2007 A SIGNIFICANT YEAR FOR CONTEMPORARY CRAFT IN SCOTLAND

2007 looks set to be a memorable and significant year for Scottish craft as several major exhibitions are launched.

The year kicks off with the stunning Silver of the Stars opens at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London in January. The exhibition, which matched Scotland’s top silversmiths with celebrities in unique collaborations, visits New York, St Petersburg, Beijing and Kyoto before coming home to be shown in Edinburgh in January 2008 to coincide with Goldsmiths’ 550th anniversary.

The much anticipated exhibition The Cutting Edge - Scotland’s Contemporary Crafts opens at the end of January in the National Museum of Scotland. Developed by the National Museums Scotland, in partnership with Aberdeen City Council, East Ayrshire Council and Glasgow City Council, and financially supported by the Scottish Arts Council, this major new touring exhibition showcases innovative new work by thirty Scottish makers. The title of the exhibition refers not only to the fact that Scotland is a leader in craft practice but also to the wide range of tools used in craftwork.

A highlight of the Highland Year of Culture, which features several craft events, is the de-construction of the Big Willow in May. This massive willow sculpture by Patrick Dougherty has stood on the Brahan Estate for the last year and will be set alight amid an evening of performance and music. This will include an appearance by Tim Johnson as the Rush Man of Brahan, a costume he created while on residency during the construction of the sculpture.

Three Scottish jewellers – Susan Cross, Grainne Morton and Adam Paxon – are among the six shortlisted for the prestigious £30,000 Jerwood Applied Arts Prize which will be announced on 26 June 2007.

In the same month a retrospective of work by jeweller Peter Chang opens at the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool before touring, and Anna King holds a retrospective at the National Museum of Scotland coinciding with a major exhibition of ceramics by Picasso.

The major focus for discussion about craft will be the conference New Craft – Future Voices taking place in Dundee in July which promises to be a lively and inspiring event.

In August East Weaves West at the Collins Gallery will show contemporary basketmaking from the UK and Japan and in the following month the Scottish Lettercutters Association will hold their second exhibition building on the success of their inaugural show in 2005.

Origin: the London Craft Fair returns in October and this year Goldsmiths’ Fair will run for two weeks to mark their 25th anniversary.

These exhibitions demonstrate the quality of contemporary craft in Scotland and the importance of craft to the creative lifeblood of Scotland and the UK.

News about these and other events can be found on the craftscotland website at www.craftscotland.org

Funded by the Scottish Arts Council, the www.craftscotland.org promotes the best of Scottish craft through a searchable online directory of Scottish makers and crafts outlets, news, features, business advice, events and opportunity listings.

ENDS


For further information:
Tina Rose
Tel: 0131 447 6575
Mob: 0797 059 2066
e-mail: tina@craftscotland.org


Notes for Editors: Event Dates

Silver of the Stars
Victoria & Albert Museum from 31 January 2007. Other dates tbc.

The Cutting Edge
National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh
26 January to 29 April 2007
Dick Institute, Kilmarnock
26 May – 30 June 2007
Gallery of Modern Art, Glasgow: Dates tbc.
Aberdeen Art Gallery
9 February – 12 April 2008

De-construction of the Big Willow
May 2007 – date tbc

Exhibition by Jerwood finalists
Jerwood Space, London
5 June to 26 July 2007. Winner announced 26 June 2007.

Peter Chang Retrospective, Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool
9 June to 30 September 2007

Anna King Retrospective
National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh
15 June to 28 October 2007

Ceramics by Picasso
National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh
Further details tbc.

New Craft - Future Voices, Duncan of Jordanstone University, Dundee
4 to 6 July 2007

East Weaves West: Contemporary Basketmaking from Japan and
Collins Gallery, Glasgow
7 July to 18 August 2007.

Origin: The London Craft Fair
Somerset House, London
October 2007 – dates tbc.

25th Goldsmiths' Fair
Goldsmiths’ Hall, London
24 to 30 September and 2 to 7 October 2007