Gallery News
News Items 1 to 10 of 70
Sat 22nd May 2010
Local Artist Draws a Crowd
The latest exhibition in the Gallery, Happyhills previewed on Friday 21st May, 2010.
West Kilbride resident Euan McGregor finds constant artistic inspiration in landscape, and the fruits of that passion are evident in the work on show. Graduating from the Glasgow school of art in 1998, He has since exhibited in Scotland, London and Barcelona.
He was the recipient of three awards from the Royal Glasgow Institute over consecutive years and continues to exhibit his own work as well as teaching art and design in secondary school. His influences include the St Ives School in Cornwall and Ivon Hitchens.
Euan has lived in the village for six years, where he and his wife Emily and young family are very settled. Continually finding new and varied inspiration for his paintings within West Kilbride and its surrounding area, Euan says
“The village ramps up above the shore in these paintings with a sense of depth and height. Whether layering up of washes amidst strong geometric shape or scraping back of colour to reveal layers underneath, I hope to capture the extraordinary light and variety in the North Ayrshire landscape. Wide-open seascapes and windswept trees are juxtaposed with a diversity of close packed buildings”.
Euan’s paintings will be on display alongside a range of contemporary craft until the 26th June, Tuesday till Saturday, 10 am until 4 pm.
The Gallery is staffed by volunteers from the local community and, whilst we make every effort to ensure we keep to our advertised opening hours, we do recommend you call before traveling any distance.
Please see our Gallery page for images of Euan's work
Mon 3rd May 2010
Barony Centre SIte Visit - Nicola Sturgeon, Deputy FIrst Minister
With the scaffolding up around the Barony and work already begun to remove the slates from the roof, Kenneth Gibson MSP made a return visit to West Kilbride on Monday, having supported the development plans and visited the Craft Town with the then Minister of Culture, Michael Russell, MSP and again with Alex Neil, Minister for Housing & Communities in 2009.
Kenneth was accompanied by his wife Patricia Gibson, Westminister election SNP candidate and Niclola Surgeon, MSP Minster for Health & Wellbeing and Deputy First Minister. They enjoyed visiting Lorna Reid’s “Chookiebirdie” craft studio and the Initiative Centre – in fact Nicola’s mum has exhibited at the WKCIL Christmas Craft Fair for several years! After seeing the Barony and the detailed plans, both thought the centre will be a fantastic asset and look forward to visiting in 2011.
Photograph: David Pilkington, Barony Site Manager; Maggie Broadley, Craft Development Manager and CTS/Barony fundraiser; Nicola Sturgeon, MSP, Minister for Health & Wellbeing, Deputy First Minister; Kenneth Gibson MSP; Patricia Gibson, Westminister election SNP candidate.
Fri 30th April 2010
Barony Centre SIte Visit - Katy Clark, Labour Westminister candidate
Katy Clark, Westminister election Labour Party Candidate, had been unable to attend the recent Public meeting due to a previous official engagement but was keen to come back and catch up on progress after stating her support during a visit last summer, not long after having returned to work after the birth of her baby.
Katy visited the Barony on Friday and was impressed with the scale of the project and congratulated everyone involved, both recently and in the past, for their perseverence and success in turning the town’s fortunes around.
Photograph: Ronnie Bell WKCIL Treasurer and Maggie Broadley, Craft Development Manager and CTS/Barony fundraiser introduced Katy to David Pilkington, Barony Site Manager who explained how the re-roofing was being approached.
Mon 19th April 2010
We're Off!
After the many years of planning and the honing of proposals, the community's Barony dream is becoming a reality with the official start on-site of Stewart & Shields building Contractors.
Cranes have 'swung' into action, with containers which will house the site office and accommodation for the builders and trades hoisted over the Barony railings and set down in position, with proceedings overseen by David Pikington, Barony Site Manager. Scaffolding now surrounds the building, put up in jig time by Ayrshire based Dalriada Scaffolding, established in 1975, the firm currently employ 30 staff, all scaffolders holding CITB qualifications to advanced levels.
The Enabling Works contract includes the stripping out of all internal lathe and plaster and the removal of the existing balcony. As is common with a building of this age and stage, rotworks will be carried out by Wise Propery Care and the external stonework will be repaired by skilled Ayrshire based Stonemason D. Craig. A major element at this stage of the development will be the repair of the roof structure and the replacement of all slates. This will not only make the building wind and watertight for the Main Works construction but, in combination with the rest of the enabling works, it will also ensure the building's structural integrity well into the next century.
Fri 16th April 2010
Barony Centre Pre-start Public Meeting
Directors and committee members of WKCIL were delighted with the response from those attending the Public Meeting held at WK Village Hall on the 15th April, which attracted an audience of over 70 people from the Village and surrounding districts.
