spectrumSUMMER 2017

“Accord” Owen Normand Sold at Charity Auction A Syrian Kurd, Nihad was jailed for refusing to join the Syrian army, and was arrested several times for opposing the regime. He eventually fled the country, with his wife and baby daughter. Nihad found his way to School of Art where he had use of studio space to start making art again. The School has been supporting him as he begins to rebuild his career as an artist. Nihad’s contribution of three works to the auction was his way of saying thank you.

The School’s thanks go to Lyon & THE FUNDRAISING AUCTION Turnbull, Auctioneers, for hosting the event and generously waiving On Friday, 24 March, Leith The auction was a great success. their fees, for their patient advice School of Art ventured into new We took £39,000 on the in the run up to the event, and fundraising territory, with an night. After artists’ shares were for their help on the night. We auction of artists’ work. deducted and other expenses would like to thank all the artists covered, a net total of £27,200 who participated, and also the We gathered work by more than was achieved, to go towards the purchasers. The auction was 50 artists: tutors past and present, School’s charitable activities. The a combined effort, with many alumni, and other contemporary benefits of the event were more people playing their part. It was artists who wished to support the than just financial. We introduced the first event of its kind that the School. We sent out invitations to the School to a new audience School has held – but surely not our known and loyal supporters, of art-lovers and art-buyers in the last! and to others far and wide. and beyond.

We gave potential purchasers a One artist who participated in chance to view the work and bid the auction was Nihad Al Turk. online a few days in advance. Nihad is a Syrian refugee from We hung the work at Lyon & Aleppo, who came to Turnbull, Auctioneers, the day on the first official refugee flight before the event. in 2015. He was a respected artist in Syria, having won the We turned up on the evening, coveted international “Golden poured Prosecco, and then Prize” at the Latakia Biennale, watched the evening unfold. as well as having exhibited in Dubai, London and New York. HIDDEN DOOR Hidden Door, Edinburgh’s pop- up festival for new and emerging talent in the arts, transforms a different unusual space each spring. This year, Hidden Door will appear in the impressive, but derelict, Leith Theatre, just behind Leith School of Art. The beautiful 1930’s art deco building has not been used for over 25 years.

The festival will bring the venue to life for ten days and nights, 26 May - 4 June. Not only will the PRIZE-WINNING main auditorium be turned into a fully functioning live music venue, SELF-PORTRAIT cinema and theatre, but every A self-portrait by Painting nook and cranny will be filled INTRODUCING: Course student Frith Angell with visual art projects. Hidden has been selected for the Door’s Creative Director is Leith School of Art’s very own David BEN DAVIES- prestigious Ruth Borchard Self- Martin, Foundation Course Portrait Exhibition 2017. The JENKINS Leader. Several of the School’s exhibition showcases the very Ben Davies-Jenkins has joined the alumni and current tutors and best of contemporary self- School to teach the Wednesday students are taking part. portraiture, featuring 120 works evening class: Drawing and by British and Irish amateur The Hidden Door festival is free Painting the Figure. and professional artists, with to explore from 12.00 – 6.00pm, the chance for their work to be but will truly come to life in the “I moved to Edinburgh from purchased for the Ruth Borchard evenings, with live music, theatre Cardiff in 1997 to study for an Next Generation Collection. and spoken word performances, MA in Fine Art at Edinburgh with a single ticket entry. College of Art, and have The exhibition runs until 22 been here ever since. Since September, at the Piano Nobile See www.hiddendoorblog.org graduating, I have exhibited my Kings Place Gallery in Kings for full programme details and figurative paintings regularly Cross, London. tickets. across Scotland and the rest of the UK, as well as working on portrait commissions. I gained a PGDE in Secondary Art and Design in 2008 and have taught at Dunbar Grammar School for the past eight years. I live in Leith with my wife, son and daughter.

I am delighted to be taking on my new role as tutor for Drawing and Painting the Figure, and look forward to sharing my enthusiasm for the practice and appreciation of drawing and “Leith Theatre” Kristina Chan painting with my students.” IF YOU THINK CONTEMPORARY ART IS NOT FOR YOU...... THINK AGAIN!

Step into the studio and you will enter a space of activity, colour, sound, and earthy, oozing, shimmering materials....

