Visual Arts Scotland

OPEN CALL Visual Arts Scotland is delighted to present STRATA, a new exhibition of wall-based works exploring landscape through layering, material, and time. Opening this June at Wasps Artists’ Studios Inverness Creative Academy, the exhibition brings together artists whose practices engage with the processes that shape land and matter alike. Spanning across painting, print, textile, photography, and mixed media, the works collectively approach our connection to the natural landscape. The exhibition builds on VAS’s recent programme exploring contemporary relationships to landscape and is delivered in partnership with Wasps Artists’ Studios, whose Inverness Creative Academy provides a vital platform for artists working in the Highlands and beyond. The collaboration reflects a shared commitment to supporting artists across Scotland and creating opportunities for engagement outside the Central Belt. STRATA is a locally situated exhibition with national reach, foregrounding material practice while opening new pathways for artists and audiences in the Highlands. VAS members and WASPS tenants are invited to submit up to four works for consideration, which are all wall-based and able to be hung on D-rings. We will accept proposals however please note all works must be delivered on the 24th June in an exhibition ready standard. To submit work, please include the following information in one PDF document, ensuring your name is in the document title: Good quality images of all works accompanied by information about the artwork, including the title, dimensions (cm) and price, as well as a brief artist’s statement and CV. Please also fill out the exhibition form in our bio! Please ensure that if you are not a WASPS tenant, you are a VAS Member with an up-to-date subscription. You can join VAS via our website or emailing [email protected]. This is a members only exhibition opportunity. Deadline: 31st May 2026 5pm Poster by @alasdairdimmick Artwork by VAS Member @jadestoutart

Visual Arts Scotland - ‘Natural Collection’ Wednesday 29th April 2026 - 7th June 2026 Humans have long collected, categorised and depicted the natural world, from the15th century cabinets of curiosities filled with natural wonders, to botanical drawings of flora and fauna. The primary aim of many historic nature collections was to foster a deeper understanding of the natural world through the categorisation of specimens and their data. In the age of discovery they served as valuable research resources; to catalogue, identify and classify new species, study them for research, and preserve them. We are all familiar with the images of butterflies, moths and assorted insects caught and pinned to boards. We may not think of doing this now, but often specimens such as these were key in telling the history of the human desire to understand the natural world. These acts of collection reflect both a reverence for nature and a desire to interpret it. Artists and makers often look to the natural world for inspiration, for processes, materials, textures and forms, its rhythms and patterns, its vulnerability and its endurance and this exhibition seeks to explore what contemporary nature collections might be, what might they mean, what story might they tell? This exhibition revisits that impulse through a contemporary lens and aims to celebrate and showcase diverse creative responses, exploring the question of what it means to observe, collect, engage and respond to nature in the present day. Venue: Scottish Ornithologist Club | Presented by Visual Arts Scotland Opening times: Tuesday-Sunday 10am - 4:30pm Closed Mondays @visualartsscotland @socaberlady

Future Folklore: The Art and Craft of Storytelling 28th March - 30th May 2026 Rozelle Estate, Ayr, KA7 4NQ Folklore is not fixed, it shifts with each telling, shaped by the voices, places, and times that carry it forward. Ayrshire’s landscape, from the rugged coastline and its selkie myths to the haunted kirks immortalised by Robert Burns, has long inspired tales of transformation, belonging, and the unseen. Future Folklore: The Art and Craft of Storytelling brings together artists and makers who use material practice as a way of preserving and inventing stories. Through clay, textile, wood, paper, sound, and performance, they reimagine the myths of Ayrshire while creating new narratives that speak to contemporary life. The exhibition seeks to ask: What do ancient tales mean in the present? What new folklore might emerge in response to migration, climate change, or digital culture? And how can craft with its roots in skill, touch, and tradition become a language for storytelling in the future? How does art reflect the stories of the past? Celebrating the imaginative threads between past and present, this exhibition explores the enduring power of art and craft to shape how communities remember, imagine, and connect. Opening times: Monday - Saturday 10-5 and Sundays 12-5 Poster design: @alasdairdimmick Artwork: @hbartscotland @maclaurinart @visualartsscotland

