Pupils to open ‘Snap’ photo gallery in balfron
Pupils at Balfron Primary School have been supported to photograph their local landscape and create their own gallery exhibition, which will open to the community and public this Sunday (12 December).
The primary 5 pupils have been working with professional artist Natalie Feather, who was funded through the Visual Arts and Makers Awards to develop the project.
Natalie explains:
“I am a photographic artist based in Scotland using old analogue photographic processes for community engagement. I have been working on a photographic project which celebrates the landscape we are surrounded by in the village of Balfron.
“The project began with the budding photographers creating a series of images they made along the river Endrick.
“The class then spent two days working in a local gallery space, hand tinting images and then working together as a group to decide how the images should be displayed in a real -life gallery setting.
“This gave the children an insight into photography and its processes and an idea of what it's like to put on an exhibition for the public. Children spent time hand tinting individual black and white images, all of which depict plant life found in the local area, highlighting how much nature is around us.”
The exhibition will go on display on Sunday 12th December 11am- 2pm at 151 Buchanan Street, Balfron, G63 OTE.
Natalie Feather has worked on a number of public art commissions for the NHS and has permanent pieces included on the Palliative Care Ward of East Lothians Community Hospital, as well as having work held in NHS and RSA permanent collections.
Her practice, sees her using medium and large format cameras to make work which is slow and methodical. The real and the imagined landscape experience are a continuing theme throughout her practice.
A huge part of her work is community engagement, teaching black and white photography using a mobile photographic darkroom to bring the magic of photography to communities across the country.
About the Visual Artist and Craft Maker Award
The project has been made possible with the financial assistance of Visual Arts and Craft Makers Awards - Forth Valley and West Lothian.
Visual Artist and Craft Maker Award (VACMA) offers small grants to visual artists and craft makers for their creative development at all stages of their career. These awards are supported by Creative Scotland through funding from the National Lottery in partnership with Stirling Council.
