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Dumfries in Concertina

In September 2024, as part of our Conversing Building project, we invited artist and Stove member Emily Tough to create an artist’s book celebrating moments of everyday life. Read Emily’s account of the project below.

The Stove Network’s Conversing Building is an ongoing project, supporting creative dialogues whilst activating spaces in and around The Stove building on Dumfries High Street. 

My response was quite a literal one, to involve and document the surrounding shops, shop keepers, people, and everyday moments. These drawings were taken on site, mostly throughout July and August ‘24, to start building up an illustrative impression of our high street. I think it’s important that we consider ourselves as part of a whole, and it’s all these people and interactions which make up a town centre. 

In my opinion, it’s the shop keepers who are the custodians of the place. Who generate the want for people to come into the town, who manage the upkeep of the buildings, and who also create their own communities. Keeping an eye on their regulars through the ‘how are you?’(s) which are given over the counter. 

I’ve had such a wonderful time getting to know people and the town centre through these drawings. Really enjoying the little moments, such as Eddy helping his friend go to the bank several times in a row. Or watching Leah at Flourish discuss community asset transfer with a visitor from Aberdeen. 

I’ve really appreciated the opportunity to show work in such a busy, used space, as is the Stove Cafe. I’ve had a lot of people this past month tell me they’ve seen and enjoyed my work. It’s been useful to have a friend who works in the cafe, who also features in the publication, as she’s given me little updates on the interactions people have had with it. 

I’ve had a few people ask me for postcards of some of these Dumfries views. It’s something I’ll look into, and hopefully have the chance to go out with my sketch book and record more of our town. 

I hope people have enjoyed seeing themselves, or people and places they know, in these drawings. 

Thank you to Katie Anderson at The Stove Network for this wonderful commission & to the kind people who let me draw them. 

Written by Emily Tough (@weagreeoneggs)

Conversing Building is an ongoing project, supporting creative dialogues whilst activating spaces in and around The Stove building on Dumfries High Street. Conversing Building began in 2017 and is supported by The Stove’s Public Art lead. The project invites local groups, artists, and collectives to share displays, exhibitions, activities, and interactive artworks within the Stove’s public spaces – including The Stove Cafe, stairwells, and exterior walls and spaces.

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