That’s a wrap! Huge thank you to every artist who took part in what was our first exhibition of 2026- Common Ground; A Living Landscape hosted by @kirkcudbrightgalleries . We are sad to see this exhibition come to a close, however we still have Future Folklore; The Art and Craft of Storytelling on display at @maclaurinart and we are looking forward to opening our new exhibition- A Seat At The Table next month which will be hosted by @southblock_glasgow ! A very big thank you also goes out to @creativescots for their generous funding to support our exciting and jam-packed 2026 programme 🩷

LAST WEEKEND You have just two days left to see our exhibition entitled ‘Common Ground; A Living Landscape at @kirkcudbrightgalleries . 31 January - 10 May 2026 3B St Mary St, Kirkcudbright, DG6 4AA Common Ground; The Living Landscape is an exhibition that brings together artists and makers whose work speaks to our deep, evolving relationship with Scotland’s natural environment. Scotland’s land carries stories of belonging and separation, of heritage and transformation, of deep time and fragile change. Through its rivers and coastlines, forests and moors, people have shaped the land and, in turn, been shaped by it. These connections run deep, interwoven with memory, ritual, and identity. For our first exhibition of 2026 we brought together artists and makers whose work responds to these depictions of living landscapes, inviting audiences to consider how creativity can reconnect us to nature in an era of climate uncertainty and cultural shifts. The exhibition celebrates practices that are both grounded in materiality and attuned to spirit: works made from the land, about the land, and in dialogue with the land. Opening times: Tuesday - Saturday 10-4 and Sundays 11:30-4 Closed on Mondays 📷: @robin_mair_photography @visualartsscotland @kirkcudbrightgalleries

LAST WEEKEND Common Ground; A Living Landscape at Kirkcudbright Galleries 31 January - 10 May 2026 3B St Mary St, Kirkcudbright, DG6 4AA Common Ground; The Living Landscape is an exhibition that brings together artists and makers whose work speaks to our deep, evolving relationship with Scotland’s natural environment. Scotland’s land carries stories of belonging and separation, of heritage and transformation, of deep time and fragile change. Through its rivers and coastlines, forests and moors, people have shaped the land and, in turn, been shaped by it. These connections run deep, interwoven with memory, ritual, and identity. For our first exhibition of 2026 we brought together artists and makers whose work responds to these depictions of living landscapes, inviting audiences to consider how creativity can reconnect us to nature in an era of climate uncertainty and cultural shifts. The exhibition celebrates practices that are both grounded in materiality and attuned to spirit: works made from the land, about the land, and in dialogue with the land. Opening times: Tuesday - Saturday 10-4 and Sundays 11:30-4 Closed on Mondays 📷: @robin_mair_photography @visualartsscotland @kirkcudbrightgalleries

MEMBERS NEWS Where Land Meets Sky: Victoria Wylie’s Powerful New Exhibition Opens in Forfar. Immersive paintings inspired by Scotland’s dramatic landscapes and changing horizons. A compelling new exhibition by Angus-based artist Victoria Wylie opens this April at the Meffan Museum and Art Gallery, inviting visitors to step into the vast, shifting beauty of Scotland’s land and seascapes. Beyond the Horizon brings together a series of striking contemporary paintings that explore the dynamic relationship between land, sea and sky. Spanning locations from Angus to Shetland, Wylie’s work captures the drama, stillness and constant transformation of the natural world, shaped by her deep personal connection to these environments. This body of work is rooted in resilience and the restorative power of nature. Based in Forfar, Wylie creates her work through direct immersion in the landscape. Whether walking, swimming, sketching on remote beaches or standing at the edge of Shetland’s cliffs, these experiences form the foundation of her practice. Back in the studio, she works intuitively—using expressive brushstrokes, bold colour contrasts and energetic mark-making—to create paintings that reflect not only what is seen, but what is felt. The exhibition also includes work developed following a 2024 research trip to Shetland, supported by VACMA funding. This period of study enabled Wylie to examine the relationship between land and sea in a remote island context, as well as the visible effects of climate change on these fragile environments. 25 April 2026 – 22 June 2026 Meffan Museum & Art Gallery 20 West High Street, Forfar, DD8 1BB @victoriawyliehale

