Life-sized sheep made with bedsprings, hand thrown pottery and colourful textiles – just some of the intriguing artistic treats visitors to the Thornhill area can enjoy during Spring Fling.
This year’s 21st annual contemporary art and crafts weekend, from 27 to 29 May, will see 100 studios – the biggest ever number – open their doors to the public across Dumfries and Galloway.
It’s a huge and beautiful rural region that takes time to explore so Upland CIC, Spring Fling’s organisers, have divided it into six suggested colour-coded routes that each allow people to meet a wide variety of artists and makers.
Thornhill, in mid Nithsdale is at the heart of the Green Route, and has five Spring Fling participants including blacksmith Nate Robinson whose forge is at The Old School House, and Gyllian Thomson, who creates colourful tapestries inspired by the region’s landscapes.
Nate, who taught himself blacksmithing as a teenager after being invited to have a go during an event, loves to experiment and his creations include sheep with wool made using old bedsprings.
He said: “A friend of mine had some old bedsprings and it occurred to me that they would look great as wool, so I have transformed them into life-sized sheep which people can see when they visit my forge during Spring Fling.
“This year will be the first time I’ve taken part, and it’s great to be here in Thornhill where there’s a whole group of Spring Fling artists and makers nearby, so visitors can see everything from my blacksmithing to ceramics, jewellery and visual art.”
Nate will be giving people the chance to watch him at work in his forge as well as to see an exhibition of his work, which ranges from the sheep down to small pieces like a ram’s head poker, keyrings and decorative hammers.
Gyllian said: “This is my second Spring Fling and it’s so important to me and my work. One and all come to my studio it’s such a unique experience and I love it.”
A little to the west, in Penpont, is textile artist Deborah Campbell. Her mixed media work uses a variety of techniques to create work inspired by Dumfries and Galloway’s wild coastal areas.
Deborah said: “I’m so looking forward to taking part in Spring Fling this year at the Rooks Gallery in Penpont where I will be exhibiting my new textiles and watercolours. I will also be giving visitors an insight into how I create my hand printed fabrics by demonstrating collagraph and geli printing.”
To the north, at Sanquhar on the border with Ayrshire, there is Robyn Cove who makes beautiful hand-thrown functional blue and white pottery – including mugs, dishes and plates – as well as lovely decorative pieces.
Spring Fling is supported by Dumfries and Galloway Council as a highly successful way to bring visitors into the area.
Councillor Ian Blake, the Chair of the Communities Committee, said: “Spring Fling showcases the excellence, in many cases the international excellence, of our artists and craft makers. It is a joy and a treat to be able to spend time with the artists directly over the open studios weekend, to learn more about their craft and inspirations. This is a great weekend to invite friends and family to Dumfries and Galloway, to take in Spring Fling and many of the great Arts Festival performances too.”
The event also plays an important role in promoting the region’s vibrant creative economy.
Councillor Jackie McCamon, the Vice-Chair of the Communities Committee, said: “The length and breadth of the region, there are brilliant artists and craft makers highlighting their work during Spring Fling.
“It is one of the most important events for the economy of Dumfries and Galloway, and in the pre-pandemic era generated close to £2 million in revenues for the participants and tourism industry here. I am delighted at such a strong programme of participating studios and the excellent recovery of Spring Fling since the COVID-19 pandemic.”
There are 11 studios on the Green Route. The others will be jewellery makers Kaz Robertson and Alison Macleod, potter Sam Sparrow, ceramicist Ruth Elizabeth Jones and semi-abstract landscape painter Anne Butler.
Joanna Jones, Assistant Director of Upland CIC which organises Spring Fling, said: “The studios along the Green Route show why Spring Fling has grown to become Scotland’s premier open studios weekend.
“It’s not just the variety of artists and makers that make it such an enjoyable event – it’s also the fact that they are such fascinating people, many of the inspired by the natural environment of one of the country’s most beautiful rural regions.”
- For full details of all the studios see www.spring-fling.co.uk
- Picture by Colin Hattersley.
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Notes for editors
About Spring Fling
- Spring Fling made its name a 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.
- For further details visit www.spring-fling.co.uk or contact [email protected]
- Spring Fling is pleased to once again have the support from Dumfries & Galloway Council as one of the region’s Signature Events.
- For the full programme and to book bus or walking tours visit https://www.spring-fling.co.uk.
- Brochures can be ordered from the website and will be available in April.
- In addition to CREATE which gives an artist a free place in the event, organisers have increased the number of bursaries and the amount of financial aid offered in response to the ongoing cost of living crises.
About Upland
Upland CIC (Community Interest Company) supports artists and makers based in, and with connections to, the region. It 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 and exists 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
- work to the benefit the local economy and the sustainability of local communities.
Its funders are Creative Scotland, D&G Council, The Holywood Trust, The Barfill Trust.
About Creative Scotland
Creative Scotland is the public body that supports the arts, screen and creative industries across all parts of Scotland on behalf of everyone who lives, works or visits here. We enable people and organisations to work in and experience the arts, screen and creative industries in Scotland by helping others to develop great ideas and bring them to life. We distribute funding provided by the Scottish Government and the National Lottery. For further information about Creative Scotland please visit www.creativescotland.com. Follow us @creativescots and www.facebook.com/CreativeScotland.
For media information contact Matthew Shelley on 07786 704299 or at [email protected] or call Upland on 01387 213 218.