Visitors to Scotland’s premiere open studios weekend will be treated to the unusual sight and sound of a pipe organ on a custom made boat moored on the River Nith.
WaterOrgan, which is supported by EventScotland (part of VisitScotland’s Events Directorate), is the creation of Mark Zygadlo who is well known for highly inventive floating artworks.
The Dumfries and Galloway artist will launch the musical catamaran near the old Auldgirth Bridge, off the A76 between Dumfries and Thornhill, just ahead of the Spring Fling weekend from 25 to 27 May.
The playlist is still being sorted out but the tunes could include The Blue Danube, Old Man Riverand Rabbie Burns’ Sweet Afton.
Mark, from nearby Glenhead, said: “I am fascinated by water, and by rivers especially, as a platform for public art. The Nith is a wonderful river and a perfect platform for an artwork like this.
“We really hope that visitors will find it fun and enjoy spending some time next to the river and listening to the music and other sounds it will generate.”
WaterOrgan is also intended to get people thinking more about our rivers, the environmental issues affecting them, what they mean to us and how we can live with them in positive and celebratory way.
Mark, who has spent many years working with wooden boats and is a keen sailor, built the pipe organ from scratch and has mounted it on an 18ft catamaran hull.
A water wheel mounted between the hulls will power the organ via a system of cogs and drive belts.
Previous projects have included a tide-operated performance platform called the Tide Machine, in collaboration with Oceanallover
Mark was also a co-founder of the Nithraid boat race in Dumfries and crafted the floating crane that is used to plunge a Salty Coo into the river after it has been carried through the streets at the end of the annual event.
Joanna Macaulay, Events and Exhibitions Manager for Upland which runs Spring Fling, said: “We always try to encourage Spring Fling visitors to enjoy the beautiful Dumfries and Galloway countryside.
“The WaterOrgan is a great way of doing that – visitors can make the artwork part of their journey around the region. Bring the family, the WaterOrgan will be something to excite and inspire all ages.”
Spring Fling is a much-loved feature of the Scotland’s cultural calendar, which this year sees 94 studios across the beautiful region of Dumfries and Galloway, throw open their doors to the public.
It’s a chance to meet painters, original printmakers, ceramicists, jewellers and glassmakers, wood and metal workers, photographers in the cottages, farms, galleries, mills, converted churches and other places that they work and live.
Paul Bush OBE, Director of Events for VisitScotland, said: “Spring Fling is a fantastic event that truly showcases the skills and work of the region’s artists and makers, and EventScotland is delighted to be supporting it through our Beacon Programme.
“Mark Zygadlo’s fun and inventive public artwork WaterOrgan will no doubt capture the imagination of both locals and visitors alike and will provide the perfect platform to celebrate the country’s rivers and waterways in the run-up to Scotland’s Year of Coasts and Waters 2020.”
Visitors will be able to see WaterOrgan working 10.30am to 5.30pm on 25 to 27 May.
Dr David Borthwick of the University of Glasgow will be holding talks for WaterOrgan visitors at 2pm on 25 May and 7pm on 26 May about Our Relationship with Rivers and Waters.
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Notes for editors
Spring Fling
- Spring Fling is Scotland’s premier visual art and contemporary craft open studios event covering all Dumfries and Galloway, South West Scotland. It is the flagship annual event of Upland CIC.
- Last year 99% of visitors described their Spring Fling experience as excellent or good.
- The studios welcomed over 31,000 unique studio visits during the three-day event in 2018.
- More than half (56%) of visitors came from outwith the region – underlying its value to the cultural tourism industry.
- Together they generated £1.2 million for the regional economy.
- For further details on Spring Fling please visit www.spring-fling.co.ukor contact the team on [email protected]
- This year, a new joint marketing partnership with Dumfries & Galloway Arts Festival will be launched. More information to follow.
About Upland
Upland CIC (Community Interest Company) supports artists and makers based in, and with connections to, the region. It will delivers, events, training, networking, support and opportunities as part of a year-round programme to benefit the region, its artists, communities and economy. Upland CIC runs the annual Spring Fling contemporary visual art and craft open studios weekend in Dumfries and Galloway. It will work closely with other arts bodies in the region to further-strengthen the sector. Upland is based at Gracefield Arts Centre in Dumfries andexists to:
- produce and deliver festivals, events, and experimental projects of the highest quality
- nurture an environment where artistic excellence thrives and grows
- inspire and educate a wide range of audiences, customers and clients to understand, celebrate, be actively engaged in and supportive of visual art and craft practice
- raise the profile of visual artists and makers locally, nationally and internationally fulfilling a crucial role in the culture and tourism of Dumfries and Galloway
- build strategic partnerships at regional, national and international level
- maintain a financially sound and adaptively resilient organisation
- use, and encourage the use of, innovative and emerging digital technology
- work to the benefit the local economy and the sustainability of local communities.
Its funders are Creative Scotland, D&G Council, Holywood Trust, The William Grant Foundation, ASWT, Barfill.
Upland is very happy to help journalists. Contact us and we can set up interviews, provide pictures and photo opportunities. In some circumstances we can offer ready-written copy. For media information contact Matthew Shelley on 07786 704299 or at [email protected]or call Upland on 01387 213 218.
About EventScotland
EventScotland is working to make Scotland the perfect stage for events. By developing an exciting portfolio of sporting and cultural events EventScotland is helping to raise Scotland’s international profile and boost the economy by attracting more visitors. For further information about EventScotland, its funding programmes and latest event news visit www.EventScotland.org. Follow EventScotland on Twitter @EventScotNews.
EventScotland is a team within VisitScotland’s Events Directorate, the national tourism organisation which markets Scotland as a tourism destination across the world, gives support to the tourism industry and brings sustainable tourism growth to Scotland. For more information about VisitScotland see www.visitscotland.org or for consumer information on Scotland as a visitor destination see www.visitscotland.com.