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CHAIR REPORT TO SOCIETY OF CAITHNESS ARTISTS AGM 18/4/22

Ian Pearson

The last AGM of the Society was in 2019 when we were planning for our annual exhibition. This took pace successfully in Thurso High School. Unfortunately, the costs of rental increased significantly. Repeated requests for help to the Highland Council, HRH Duke of Rothesay, John Thurso, councils, and the Scottish Government via Nicola Sturgeon resulted in no help at all. In 2018 the costs of renting Thurso High School for the Society’s Annual exhibition were £920. In 2019 it was £1470 and the proposed costs for 2020 was £3000. Clearly an alternative venue had to be sought and after much investigation it was agreed to use the Thurso Campus of the UHI. The part of the campus known as ETEC. A deposit was paid, and plans finalised. Then Covid restrictions stopped everything!

Online exhibitions were organised due to the Covid restrictions. There had been three on-line exhibitions since the last meeting, the first was free to enter and this was the 2020 Annual exhibition. The total number of artists who had exhibited at the three on-line exhibitions were 202 and the total sales were one hundred.

15-20 Society artists had taken part in the Thurso Development Trust project to display paintings in shop windows in Thurso.

The Caithness Writers Group has approached the Society and this project is ongoing. It involves artist working with writers on a particular them.

Lyth Arts Centre had contacted the Society about displaying work to be viewed by those attending functions at the Centre. Experience was less that satisfactory so no further action by the Society was pursued at this stage.

The Society has launched a Newsletter emailed to all who signed up. Currently there are over 130 subscribers to the Newsletter A revamp of the Society’s website was undertaken. Big thanks to the team at Caithness Creative Design. “Artist of the month” was instigated and is currently ongoing.

In addition, communication between the Society and High Life Highland about future exhibitions have taken place. The lack of feedback from suggestions of artists willing to exhibit with HLH was extremely disappointing and deterred future discussions on the subject by the Society with HLH.

The dates and times of this year’s exhibition in ETEC, UHI, Thurso Campus are as follows:

Saturday 23rd July – Handing in Day between 10.00 and 14.00hrs.

Monday 25th July (18.00-20.00hrs) – The Opening Night rather than Preview Night as the Exhibition is open to the public. The College Principle has been invited to open the exhibition.

Tuesday 26th July to Friday 5th August – The Exhibition will be open from 15.00 – 20.00.hrs excluding Sunday.

Final details of arrangements will be agreed at the Society’s committee meeting in June.

Recently the Society has been involved with the Ukraine Fund appeal art sale at Castlehill. We acted as both a focal point and co-ordinator between several parties. This seems to be a useful advantage that the Society holds. Over the last two years the Society has offered advice on paintings of a doubtful provenance both with prices and identifying artists. In addition, we have been asked about recommendations for commissions.

I thank all committee members for their dedications and commitment during the last couple of years and to all artists throughout the County for their willingness to stay involved in the Society no matter what challenging situations have presented us. To me this is what teamwork is all about.

Ian 18/4/22