Artistic pro ect fuels the imagination
AN ABAN NE oil refinery was revamped last Friday as part of an exhibition celebrating Argyll’s artistry and heritage.
Refueling the Crinan Corridor exhibition was on show at the former Gleaner oil depot, once an important business in the heart of Ardrishaig, which opened its gates after years of disuse to display plans and artwork produced as a result of input from the community.
Design workshops primarily targeted at children were carried out in April by Scottish Canals and Artmap Argyll, to draw inspiration for the future designs of Lochgilphead, Ardrishaig and the Crinan Canal.
Previously, a charrette project, in which 200 people took part, saw members of the public asked, ‘What would you want your area to look like?’
Inside the yard, a visual representation of the canal was marked in blue paint covering vast stretches underfoot, while images uniquely associated to the canal and its banks were colourfully splashed onto old oil containers, and a timeline dating back to the 18th century stretched along the walls within the refinery.
‘Postcards sent from your future self’- an initiative to get children thinking about changes they would like to see in their area - had primary school kids sending postcards from a decade into the future to their current selves, describing how their community will look in 10 years’ time.
Josie Saunders, Scottish Canals spokesperson and a project organiser, said: ‘There was a wide range of feedback, from the funny to the inspiring and everywhere in between.
‘But that is what it is all about, asking pupils to get involved and help design the future of their area. We have embraced all of the feedback we have received.’
The exhibition was one of some 50 outdoor, indoor, shop and studio-based exhibitions on show across Mid Argyll and into Kintyre last weekend, as part of Artmap Argyll.