Feature by Northings
Beth Legg
10 Sep 2008 in Visual Arts & Crafts
Nova Scotia Residency
From April until July this year Caithness born jeweller, BETH LEGG was in residence in Cape Breton.
Her residency was part of an exchange residency organised by Highland Council and the Provincial Government of Nova Scotia to promote understanding and shared links through the Memorandum of Understanding. While Beth was there Cape Breton textile artist, Kelly Krawchuck was based in Ardnamurchan High School, Strontian. A feature on her residency will appear at a later date. You can read more about Beth’s trip on her blog.
PAMELA CONACHER spoke to Beth on her return and asked her about her time away from Scotland and her normal life.
PAMELA CONACHER: What attracted you to the project?
BETH LEGG: I was initially attracted to the project because of the strong historical and cultural links between Nova Scotia and the Highlands. During my Masters I had focussed on ideas of the history within a landscape – the links between man and land, a sense of place and the process of nature taking over. These were ideas I wanted to return to in the remote setting of an environment that was new to me and yet had a strong historical connection to where I come from.
PC: How did you find the craft scene in Nova Scotia?
BL: The Craft scene in Nova Scotia unfortunately leans strongly towards the hobbyist or tourist trinket level. There really just isn’t the same investment in the arts as there is in Scotland and this goes right down to the School level where art education is not given much priority at all. In general, as the artists’ residency programme is a relatively new concept in Nova Scotia it would be fantastic to see the introduction of local artists working in schools to develop this idea further in order to enrich the understanding of the arts within schools in Canada. I was encouraged by a visit to the Nova Scotia College for Art and Design which was an exciting place to be but unfortunately a lot of the graduates move out west to work after graduating.
PC: Could you see any similarities to the issues faced by makers in the Highlands?
BL: Of course this problem of talent pools remaining in the city after graduation from Art College is one familiar to Scotland. It is a tricky balance faced by makers in remote areas of earning a living in crafts often through tourism whilst maintaining a high quality of interesting, contemporary work.
There were real issues working in the remote location of Cape Breton because everything is so spread out – there was no such thing as next day delivery or public transport which made planning ahead for workshops vital.
PC: What skills did you pass onto the pupils?
BL: I spent time talking to the students about my own work and life in Scotland and worked with them on one day projects that revolved around the technique of saw piercing copper sheet from their own designs. I really enjoy working with students at this level because often children who are not academic can find real value in spending time on practical and creative tasks.
PC: How did your own work develop during your residency? What inspired you?
BL: I was based in a beautiful part of Cape Breton and I found a great deal of inspiration in my surroundings. I spent the majority of my own time recording elements from the surrounding environment in drawings, photographs and collecting materials. Spending time walking, collecting and absorbing the feel of the place was my priority so that it would feed into my work subliminally which is something you can’t rush. I also made some basic metal components and worked on wooden test pieces that will lead on to more developed pieces of work in Scotland.
PC: What now?
BL: When I returned to my studio I surrounded myself with photographs and drawings from my time in Nova Scotia so that it would stay in the forefront of my mind and I can see real themes that I would like to develop. At the moment I am working towards Goldsmiths and Origin Craft fairs both in London at the end of this month which is a huge commitment in terms of time but I can see little bits of Nova Scotia starting to appear in my current work already.
© Pamela Conacher, 2008
