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Past Exhibitions
Sixties Stirling
Titanic
Scottish Salon
In Nepal
Dunmore Pottery
Space and Time
Stirling Girls
Pots and Paint
E.H. Shepard
Robert Burns
Miniature Print
Stirling Childhood
John Paterson
Henry Morley
Ronald Forbes
William Wallace
Japanese Art
Leonardo da Vinci
Big Beast Pictures

Find out how seventy six creative and imaginative artists have explored the theme of memory, and have addressed the issues of memory loss. Presented by the Compass Gallery Glasgow in association with Alzheimer Scotland, the charity that helps people with dementia, this is a thought – provoking and enjoyable visual feast, which is about to tour to six other Scottish museums and galleries.

The selected artists range from Royal Academicians, to senior art school lectures, full time painters and sculptors - including eminent artist and Smith Ambassador Lys Hansen - and recent graduates. The works in the exhibition explore ‘The Force and Form of Memory’ and the impact it has on our lives. The Arts play a vitally important role, enhancing the quality of our day to day lives. However, their importance as cognitive decline sets in for people with dementia is not yet really understood or appreciated. Often a person who may not have spoken for a long time, may suddenly remember a past event or person. This sudden return of memory can be triggered by seeing an image, an object, or even hearing a particular piece of music.

Councillor Colin O’Brien, Chair of the Smith Trustees said:
This exhibition is particularly welcome in Stirling, where the ground-breaking work of the University’s Iris Murdoch (Dementia Services Development) Centre is internationally known. We are pleased that professor June Andrews, Director of the Centre, will declare the exhibition open.

Compass Gallery Director Jill Gerber said:
This is an exhibition for our times, raising awareness of the importance of creating today’s memories, which will become future reminiscences, and the impact that memory-loss related illness has on our lives of those affected by dementia.

All works are for sale, for the benefit of Alzheimer Scotland.

A gloriously colourful show to brighten the darkest January days opens at the Stirling Smith next week. Stirling and District Embroiderers’ Guild was founded in 1982 and is a branch of the UK charity, the Embroiderers’ Guild. The local branch has a membership of around three dozen, some of whom are professional textile artists and teachers, and some of whom are amateurs, ranging from enthusiastic novices to those who have had one of the needle arts as their hobby for many years.

The exhibition in the Smith Art Gallery and Museum, Stirling, is a showcase for the members and their work. The range of ability in the Branch is one of their greatest assets, as members have very different strengths and approaches and work in a wide range of techniques. In the Branch, there is always someone who can help sort out a difficulty in the design or execution of a piece of work and regular workshop Saturdays or evenings give great opportunities for watching, doing, learning and teaching.

Nationally, the Embroiderers’ Guild is an educational charity and membership organisation with a long history and over 9,000 members. It was founded early in the 20th century, a time when embroidery was flourishing as part of the Arts and Crafts movement. The Guild centrally supports its network of almost 200 branches and holds a fantastic collection of 11,000 examples of textile art over the centuries. The oldest piece in the collection is Coptic religious embroidery from the 6th century. Some of the modern pieces challenge the term embroidery, which is why textile art is also used. The Guild is also responsible for two major magazines, Stitch, which features projects and techniques readily accessible to both the leisure textile artist and to the experienced professional, and Embroidery which focuses on the best in contemporary embroidery, with a spotlight on reader’s work and on artist’s studios, opening a window on how the craft is developing.

The Stirling Branch has monthly meetings, normally on the third Wednesday, from August until May, with a break in December. Some of these are talks by practitioners, often illustrated with their work, while some are sewing evenings. There are three or four workshop Saturdays or weekends every year, either on a specific theme with a tutor, or as Drop In Days when members bring along what they are working on, and spend time together as they all stitch.

Recent tutored workshops have included sessions on making Nuno and Cobweb Felt, and on Machine Embroidery. Working together, the Branch members have been involved in projects such as designing and making pieces for Strathcarron Hospice and an altar cloth for the Chapel Royal at Stirling Castle, and have just embarked on a project for the Smith. Members have supported and run a Fine Cell Work group at Cornton Vale, working to develop skills. Members have also taken part in National Embroiderers’ Guild projects such as the Rainbow Squares, an exhibition at the Smith and the Olympic Post Cards project, nearing completion. And they enjoy each other’s company. The Branch is a very sociable one.

A rich and glorious celebration of the Celtic spirit in textiles.

Following their last acclaimed exhibition of textile art at the Smith Gallery in 2009, the ten members of the Scottish Turning Point Group have teamed up with an exhibiting group from Northern Ireland and another from Wales, together forming the Celtic Fringe Group. The resulting 28 panels each depict an aspect of folk lore pertaining to the maker’s country, crafted in evocative colour, design and stitch. These have recently been shown for the first time at the prestigious National Festival of Quilts in Birmingham to much acclaim.

Coming from right across the Central Belt, the Scottish artists include Morven Roche from Stirling, Liz Ferguson from Falkirk, Margaret O’Gorman from Thornhill and Joyce Watson who lives in Dunblane. The exhibition also includes new work from Turning Point pertinent to Central Scotland.

The forthcoming exhibition will open to the public on 12 November 2011 and run until 8 January 2012. Workshops will also be available.

The work of the Stirling Embroiderer's Guild.