Aiming at Inclusion

GEORGINA COBURN reports on the rebirth of the Highland Print Studio in Inverness

FORMERLY KNOWN as Highland Printmakers Workshop and art.tm gallery, the Highland Print Studio is re-establishing itself as the facility it was always meant to be, a vital resource for artists and communities in the Highlands.

Though not widely publicised, the activities of the printmakers studio have continued at their Longman based studio space, in spite of the well publicised closure of art.tm in Bank Street.

As a region we are incredibly fortunate that the most vital part of this organisation has survived to deliver a unique and much needed programme of creative activity and outreach education.

The name change from art.tm to Highland Print Studio is more than just a title. It signifies a change in focus for the organisation getting back to its roots as an open access printmaking facility, with inclusion as the cornerstone of its objectives. Heading the fundraising, development and education programme is Studio manager Alison McMenemy, who explained the re-think.

“Art.tm is a name that belongs to an organisation that art.tm no longer is. We could have gone back to calling ourselves Highland printmakers and it would certainly be more appropriate than art.tm. But instead we have chosen the Highland Print Studio. Why? Because it sounds more open. We’re not a private club. We’re an open access studio providing opportunities for anyone to learn.”

The ethos of “Art for all” is a real driving force for the studio, and its ongoing projects are delivering a community-based approach to experiencing and developing the visual arts that will have lasting effect in the whole region.
As a visual arts organisation it is precisely the sort of development model that is so desperately needed in the Highlands. The region has yet to realise the potential of developing arts infrastructure. In order to do so it must be seen as an essential part of both the Highland community and economy, and as a primary way of improving the quality of life for all its inhabitants.

One of the most positive aspects of this studio is the opportunity for a complete beginner to work alongside established artists in a friendly, open environment.

Highland Print Studio offers access to learning printmaking methods such as etching (intaglio), screen printing, wood and lino cutting. In addition regular classes are offered in drawing and painting, including those for children and people with special needs.

The current programme from February to April includes Saturday morning children’s classes, portfolio development, life drawing, screen printing, beginner’s drawing, abstract painting, digital imaging, relief printing, etching, expressive drawing and digital imaging.

Classes are usually held in the evenings or as two-day weekend workshops. The studio’s Portfolio Development courses are extremely popular, and provide the opportunity for sixth-form students to prepare for Art College application with the guidance of an experienced artist and tutor. They are a unique preparatory course of great benefit to those who wish to take the first step towards a practical career in the visual arts.

Classes in painting and drawing complement the studio’s primary function as a centre for printmaking. Anyone can take a class to develop their skills and then create their own work in the studio by taking out membership which gives access to equipment for etching, screen printing, digital imaging, wood and lino cut.

Daily, three-monthly, six-monthly and annual studio membership packages are available, and studio technicians and tutors Brian MacBeath and John MacNaught are on hand for help and advice if needed.

With the assistance of The Scottish Arts Council, Highland 2007 and Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey Enterprise, the studio’s capital project will ensure the upgrade of studio equipment to help maintain a standard of excellence and provide access to lithography, digital imaging, animation and video.
The new digital media suite will see the latest technology side by side with time honoured methods of print production in an open studio setting. This is an exciting development providing access to equipment for local artists and students and an important central resource for the region.

“This studio has the facilities and expertise to allow people, from professional artist to beginner, to explore original printmaking: and I think we should celebrate that,” Alison said. “We’re one of the few organisations in the country that can do this. We still offer classes in the other skills that make people better artists, like drawing and composition, but a strong foundation in print will give the company the focus from which to diversify.”

One of the most positive aspects of this studio is the opportunity for a complete beginner to work alongside established artists in a friendly, open environment.

Access to the arts is an issue of primary importance in the Highlands and Islands where there are unique logistical barriers to arts education. In addition to its studio activities there is a firm commitment to take the organisation’s expertise outside its Inverness base to outlying areas.

The Easter Ross Residencies project is a prime example of this. Funded by the Scottish Arts Council and Highland 2007, this project creates work for four Artists in Residence for a period of three months each. Fifty percent of the artist’s time is spent in the studio developing their own work, and fifty percent developing visual art work with primary school pupils in the Fearn Penninsula area of Easter Ross.

In 2007 artists and pupils will showcase their work as part of a touring exhibition for the Year of Culture. This project is a great example of creating a support for the work of individual artists, providing visual arts education in rural schools, developing creative skills in young students and a sense of community in the touring programme. It is the kind of project that has a far reaching impact, and to my mind the kind of funding decision that provides lasting value.

I have no doubt that the energy and enthusiasm of this organisation, together with its hands on approach to education, forming creative partnerships with community groups, and providing a positive point of contact between artists and the public will ensure its growth and success.

If the Highlands is to develop a thriving and sustainable community then investment in its arts organisations at grass roots level is key. The current projects run by Highland Print Studio are evidence of an organisation at the forefront of forging links between community groups and the arts in a dynamic and socially relevant way.

Their ability to deliver education programs to the community, support the work of local artists and provide a state of the art printmaking facility is something that the whole region can be proud of.

(Some material had been removed from this article at the request of the participants).

© Georgina Coburn, 2006

Links

• Highland Print Studio