Visual Arts Scotland's FUTURE FOLKLORE: THE ART AND CRAFT OF STORYTELLING Folklore is never fixed. It evolves with each retelling, carried across generations through craft, song, ritual, and imagination. Ayrshire’s landscape; from its rugged coastline and selkie myths to the haunted ruins celebrated by Robert Burns, has long inspired stories that bridge the human and the otherworldly. This exhibition brings together artists and makers who use craft as a vessel for storytelling. Weaving together the material and the mythic, they reimagine traditions and invent new narratives for the future. From selkie legends that speak to belonging and transformation, to contemporary myths of migration, technology, and climate change, the works on display trace how stories are made tangible in clay, textile, wood, paper, sound, and performance. Future Folklore: The Art and Craft of Storytelling celebrates the enduring power of craft to preserve, reinvent, and create tales that shape our collective identity; stories that root us in place while imagining what comes next. We still have just over 3 weeks left of this huge exhibition! Plenty of time to call in and see the diverse range of work. There's definitely something for everyone to enjoy! 🤩

MEMBERS NEWS You can now sign up for David McDiarmid’s new array of workshops coming soon in Glasgow- 1. Beginners Jesmonite FIFA World Cup 2026 Flag Coaster Workshop by Art for Foodies In this 2.5 hour workshop I’ll guide you through the enjoyable process of Jesmonite casting, teaching you how to create a beautiful National flag inspired coaster to take home and sit your pint (or other chosen drink) on while you support your team in the FIFA World Cup 2026! Date: Saturday 6th June Time: 2pm - 4.30pm Duration: 2.5 hours Location: Rogart Street Campus, Glasgow Booking link: /shop/workshops 2. Beginners Jesmonite FIFA World Cup 2026 Flag Wall-Hanging Workshop by Art for Foodies In this 2.5 hour workshop I’ll guide you through the enjoyable process of Jesmonite casting, teaching you how to create a beautiful National flag inspired wall-hanging to take home and support your team in the FIFA World Cup 2026! Date: Sunday 7th June Time: 2pm - 4.30pm Duration: 2.5 hours Location: Rogart Street Campus, Glasgow Booking link: /shop/workshops 3. Beginners Jesmonite Coaster Casting Workshop by Art for Foodies In this 2.5 hour workshop I’ll guide you through the enjoyable process of Jesmonite casting, teaching you how to create a beautiful set of 4x drinks coasters to take home and use in your kitchen! Date: Saturday 29th August Time: 2pm - 4.30pm Duration: 2.5 hours Location: Rogart Street Campus, Glasgow Booking link: /shop/workshops 4. Beginners Jesmonite Placemat or Wall-Hanging Workshop by Art for Foodies In this 2.5 hour workshop I’ll guide you through the enjoyable process of Jesmonite casting, teaching you how to create either a beautiful placemat or wall-hanging to take home and use in your kitchen! Date: Sunday 30th August Time: 2pm - 4.30pm Duration: 2.5 hours Location: Rogart Street Campus, Glasgow Booking link: /shop/workshops @davidmcdiarmidstudio