The event was chaired by Angus Kerr, Barony Project Team leader and recently retired architect and Director of one of the country’s leading architects BDP, who introduced himself as the client representative during the Barony construction period. Angus highlighted the unique nature of West Kilbride town centre and the prominent position of the Barony within it.
Maggie Broadley, Craft Development Manager and CTS/Barony fundraiser, then outlined the development of the Craft Town and the central role the Barony Centre will play once it is completed, emphasising the fact that the existing craft studios will still operate alongside the dynamic new centre. The Barony will host visiting exhibitions and have a range of additional visiting crafters throughout the year to lead classes for beginners right up to masterclasses for established professionals.
Kevin Cooper, local resident, architect and award winning Director of the Glasgow office of Archial Architects Limited, delivered a detailed presentation of the architectural plans and building designs. He stressed his delight in winning the Lead Consultants contract and his belief that the completed building will be an exciting light filled spaced which will benefit the town and its people well into the future.
John Nicholson of Archial Architects joined the rest of the team and Stewart & Shields, who have been awarded the enabling works contract, were represented by James and Mark Shields, Directors; and David Pilkington, Barony Site Manager. The presentation concluded with the audience being given the opportunity to ask questions directly.
The event was finished with an informal cheese and wine, where discussions continued – feedback from the audience was overwhelmingly positive with a real sense of enthusiasm and admiration for what has been achieved by WKCIL and the Craft Town in succeeding to attract funding for the project.
Tue 23rd March 2010
Barony Centre Update - Enabling Works Contractor Appointed
After a thorough tendering process and face to face interviews, the Barony Project Team is delighted to announce that the Barony Centre Enabling works contract has been awarded to Stewart & Shields.Stewart & Shields is a well-established builder, based in Helensburgh and operational across the West and Central area of Scotland. They provide a full range of building services on projects from small works at £10k up to £5m, covering new-build, refurbishment, conversion and modernisation together with single/multi-trade works.
A total commitment to continuous improvement over more than 30 years has resulted in a series of awards for their contracts – from RIBA Commendations to Saltire Awards and more. Such recognition is very much a reflection of the quality and excellent service provide by their team.“Historic and Listed Building/Conservation works are a sector of major interest now. With a particularly capable trades team, our focus on traditional values and a real attention to detail have given us an excellent track record in this field. We are able to deliver first-class service here and welcome the opportunity to work on this exciting community driven development”.
Mon 25th January 2010
Barony Centre 2010
The Barony Project Team rounded off the last year’s activities by selecting the Lead Consultant who will be responsible for completing the detailed design and project managing the construction phase of the Barony Centre. A short list of six extremely strong candidates was interviewed mid-December and WKCIL is delighted to have secured the services of Kevin Cooper, Director of the Glasgow office of Archial Architects, and his talented and experienced team.
Barony Project Team Leader Angus Kerr, local resident and recently retired Director of BDP, one of this country’s highly respected architectural practices, said “Kevin is a Director in the Glasgow Office of one of the largest group of Architects in the UK. He has specialised for many years in the design of Community projects - in particular Education buildings - which have won several awards. This year his Office was recognised by winning the Scottish 'Oscar' for Architecture, the RIAS Andrew Doolan Award - worth £25,000. Kevin lives with his wife Cathy in West Kilbride in a house that they jointly designed and which won a coveted Saltire Society Award...will his next Award be for the completed Barony Project - we confidently expect so!”
Kevin and his colleagues have already begun work on the detailed design scheme, with refinements to the plans already creating a buzz of excitement within the Barony Project Team. Kevin’s enthusiasm for the project and commitment to the village is clear in his reaction to the practice’s selection, “Archial Architects are delighted to be involved in this interesting and innovative project. We are confident that the project will become a real catalyst for the further development of West Kilbride as an innovative centre for craft in Scotland. We are enjoying working with a creative and inspiring project team, and we sincerely hope that our developing design will reflect this creative collaboration in a genuinely exciting and stimulating project, ultimately resulting in a revitalised building that is of great benefit to the entire community”
WKCIL is sensitive to the role the building has played as a church and burial ground over centuries and Headland Archaeology (UK) Ltd, who have significant expertise in working on Church sites, have been commissioned to survey the area and record the information for future historians and local residents.
Wed 13th January 2010
Craft Town Scotland Features on Newsnight Scotland
West Kilbride's role as Craft Town Scotland was once again highlighted on national television. Maggie Broadley, Craft Development Manager, was interviewed by Ian Hamilton for Newsnight Scotland as part of his investigation into the current status of the Scottish craft sector. The programme focused on four people representative of those organisations and individuals working to safeguard craft skills and also active in the promotion of Scottish craft, both at home and internationally.
Ian also interviewed Michael McManus, a craft worker who describes himself as working with wood in a sculptural way; Richard Green, Mananging Director of 3D/2D, an organisation which selects, presents and promotes a national programme of quality craft fairs; and Emma Walker, Chief Executive of Craftscotland and responisble for developing and delivering the highly influential The C Word campaign. (Featured on our Newspage last Autumn )
The feature is available on the BBC iPlayer until 21st January 2010 (UK only).
