The Pier Arts Centre and the Orkney Heritage Society are offering a rare opportunity to purchase a reproduction of a drawing by Orcadian artist Sylvia Wishart.

During research for the current exhibition at the Pier Arts Centre the lamp in the seaward window – The Art of Sylvia Wishart a limited number of photographic prints of a drawing by the artist have come to light. Made in the early 1970’s while the artist had a studio in Kirkwall at the bottom of the Strynd, the print is taken from a drawing of the Strynd buildings and lane and was made to support a successful fundraising campaign, led by Laura Grimond, to raise capital to restore the Strynd houses, the property of the Orkney Heritage Society.

Leslie Burgher Chair of the Orkney Heritage Society commented “These prints were made to support the Society in its aim of protecting and celebrating Orkney’s Heritage. Thanks to the efforts of people like Sylvia who cared about them, very much against the fashion of the time, the Strynd Houses have long since been saved. It is appropriate that these prints should now help to celebrate Sylvia’s work: now itself an important part of our heritage.”

Following a visit to the artists studio at the Strynd in 1970, Ernest Marwick wrote in an article for the Orcadian “She occupies a long room in what may be basically the oldest house in Kirkwall. You will find her there most days of the week, with her easel set up in front of the huge stone fireplace which occupies about a third of the room, and which disappears into the dim recesses of the roof. She keeps warm with the aid of a temperamental paraffin heater and a borrowed electric fire, piling on thick jerseys under her white smock. She may be engaged on anything from a picture of her beloved Rackwick to a painting of the Last Supper – or it may even be a poster or shop sign, for she has the medieval artist’s catholic attitude to her art, and the faith to look at it as a means of living in every sense.”

The exhibition of Sylvia Wishart’s work, currently on display at the Pier Arts Centre, is the first major survey charting the artists work from pre-student days to her latter years at her Outertown home Heatherybraes. The exhibition details over 100 drawings, paintings and prints and includes the original ink drawing from which this reproduction has been taken.

Pier Arts Centre Director Neil Firth added “This small image by Sylvia Wishart has clearly played a significant part in documenting and preserving Orkney’s built heritage and we are delighted that the print is once again highlighting and promoting a worthy project.”

The prints are available from the Pier Arts Centre at the special exhibition price of £40 (mounted, unframed) Profits from the sale of the print will be split between the Orkney Heritage Society and the Pier Arts Centre, with the Centre’s windfall to go towards the publication of a book documenting the work of Sylvia Wishart, which is currently under production.

The book will detail the breadth of the artists 50 year career and will include over 100 colour images plus a specially commissioned essay by art critic and author Mel Gooding as well as texts by a number of Sylvia’s friends.

For further information or to purchase a print, contact the Pier Arts Centre on 01856 850209.

the lamp in the seaward window – The Art of Sylvia Wishart is on display at the Pier Arts Centre until 5 November 2011. The gallery is open Monday – Saturday, 10.30am – 5.00pm. Admission is free