A new public gallery opening on Cumbrae is aiming to connect the island to the international art arena.
The Hunter Saville Cumbrae Studio and Gallery has launched with its inaugural exhibition ‘The Cumbrae Six’ showcasing six professional artists from the island.
The gallery is the brainchild of Janice Hunter and Tim Saville, who have travelled, lived and taught all over the world.
Janice studied at the Glasgow School of Art and gained a master’s degree in design, whilst Tim specialised in ceramics and figurative sculpture at the Camberwell School of Art in London.
Before coming to the island, the pair lived in Crete for 15 years where they renovated a Venetian/Ottoman ruin and built studios and a home.
Janice hopes the gallery can also provide a workspace for graduates as part of a novel ‘Artist-in-Residence’ scheme.
She explained: “There is a thriving contemporary art scene on the West Coast and we’re delighted Cumbrae will now have an ambitious gallery which will host art shows, talks and debates.
“The gallery will also provide exhibition space and a working studio for recent graduates from art school.
“We have accommodation for an Artist-in-Residence next to the gallery, so that emerging artists can live and work here, experiencing the island’s uniquely beautiful surroundings and spectacular views.
“Through exhibitions and workshops they can share their practice with the Millport community as well as the many visitors that come to the island.”
Janice and Tim will feature in the opening exhibition alongside islanders Gregor Harvie, Caroline Millar, Gill Miller, and Mazda Munn.
Tim reveals the pair want to establish the Cumbrae gallery as one of the go-to places for contemporary art in Scotland.
He said: “Our first show brings together a group of significant artists who have made this island their home.
“The show has an extraordinary range of diverse work and it will establish the gallery as a place to experience some of the best contemporary art in Scotland.
“Here on the jewel that is the Isle of Cumbrae, we are in close proximity to the islands across the sea; repositories of diverse influences from trading, migration and exploration.
“The sea is an unchanging pathway; from over the horizon come adventurers and pioneers; people with diverse origins and influences ready to change the way we see.
“The Cumbrae Gallery with its eclectic ethos will be an interactive harbour, embracing diversity and broadening our understanding of the arts.”
The gallery is at 14 Guildford Street and more information can be found by emailing huntersavillecumbraegallery@gmail.com or by going to @cumbraestudioandgallery on Instagram.
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