ROOMS WITH A VIEW CONTINUED
P H O T O :
R U T H C L A R K
COMAR
PIER ARTS CENTRE AN LANNTAIR
PEACOCK VISUAL HOSPITALFIELD
TOBERMORY Comar, meaning ‘conl uence’ in Gaelic, is a vibrant multi-arts organisation perched on a hill overlooking the picturesque Tobermory Bay on Mull. Established in 2013 following the merger of An Tobar and Mull Theatre, it’s gone on to show a knock- out programme of contemporary art curated by Mike Darling. Previous exhibitions include Graham Fagen’s Slave’s Lament, originally commissioned for the Venice Biennale, while last year it hosted Sam Ainsley’s i rst solo exhibition in Scotland for 30 years. The gallery’s spring exhibition will show the work of multi-disciplinary artist Vivian Ross-Smith, whose grandfather hailed from Mull. Comar, An Tobar Gallery, An Tobar, Tobermory, Mull | Open Oct–Apr: Tue–Sat 11am– 4pm; May–Sep: Mon–Sat 10am–5pm | comar.co.uk STROMNESS Pier Arts Centre was set up in 1979, after the author Margaret Gardiner donated her impressive collection of 20th century British art to the people of Orkney, a place she often visited on retreat from London. The 67 works in Gardiner’s collection are a treasure trove of British Modernism and include works by the likes of Barbara Hepworth, Ben Nicholson and Orcadian artists Margaret Tait and Stanley Cursiter. Following Gardiner’s request that the collection would continue to grow, well over 100 further works have been acquired by the centre since; including key pieces by Sean Scully, Eva Rothschild, Martin Boyce and Olafur Eliasson. The full permanent collection will be on display until the end of the year, alongside an equally marvellous programme of temporary exhibitions. Pier Arts Centre, Victoria Street, Stromness, Orkney | Open Jun–Sep: Mon–Sat 10.30am–5pm; Oct–May: Tue–Sat 10.30am–5pm | pierartscentre.com
ARTS ABERDEEN Peacock Visual Arts is a dynamic arts space in Aberdeen city centre, with printmaking and digital production facilities and a gallery space all under one roof. Opened in 1974, it has supported generations of artists in the city, and doesn’t shy away from getting involved in the wider conversations happening there. It recently hosted a series of critical conversations asking ‘what comes after oil?’, encouraging thinking about energy transition in north-east Scotland and the impact this will have on the city’s future. Peacock Visual Arts, Castle Street, Aberdeen | Open Tue–Sat 9.30am–5.30pm | peacockvisualarts.com
STORNOWAY An Lanntair is a fascinating multi-arts space in the Outer Hebrides. Like so many of the cultural venues located outside the central belt of Scotland, the uniqueness of the centre’s location is a huge inl uence on the visual arts programme. An Lanntair’s spring show, for example, rel ects on the connections of the island to its Nordic neighbours, through the photography exhibition 10 from the North | 10 bho Tuath. The exhibition includes images by Norwegian photographer Andrea Gjestvang of women living on the Faroe Islands as well as Scottish documentary photographer Sophie Gerrard’s Drawn to the Land series, which captures women involved in farming. An Lanntair, Kenneth Street, Stornoway, Isle of Lewis | Open Mon– Wed 10am–9pm, Thu–Sat 10am–late | lanntair.com
ARBROATH Hospitali eld is a stunning 19th-century arts and crafts house in Arbroath, whose owners at that time, Patrick Allan and Elizabeth Fraser, were keen supporters of the arts. The house’s Picture Gallery is one of Scotland’s most important Victorian rooms and was built to hang an impressive collection of 19th-century art. In 1902, at the owners’ bequest, Hospitali eld opened as a residential art school, making a huge impact on the development of Scottish Modernism: James Cowie, Robert Colquhoun, Robert MacBryde and Joan Eardley all made work here. The legacy continues today: in recent years the likes of Hardeep Pandhal, Urara Tsuchiya and Sarah Rose have also spent time here. Hospitali eld regularly run events for curious visitors, including heritage tours and ‘meanders’ around the house and grounds. Hospitali eld House, Arbroath, Angus | See hospitali eld.org.uk for opening times of heritage tours, walled gardens and café
1 Apr–31 May 2018 THE LIST 115