Charity turns birthday into a real work of art
Poster will be displayed in Paisley High Street shop
17.04.2018 A Paisley charity shop has been transformed into an art gallery.
Shelter Scotland’s High Street Paisley window display carries a striking artwork created by young designers from The Glasgow School of Art.
It is part of a unique creative partnership to mark the housing and homelessness charity’s 50th anniversary.
Third- year Communication Design students Claire McNally, 28, and 26- year- old Andrew Johnston’s design is in the shape of a noticeboard which displays household bills, receipts, arrears letters and summary warrants.
The aim is to depict the stark reality of many people’s struggle to keep a roof over their heads and their fight to keep their home in the face of eviction.
It also asks the question ‘Heading Home?’ and then points out the fact that 3,426 families in Scotland do not have that luxury.
Claire and Andrew said: “Our design is intended to overwhelm the viewer by layering a variety of real financial expenses as a way to represent a common reality that many face and how this struggle can contribute to homelessness.”
The noticeboard – which will be displayed for the next year – is part of a series of activities the GSA has undertaken to help Shelter Scotland mark its 50th anniversary and will be in all the charity’s 37 shops.
The GSA students have already unveiled the charity’s logo to mark the milestone and is also running a photography project that will result in a major exhibition later in the year.
Professor Toms Inns, director of The Glasgow School of Art, said: “Working on this project has been an important opportunity for our students offering the chance to learn more about how to apply their creativity to a live brief.
“We hope that their thoughtprovoking designs for Shelter Scotland’s shop windows will help to raise awareness of continuing issues around bad housing and homelessness, and be a call to action for people to support the charity’s important work in its 50th anniversary year.”
Graeme Brown, Director of Shelter Scotland, said the design in the shape of a noticeboard depicts all too clearly the struggles faced by many families and individuals in Scotland to make ends meet and keep a roof over their heads.
“It is a thought- provoking representation of people’s daily struggle to avoid homelessness and I congratulate the young designers on their concept and realisation,” he added.
“I encourage local people to visit the shops and take in the messages this excellent work conveys. I thank the students and the GSA for their support in marking our 50th year.”
Graeme Brown added: “This is our 50th anniverary, but we’re not celebrating. We shouldn’t even exist. We’ll keep fighting until there’s a home for everyone in Scotland.”