedition, the team also
successfully achieved the first ever crossing of the
‘Maelstrom’ or, as it is sometimes known, the
‘Moskenstraumen’.
 Exhibition highlights include two of the four
‘Baidarka Explorer’ kayaks, equipment, clothing,
footage (both 8mm film taken by the team and
archive news) and photographs from the expedition.

                                                                             Campsite

                                                        Here, between Lofoten Point and the island of
                                                        Mosken, where the tidal currents are forced through
                                                        the shallows creating a fast series of eddies and
                                                        whirlpools, they crossed the infamous but decep-
                                                        tively ‘smooth’ Maelstrom.

                                                        Battling tidal currents which travelled between 6.8 to
                                                        12.4 miles per hour (11 to 20 kilometres) and forced
          Bill Turnbull with 8mm camera
                                                        their kayaks at right angles, they crossed the Mael-
The kayaks were given Nordic names to foster links      strom twice before returning back to Harstad via the
with the expedition destination.                        eastern side of the island groups.
The two on display were named after Scottish Norse       As well as the challenges of the Maelstrom, the
King ‘Somerled’ and the Viking King ‘Godred’ whom       team had to overcome very severe magnetic
he defeated off the coast of Scotland in 9th century.   anomalies on certain stretches of the trip.

                                                        www.themaclaurin.org.uk
EXHIBITION CELEBRATING
    40TH ANNIVERSARY OF
    SCOTLAND’S FIRST MAJOR
    SEA KAYAKING EXPEDITION

                                                        Into the Maelstorm

They also suffered from bland, repetitive meals, only   New designs included tents with storage space al-
alleviated by occasional treats of Angel Delight and    lowing the kayaks to be packed under cover, dry
Cabana chocolate, as well as food poisoning and an      bags customised with neoprene backed vinyl and
unexpected heatwave.                                    used inner tubes from car tyres to make them water-
 When it came to their first crossing of the            tight. Altogether, the exhibition tells a captivating
Maelstrom, after lighting their night-time kayaking     story of real adventure which people of all ages and
perfectly, the 24 hour midnight sun turned overcast     interests will enjoy.”
and dull.
                                                        ‘Into the Maelstrom:
Nicola Scott, Exhibitions and Events Officer at the     The Scottish Kayak Expedition
Scottish Maritime Museum, says:                         to North West Norway 1980’
“The story of the Scottish Kayak Expedition to North    is included in Museum admission.
West Norway in 1980 is an exciting highpoint in the
history of sea kayaking.                                For more information, or to book a visit:
 Not only was it the first major sea kayaking expedi-
tion and the first recorded sea kayak crossing of the
                                                        www.scottishmaritimemuseum.
Maelstrom, it offers a fascinating insight into the
challenges and development of sea kayaking in the
latter half of the 20th century.
The kayak was invented some four thousand years
ago in Arctic North America when Inuit people
stretched animal skins over driftwood or whalebone
frames as a means to hunt sea animals and move
around by water.
Although the sport of kayaking sparked interest in
Europe in the 1800s, it wasn’t until the 1950s when
the hardshell resin and fibreglass kayaks used on the
1980 expedition were developed.
The 1980 expedition team also helped move sea
kayak design on. The limitations of equipment at the
time meant that they needed to design some of their
own kit to overcome the cold and wet conditions.            Provost David Hodge and the Team 1980
!
Cryptic presents…
Signal-on-Sea
by Strijbos & Van Rijswijk

Maclaurin Magazine

                                              Image: Elisabeth Lamont

Cryptic connect land and sea with music in Signal-on-Sea, a captivating large-scale, environmental sound
installation on Irvine Beach by Dutch duo, Strijbos & Van Rijswijk as part of the Year of Coasts & Waters 20/21.

     “Both restrained and overwhelming; beautiful and with a subtle structure, it is an intimate personal
                            experience that you share with many.” BN De Stem

Using 24 long-throw speakers, Signal-on-Sea interweaves voices with an enchanting soundscape amplified
across a stretch of the beach overlooking the Isle of Arran. The vastness of the coastline makes every visitor
feel part of the wonder of nature.

    “At a certain moment it felt like I barely touched the ground, as if I was floating.” Audience member

Signal-on-Sea is a unique and moving opportunity to rediscover and explore this remarkable landscape
with music and texts evoking imagery that enhance and transform the environment.

                    “I was so moved, I actually had tears in my eyes.” Audience member

Once experienced, never forgotten…

                                   “Absolutely stunning.” Audience member

Fri 16 – Sun 25 July // 12.00 – 10.30pm // Free // cryptic.org.uk/signal

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                                                 cryptic.org.uk
!
Cryptic presents…
Nearer Future
by Heather Lander & Robert Bentall

Maclaurin Magazine

                                              Image: Heather Lander

Cryptic presents visual artist Heather Lander’s Nearer Future, with music by Robert Bentall, in partnership with
the Harbour Arts Centre.

Running alongside their large-scale, environmental sound installation, Signal-on-Sea, on Irvine Beach,
Nearer Future is an immersive sonic light sculpture aiming to show where technology has taken us – and asks
us to question where we might go next.

Symmetrical webs and weaves of light build into a crystalline cathedral of light as Bentall’s ambient
composition Telian (played on the traditional Swedish nyckelharpa) provides a captivating soundtrack.

    “Surrounding the viewer with hocketing, pulsing fragments of melody, the effect is bewitching.” The
                                                 Scotsman

Fri 16 – Sun 25 July // Times vary // Free but ticketed, advance booking required //
http://cryptic.org.uk/nearer-future

Box office:
Harbour Arts Centre // 01294 274059 (times vary see website for details) // thehac.co.uk

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                                                 cryptic.org.uk
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