Drawing inspiration from the current exhibition, A Weather Eye at The McManus: Dundee's Art Gallery & Museum, the museum's Creative Learning Team has delivered the fifth partnership project with THAT (Tayside Healthcare Arts Trust).
The project was co-designed to provide person centred learning experiences and creative participation for people affected by long-term health conditions such as stroke, acquired brain injury, chronic pain and others.
In this eight-week block, Artists Laura Lyon and Nicola Wiltshire drew upon, A Weather Eye, to inspire participants to experiment with a wide range of fine art and mark making techniques, including working with collage, chalks, oil pastels, paints and combinations of these materials to explore texture within their work.
Complementing this, the group also enjoyed a tour of the exhibition from curator Kirsty Matheson and participated in a workshop led by Scottish artist Ellis O'Connor as she shared her approaches to working outdoors and with the weather as subject matter.
Each participant will showcase their work in a sharing for family and friends at a project celebration, with the display then open to the public during museum opening hours on Friday 28th March, Monday 31st March and Tuesday 1st April in the museum's Learning Studio.
Kim Galligan, Learning & Engagement Assistant (Digital) at Leisure & Culture Dundee said
"It has been wonderful to see each artist develop their practice over this eight week block. We have been using many challenging techniques and introduced new materials, which have been embraced with enthusiasm. Each artist has developed their own unique visual language and self-expression throughout the project. Empowering people through projects like this, through informal, co-produced learning and making, is central to our approach and our aim is for people to feel part of the museum, to support their engagement and participation and to celebrate their achievements."
Chris Kelly, Projects Coordinator, Tayside Healthcare Arts Trust said,
"It has been great to have another group into The McManus for a new and inspiring partnership programme. To be able to work here with the support of the Creative Learning team, the exhibition curator, and two wonderful artists, is hugely empowering for our participants. They have been challenged to look afresh at the simplest of things, the weather, and discover their own way to express their experience of it. The group have experimented together and learned from each other, they have supported each other and produced some fantastic work. It is fantastic to now share this experience with friends and family and have the work on public display."
To find out more about the work of the Creative Learning Team at The McManus: Dundee's Art Gallery & Museum visit www.mcmanus.co.uk/creative-learning
A Weather Eye: Art Inspired by the Weather from Dundee's Fine Art Collection is on show until Sunday 11 May, 2025
Pictured L-R are Chris Kelly - Chris Kelly, Projects Coordinator, Aaron Guthrie -Participant, Lisa Speirs Fleming - Volunteer, Issy Robertson - Participant, Laura Lyon - Lead Artist, Kim Galligan - Learning and Engagement Assistant (Digital), Nicola Wiltshire -Support Artist and front Robert Carrie - Participant.
