CatStrand Artworks, Glenkens
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CatStrand, in New Galloway, is opening in September 2007 as a community arts centre and venue in the rural location of Glenkens, in Dumfries and Galloway. It has been converted and extended from the old primary school building by ARP Lorimer Architects to provide a fully equipped auditorium, cafe, shop, meeting rooms and information point. CatStrand will also house the ‘History Stop’ which will focus on local heritage and provide space for local and touring exhibitions. The venue has been designed to offer a good level of access to its facilities. |
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The Scottish Arts Council National Lottery Small Grants programme has contributed funding towards the conversion as well as a programme of integrated artworks.
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Ceramic artist Will Levi Marshall has created a permanent installation which creates a physical link between the existing old school building and the new extension. The installation follows the course of an underground watercourse (the CatStrand) beneath the building. |
The floor of Caithness stone is inset with three water features, glazed over and lit from within, containing pebbles and flowing water from the CatStrand itself. The walls and floor feature a series of ceramic panels, and the ceiling is glazed over its entire length and includes a simple design etched onto the glass, casting shifting shadows onto the walls and floor below. Will’s installation runs the length of the building and extends the floor features through glass doors and out on to the exterior space.
Linda Mallett’s ceramic tile piece has been created from initial work with a group of young people in nearby Dalry School, and consists of a richly coloured abstract panel at the entrance to the building, wrapping round and through the entrance door into the interior. Themes in the work pick up a swirling, spiral motif that also echoes the flow of the CatStrand, and reveals subtle indications of rural life in the area. Linda also co-ordinated the three integrated artworks programme.
Digital artists Chris Helson and Sarah Jackets are completing a 12 month residency in the Glenkens. Their initial period of intensive research resulted in a ‘sketchbook’ of interviews and ideas that has been archived and can be seen on the Glenkens archive website. Following on from this they are working towards a video installation in the CatStrand, called ‘Maxwell’s Demon based on the thought experiments of the physicist James Clerk Maxwell, who lived and died in the Glenkens.
Through the Scottish Arts Council National Lottery Small Grants programme, Glenkens Community Arts Trust has received a total contribution of £212,114 towards the creation of CatStrand. This includes grants of £37,500 for equipment, £128,857 towards the cost of extending the building and £45,757 towards the integrated artworks programme. |