We are thrilled to announce that we will be piloting a new Mentorship Programme to begin this summer. We are calling all of our members who are interested in acting as either a mentor or a mentee. Interested in becoming a Mentee? Are you looking for guidance in developing an area of your practice from an experienced practitioner, someone who’s been there and done that? Use this short mentee interest form to tell us a bit more about what type of guidance you are looking for! Got the experience to be a Mentor? Do you have mentorship experience, skills or an interest in supporting other practitioners? Use this short mentor interest form to tell us about areas you feel you could offer mentorship in. We are looking for 5 Mentors and 5 Mentees: This opportunity is open to all VAS members. Mentors will be selected based on experience. Our team will work to match mentors with mentees based on the needs and skills disclosed in your application. There will be an hourly stipend provided for mentors at a rate of £45.80 /hr based on 5+ Years experience SAU rates 26/27. If you are not matched this time around, we will keep all members who express interest in mentoring in our mentor pool. We may call on you when we find a mentee that seems like a good fit! The Programme: Activity will take place between June - September 2026 - 1.5 hours of training with VAS - 3 hours of 121 support provided by the mentor to the mentee - 2 group check in sessions with a VAS trustee Deadline to Register Interest: May 24th 5pm We aim to notify successful applicants by Monday 1st June To register interest please fill out the Google form in our bio

Visual Arts Scotland is delighted to announce the sixth year of residency in partnership with Bothy Project in October 2026. This opportunity offers a member of Visual Arts Scotland the chance to spend a week-long residency at Sweeney’s Bothy, a simple, off grid building in unique surroundings on the stunning Isle of Eigg, part of the Scottish Inner Hebrides. Sweeney’s Bothy is situated on croft land, with its elevated position in Cleadale, close to Eigg’s northern tip. The building was developed in collaboration with artist Alec Finlay as part of Creative Scotland’s Year of Natural Scotland in 2013. This dedicated off-grid artist residency space is purpose-built to offer practitioners in visual arts, craft and design, music, literature, and performance, as well as thinkers, researchers, and people local to each Bothy, direct creative engagement with the Scottish wilderness. The residency will take place from the 10th-17th October 2026 and all reasonable travel up to £250 and accommodation costs are included. There will also be a £720 artist fee provided by VAS for the successful applicant. There will be an online information session on Thursday 4th June 5-6pm for anyone interested in applying that may have questions about the residency, the island, its facilities or the application process. More details on this are to follow. Send your application to [email protected] with 6 images of your recent work compiled in a single PDF, along with text outlining the following points (please limit your answers for each point to 300 words): - What is your current practice? - Why would you like this opportunity? - How do you hope the time at Sweeney’s Bothy will help inform your practice? - How would you document and share your experiences on the island? - How would you approach travelling sustainably to the Island? Please make sure to complete the application form (link in our bio). You can also find a guide to applying to opportunities on our website. Deadline: 14th June 2026 5pm Poster by @alasdairdimmick Artwork by precious Bothy residency recipient @priiyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

Huge thank you to everyone who came along to the opening of Natural Collection yesterday. What a lovely way to have spent such a beautiful evening! Natural Collection is now open at @socaberlady Wednesday 29th April 2026 - 7th June 2026 Humans have long collected, categorised and depicted the natural world, from the15th century cabinets of curiosities filled with natural wonders, to botanical drawings of flora and fauna. The primary aim of many historic nature collections was to foster a deeper understanding of the natural world through the categorisation of specimens and their data. In the age of discovery they served as valuable research resources; to catalogue, identify and classify new species, study them for research, and preserve them. We are all familiar with the images of butterflies, moths and assorted insects caught and pinned to boards. We may not think of doing this now, but often specimens such as these were key in telling the history of the human desire to understand the natural world. These acts of collection reflect both a reverence for nature and a desire to interpret it. Artists and makers often look to the natural world for inspiration, for processes, materials, textures and forms, its rhythms and patterns, its vulnerability and its endurance and this exhibition seeks to explore what contemporary nature collections might be, what might they mean, what story might they tell? This exhibition revisits that impulse through a contemporary lens and aims to celebrate and showcase diverse creative responses, exploring the question of what it means to observe, collect, engage and respond to nature in the present day. Venue: Scottish Ornithologist Club | Presented by Visual Arts Scotland Opening times: Tuesday-Sunday 10am - 4:30pm Closed Mondays