The lamp in the seaward window – the art of Sylvia Wishart ends on Saturday 5 November 2011 after ten weeks on display at the Pier Arts Centre. Over 8,000 visits have been recorded and the exhibition has attracted an enthusiastic response from audiences from Orkney and beyond.

Supported with funding from Scotland’s Islands, the exhibition, tour and forthcoming book forms a part of the year long cultural celebrations. Further funding was awarded from Orkney Islands Council Culture Fund and the Royal Scottish Academy in Edinburgh, and the exhibition has been generously sponsored by J&W Tait Ltd, Orkney.

The Pier Arts Centre Director Neil Firth commented “The exhibition has proved to be a great hit with local audiences. People have been returning again and again to enjoy the extraordinary breadth and originality of Sylvia’s work. It has been a real pleasure bringing the exhibition together and I am glad that we have been able to present such a comprehensive selection of works from both private and public collections.”

A selection of around thirty paintings, drawings and prints from the exhibition will travel to the Royal Scottish Academy in Edinburgh early next year and be on display until 29 February 2012. The exhibition will then move onto Grays School of Art in Aberdeen from 24 March until 20 April 2012.

Neil Firth added “Sylvia had a long association with both the RSA and Grays and it is fitting that the exhibition should be shown in both venues. I am delighted that audiences across the country will get the chance to see the work of one of Scotland’s most distinguished artists.”

The exhibition has been accompanied by a series of educational events for children and adults including a three day workshop based in Heatherybraes, the artist’s former home and studio just outside Stromness.

The Year of Scotland’s Islands initiative aims to raise the profile of the islands across the UK and internationally, attract more visitors, bolster economic development and strengthen links between the islands and mainland cultural organisations. The programme, which includes over 100 events across 42 islands, will showcase the music, arts, food, sport and history of the islands, as well as highlight their unique beauty as visitor destinations.

The Scotland’s Islands initiative has been developed through a partnership of the six local authorities with island communities – Argyll and Bute, Highland, North Ayrshire, Orkney, Shetland and Comhairle nan Eilean Siar. Other supporters who have contributed to the funding the programme include Highlands & Islands Enterprise, EventScotland, European Regional Development Fund, VisitScotland and Awards for All.

For further information on the Scotland’s Islands initiative visit: www.scotlandsislands.com

The Pier Arts Centre
Victoria Street
Stromness
KW16 3AA
Tel: 01856 850 209
Web: www.pierartscentre.com

Source: The Pier Arts Centre