Visit to the People's Palace

After the Hidden Gardens we headed over to the People's Palace, where we had an introductory talk by Rachel one of the Learning Assistants and a tour round the exhibition "Glasgow 1955:Through the Lens", showing photographs taken and exhibited by the various Camera Clubs in 1955. Then we had time to wonder round the different exhibits which included a reconstruction of a "single end", and a "Steamie', and items from the Sufferagette movement including a tea service, and some weapons used during a riot with police. All very thought provoking stuff !
We'd like to give a big thank you to Ian for driving the minibus and for getting the group back to Falkirk safely.

More Images from the Hidden Gardens

Thanks to Rachel for the slide show and her time !!! We had a great visit !

Village Voice Trip to the Hidden Gardens at Tramway, Glasgow

The Village Voice group made a visit to the Hidden Gardens at the Tramway in Glasgow, where Artist in Residence, Rachel Mimiec, gave a talk about her work and her residency at the Hidden Gardens over the last two years and then gave a tour round this unique and very beautiful place. We had a look inside Rachel's "Shedio" (part B & Q Shed, part studio) which she has customised to make a warm, comfortable yet compact and bijou workspace tucked away in a quiet part of the garden.

The gardens contain many interesting plants, trees (see the Ginko Biloba pictured) and raised beds containing herbs. There are also various artworks in the form of carved poetry rocks by Jerry Loose, inverted heels by Steve Skrynka and the Xylotech by Alex Finlay, son of Ian Hamilton Finlay. The Hidden Gardens are constantly evolving, changing with every season and its a place well worth a visit any time of the year.

Fool's Gold and The Sparky Show, NY

Images from 1. Fool's Gold publication, edited by Lucy Keany, with design by Tommy Grace, showing collage by Alex Hetherington and image and text from SF based Anne Colvin and 2. Stickers, by Alex Hetherington, from the Sparky show, New York, devised by performance artist Nelson Santos. Anyone wanting one of these editions, please contact me at alexander.hetherington@virgin.net

1000 Japanese cabin crew at SFO

Callendar Park photos

On Tuesday some of the Village Voice Group and I went out into Callendar Park to photograph different aspects of the park, favourite views, favourite trees etc. It was a lovely day and good to get out for some fresh air. We are going to use the photographs the group have taken to make a collaborative image for the front cover of the next edition of the Village Voice. If any readers of this blog have images of Callendar Park that they would like included in this collaborative image, they can email them to me at janie.nicoll@falkirk.gov.uk

After a trans Alantic email conversation, Alex and I have agreed on a title for our next exhibition at the Park Gallery "Garlands". This is taken from the first album by the Cocteau Twins, a band from Grangemouth active in the Eighties.

Clothes from the Porter Collection

A couple of weeks ago I spent a day at the Grangemouth Workshop looking through some of the boxes of clothes from the Porter Collection. A selection of these are about to go on show in the Large Gallery at Callendar House (opening on 28th June).

There are so many outfits and accessories, not to mention pairs of shoes that I only managed to photograph the tip of the iceberg, or so it would seem. Mrs Porter has donated over 300 outfits to the collection spanning several decades.
Here's some things that had a Jackie Onassis feel to them....

Falkirk interior/exterior

Falkirk interior/exterior

A day with Jane Lange at Falkirk, San Rafael

More soon. And thank you to Jane Lange for allowing me time to wander through the house...