Moray artist set to feature in new Visual Arts Scotland Centenary Celebration
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On a winter’s eve in Edinburgh, 1924, Visual Arts Scotland (VAS) held their first-ever meeting, becoming early pioneers of inclusivity within Scotland’s artistic landscape.
One-hundred years later, the organisation has grown into a leading platform for national and international artists and now celebrates its centenary with a year packed full of opportunities for its members including Toni Harrower who is based in Moray along with Kate Steenhauer and Catherine Imhof-Cardinal from Aberdeen.
To kick off 2024’s celebrations, VAS are holding their biggest-ever exhibition at the Royal Scottish Academy in Edinburgh, showcasing work from the finest contemporary artists across Scotland and beyond.
Then and Now: 100 Years of Visual Arts Scotland will showcase 242 artists and over 300 artworks, with art ranging from ceramics, paintings, mixed media, photography, sculpture, and a variety of contemporary art forms.
The exhibition runs from February 17 until March 13 launching a year of centenary celebrations for Visual Arts Scotland members.
Tavienne Bridgwater, VAS Co-President, said: “VAS has seen a lot of growth and change over the past 100 years. The organisation began as The Scottish Society of Women Artists in 1924 with the aim to empower women after their contribution to the war effort. VAS provided women with the opportunity to exhibit and create applied arts, an opportunity other arts organisations in Scotland did not encourage until later in the century. In the early 90s, the organisation’s name changed to Scottish Artists and Artist Craftsmen to embrace the high-quality experimental crafts taking place. Today, the organisation is known as Visual Arts Scotland and boasts a membership of over 1,000 artists across Scotland and beyond, its sole purpose to promote and provide opportunities for artists with an association to Scotland.
"As we enter our 100th year, we want to reflect on our deep history, but also provide as many opportunities for our current membership as possible. 2024 will be packed full of exciting opportunities with a TATHA Gallery exhibition in Fife, a partnership exhibition with Scottish Ornithologists’ Club (SOC) in Aberlady, participation at the Borders Art Fair, and an exhibition and maker’s market at Dalkeith Palace. We will also be facilitating a number of artist residency opportunities throughout Scotland and the UK and our online platforms will continue to provide an important space for networking and the sharing of ideas, artwork, and dialogue.”
Christina McKelvie, Minister for Culture, Europe and International Development, said: "The Scottish Government would like to congratulate Visual Arts Scotland on achieving a century of creativity and for playing such a pioneering role in the development of women earning recognition in creative arts. Founded as the Scottish Society of Women Artists in 1924, VAS led the way by providing women with a much-needed platform to showcase their artistic skills in Scotland. Visual Arts Scotland continues to give an important voice to the artists, practitioners, and craftsmen, who are crucial in shaping Scotland’s world-leading artistic output. We look forward to celebrating the creativity produced during VAS’s Centenary Show in 2024.
The VAS Centenary Show will also have an exhibit of small works (30cm x 30cm) by society members, allowing every member of VAS to have their work included in the exhibition. These small works provide a varied selection of art for sale at affordable prices.