The Crafts item is 12 mins into the programme.
Fri 13th November 2009
Lucky Friday 13th for Community Craft Initiative
West Kilbride Community Initiative has secured a significant investment of £431,729 from the Town Centre Regeneration Fund (TCRF), a Scottish Executive scheme to revitalise town centres.
The bid, submitted by Maggie Broadley Craft Development Manager at the end of August, was made up of three separate elements; the development of The Barony Centre; the replacement of the WK Village Hall heating system; and the purchase and upgrade the WK Initiative Centre. The Barony Centre, once operational, will attract over 20,000 visitors a year, with the increase in footfall and visitor spend having a beneficial effect throughout the town’s retail and service businesses.
Eddie Wood, Chairperson of WKCIL, was delighted to welcome Alex Neil, Scottish Minister for Housing and Communities, who came to West Kilbride on Friday morning to make the announcement.
“I’d like to thank the Minister for coming to Ayrshire, we were all delighted that he took time from what is a very busy schedule to meet with us. Alex Neil was really interested in what the community has planned for the future and congratulated us on our success, saying ours was an extremely good project”
Accompanied by Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, the Minister met with Eddie Wood, Maggie Broadley, and Angus Kerr, member of the Barony Project Team, at The Gallery for a brief introduction to the background of the Initiative and the development of the Craft Town.
Joined by Councillor David O’Neill, Leader of North Ayrshire Council and Justina Murray, who endorsed the WKCIL bid on behalf of North Ayrshire Community Planning Partnership, everyone then visited the old Barony Church to see the redevelopment plans ‘on site’.
Maggie Broadley called Margaret Park, Chairperson of the WK Village Hall Users Group to deliver the good news. Well known for her dedication to improving the hall, Margaret took a little convincing that the call was not a dream! “This is a tremendous boost, Village Halls are difficult to find funding for and the committee have been looking to replace the original heating system, which is inefficient and expensive to run. The new heating system will significantly reduce our carbon footprint and the running costs of the building”
Eddie Wood would like to take the opportunity to thank Kenneth Gibson MSP for his ongoing support for the Initiative, his enthusiasm has been very much appreciated.
Hot on the heels of the announcement of the Big Lottery Fund award, this takes financial investment secured for the village in the last month alone to £1,337,883.
Maggie Broadley said “To have the endorsement of both the Big Lottery Fund and the Town Centre Regeneration Fund award is a real testament to the dedication and innovation displayed by local people over the years. The TCRF bids were assessed by an Independent Advisory Panel - Mr Alan Wilson, for many years the Chief Executive of the Scottish Council for Development and Industry, Ms Liz Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Chambers of Commerce, and Mr Rory Mair, Chief Executive of COSLA. We are extremely proud of the fact that ours was selected in the face of what has been described as “ferocious competition” from across Scotland”.
(Kenenth GIbson MSP, Maggie Broadley and Housing and Communities Minister Alex Neil, who announced WKCIL's success earlier today)
Fri 13th November 2009
West Kilbride Secures Town Centre Regeneration Funding
Local MSP Kenneth Gibson expressed his delight at the award of £431,720 from the second £20 million tranche of funding from the Scottish Government’s £60 million Town Centre Regeneration Fund.
Earlier this year £40 million was allocated, including £397,678 awarded to Cumbrae Community Development Company, to help transform town centre high streets and create jobs. Overall, the Fund supports nearly 1,000 jobs across Scotland.
The money secured for West Kilbride amounts to £296,290 for the redevelopment of the old Barony Church, £103,491 for West Kilbride Village Hall and £31,958 for the purchase and upgrade of a property to assist its continuing development as a Craft Town.
Mr Gibson said:
“This is tremendous news for West Kilbride and will help create a more attractive town centre for local residents and visitors.
“The Barony Church is owned by West Kilbride Community Initiative Limited (WKCIL) who will re-develop the building to create a craft exhibition venue, retail outlet, workshop spaces, café and preserve a C listed building.
“There is a determination to employ people from North Ayrshire wherever possible and extensive research has shown that these projects will more than double the number of visitors to the town, attracting additional retail and service businesses and creating and sustaining jobs.”
Making the announcement in WK, Communities Minister Alex Neil MSP said:
"It's vital we support innovative public and private sector companies and community groups to move forward with ideas that will support local jobs, businesses and families so that we come out of this recession in the strongest possible position. This is a fantastic initiative and one the Scottish Government is very pleased to support.”
(Kenneth Gibson MSP and Michael Russell Scottish Minister for Culture, External Affairs and the Constitution discuss the Barony Plans on a recent visit to West Kilbride. Image by Stuart Nimmo, Photographer.)