The Contemporary Art Practice Course at Leith School of Art is a dynamic and life-changing “As an artist and art teacher, I a new understanding of why I am experience for people of all saw CAP as the ideal opportunity making the artistic choices I am. ages, interests and backgrounds. for Continuing Professional My eyes have been opened to a Past and current students include: Development – introducing me to completely new way of creating.” professional artists who want new people, a wide canopy of Rebecca McLean to refresh their practice, recent contemporary art, and exciting graduates (not only of art) using materials and processes. The “The CAP course has given me CAP as a stepping stone for post- course has met every expectation: new insights into contemporary graduate studies, art teachers outstanding lectures, mentoring art issues and is helping me to seeking new approaches and technical support, as well develop an individual direction and skills, nurses, carers, as interaction with an eclectic in my work. Leith School of Art anthropologists, ceramicists, group of people. The course has provides a warm welcoming scientists, advocates, mums, encouraged personal research environment in which to present dads, retirees and school and has challenged and ideas, socialise and delve into leavers, all needing direction developed my creative practice the thoughts of others. Having the and confidence to pursue their to embrace ambient intervention, opportunity to exhibit continues creativity. This is what makes CAP light and film work. The CAP this dialogue”. so special: the diversity of folk course has had a considerable Anthony McKale seeking new ways of expression. impact on my practice as an art teacher.” Course details can be found on Sarah Knox the School website.

“I joined CAP as I wasn’t sure of my next step in the creative world. I had not long finished a Diploma in Illustration and was beginning my freelancing career. Feeling a little restricted by the “rules” that Illustration comes with, I came to CAP aiming to discover new techniques, and to further my understanding of contemporary art. Both of those aims were met very soon into the course. CAP has given me the opportunity to work with a wide range of new materials and processes, the support of fantastic mentors, and TUTORS’ NEWS CORRIDOR

Alistair Gordon has recently held an EXHIBITION exhibition in the Ahmanson Gallery in Los Angeles, “Souvenirs from the Our next Corridor Exhibition is Waste Land”, featuring eighteen new “a.be.ce.dar.i.an”, paintings created especially for the by Catherine Sargeant show in response to the Ahmanson Collection extensive postcards Marking 10 years since graduation archive. He has also contributed from , to a group exhibition of prints with Catherine continues to explore Southwind Projects in New York. ongoing themes that include text, poetry and quotations. Recent Alistair has also just published “God developments include her work with Art”, reflections on the discussion altered prints and erasure poetry. TERM DATES between faith and art. Catherine’s work is known for FOR 2017/18 Rachel McBrinn has new work engendering viewer engagement in “Summa”, an exhibition of from people of all ages and recent Royal Scottish Academy backgrounds. Previous exhibitions “Residencies for Scotland” artists, at with Hidden Door and the Scottish TERM 1 the RSA on The Mound until 2 July. Society of Artists, along with open Monday, 4 September – studio events, have allowed her Saturday, 16 December Jo Pudelko is participating in the to create ongoing artist books 2017 Forth Valley Open Studios, opening of viewers’ responses, and these to the public her brand new studio responses often feed into future Half Term: and teaching space in Anderson works. During this exhibition the 16 – 21 October 2017 Street, Dunblane, from 10 – 18 June. viewer will be offered a chance to submit an erasure poem (from Exhibition week: Dr Andrew Paterson has been a given text), to be included in an 11 - 16 December 2017 awarded his doctorate by the expanding artist book. University of Edinburgh, for which he began studying in 2009. His thesis The exhibition will be held at Leith is titled “The Earliest Christian Icons School of Art, North Junction Street TERM 2 in the Collection of the Monastery Campus, 10 July - 18 August. The Monday, 8 January – of St Catherine, Sinai, and their Private View will be on Friday, 14 Saturday, 31 March 2018 Possible Sources.” July, 6.00 – 8.00pm. Catherine is NO HALF TERM holding an event titled ‘Alphabet Andrew says “The research and Soup’, involving an artist’s talk and writing was a totally absorbing live music from Tom Houston, on creative process, maddening at Saturday, 12 August, TERM 3 times, but ultimately very satisfying. 4.00 – 5.00pm. Monday, 16 April – This wasn’t a stepping stone to Saturday, 23 June 2018 anything else (except perhaps a ABOVE: “Spectral Colour” Detail NO HALF TERM book one day), so the best thing BELOW: “Miscspelt Art - Erasure” about finishing it, is being able to Exhibition week: pick up my painting again after a 18 - 24 June 2018 seven year gap.”

Alan McGowan has recently published “Unstill Life: Figure Paintings, Drawings and Writing”, Leith School of Art 25 North Junction Street a meditation on working in the Edinburgh life drawing studio. Through over EH6 6HW seventy paintings and drawings 0131 554 5761 and ten short written texts, Alan [email protected] explores what we can know of the Scottish Charity No. SC007456 world, what it means to look, to try Company Registration No. 111089 to understand and to try to paint.