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Conversing Building X Stove Cafe: Braw Midwinter Exhibition

November 21 @ 9:00 am December 21 @ 3:30 pm

In the Braw Midwinter: Exhibition
Exhibition dates: 21st November – 21stDecember 2024

To close out the year, we have invited artists, makers, and creatives of all kinds from Dumfries & Galloway to showcase their work in our cosy Stove Cafe this festive season.

 From unique artworks and handcrafted items to festive cards, decorations, and creative twists on holiday traditions—we welcome it all to brighten the season while supporting local artists in the lead-up to the holidays.

Our Midwinter Exhibition will run from Thursday, 21st November to Saturday, 21st December, with pieces available for purchase during our regular cafe hours (Monday–Saturday, 9am–3pm).

Free
100 High Street
Dumfries, DG1 2BJ United Kingdom
01387 252435
View Venue Website
Accessibility Information 

Access to the Building:

  • Level Access is available at the rear of the building through the adjacent close located to the left-hand side of the Cafe (when facing the front of the building). 

Hearing Loop:

  • We have a hearing loop system installed in the café to support individuals using hearing aids or cochlear implants.

Personalised Assistance:

  • If you have any specific access needs, please let us know, and we’ll be happy to accommodate. You can reach Sal at [email protected] or call us at 01387 252435 to speak with a member of our team.

Additional Support Available:

  • Walk-throughs of the building can be arranged prior to your visit so you can familiarise yourself with the space.
  • Reserved Seating can be arranged to ensure comfort and accessibility; please let us know if you would like seating assigned before arrival.

We’re committed to making your experience as enjoyable and accessible as possible. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch with any questions or specific requirements.

Categories
News Opportunities

In the Braw Midwinter: Exhibition Open Call for Submissions

Exhibition dates: 21st November – 21st December 2024

We’re inviting artists, makers, and creatives of all kinds from Dumfries & Galloway to showcase your talent in our cosy Stove Café this festive season. Whether you’re a painter, printmaker, jeweller, or craftsperson—this is your chance to share (and sell!) your work as part of our Midwinter Exhibition.
 
From unique artworks and handcrafted items to festive cards, decorations, and creative twists on holiday traditions—we welcome it all. This is an opportunity to brighten the season with your creations while supporting local artists in the lead-up to the holidays.


Our Midwinter Exhibition will run from Thursday, 21st November to Saturday, 21st December, with pieces available for purchase during our regular cafe hours (Monday–Saturday, 9am–3pm).

How To Submit Artwork:

  • Artists may submit up to a maximum of two artworks per person.
  • 2D artworks should not exceed 60cm in any direction, and 3D artworks should not exceed 30cm in any direction.
  • Artworks must be dropped off during one of our scheduled drop off dates (see below), or by appointment only
  • Artists must complete a contacts form before leaving any artworks. These will be available during our scheduled drop off dates or by emailing [email protected].
  • Any unsold artworks must be collected on Monday 6th January 2025.


Artwork Drop Off Dates:
Artworks can be dropped off on the 18th and 19th November, between 11am-5pm.


*Conversing Building is an ongoing project at The Stove, that looks to activate spaces around The Stove through a variety of visual and public art projects and displays. For more info on the project visit our project page here.

Conversing Building: Incredible Journeys X Linda Mallett

October 2 @ 9:00 am October 22 @ 3:00 pm

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In October, as the Wild Goose Festival becomes a key focus, the Stove Cafe includes an exhibition from Solway Firth Partnership alongside a collection of artworks by artist Linda Mallett.

While the Solway Firth Partnership was researching where the buoyant plastics on the Scottish Solway shore originate and the onward journey they make, they realised that the routes taken by plastic and wildlife often follows close parallels. Ocean currents and prevailing winds directly affect the routes taken by migrating wildlife and floating litter.

An exhibition that compares and contrasts the routes taken willhighlight:

  • Variety of wildlife migration to and from ScottishSolway shore
  • Remarkable parallel of routes by wildlife and wildlife
  • Plastic pollution is a global issue
  • Ocean currents assist the migration of some creatures (European eel)
  • Prevailing winds assist the migration of many creatures (barnacle goose / painted lady butterfly) and directly affects floating litter driving it into SW facing bays and beaches
  • Plastic pollution comes to the Solway from local sources (sparling) with comparatively rare items traced to remote locations
  • Solutions to the problem must contain both better local waste management, including on ships and fishing vessels, as well as are duction of global plastic production.

Barnacle goose (migrates to Svalbard -research and computer models suggest plastics entering the Solway such as abottle will drift towards Svalbard – although most will be stranded along theScottish or Norwegian coast long before reaching Svalbard).

Painted lady butterfly (migrates from and to North Africa and Southern Europe aided by wind –buoyant plastics such as chocolate powder container are driven by wind andwaves from Spain and tropical waters with common goose barnacles attached).

Alongside the display from the Solway Firth Partnership are included a number of works by local artist Linda Mallett, created using found beach plastics, seaweed and cordage that washes up on her local beaches in Kirkcudbrightshire.

Free
100 High Street
Dumfries, DG1 2BJ United Kingdom
01387 252435
View Venue Website
Categories
Musings News Project Updates

Creative Spaces X Conversing Building: Inspiration Donation

We got stuck straight into our first Creative Spaces project at the start of August, and I think I speak for all of us when I say we had a ball with it. We wanted our installation to examine the ideas of imposter syndrome in creativity and dissect what it is that makes a person creative. And so, the Inspiration Donation was born. It went through a couple of iterations before reaching its final form, but we were all dead chuffed with the final installation. We started off by going on a wee adventure to the local garden centres to check out clear containers (we did get briefly distracted by the fish on display at Heathhall Garden Centre) and had a roam about the Range to get the rest of our supplies together. 

We worked together on four panels of collage to demonstrate how we hoped the final product would look – we experimented with creating stencils for these too, along with the ‘feed me’ stencils that went up on the walls. It was great to start working together on some artwork, it was a fun way of bonding and building each other up as a team. The installation went up with the help of Stovie & artist Katie Anderson, who offered her expertise and guided us through the process. We had some brilliant donations from the Stove team after we had added our own inspirational pieces in (some Blu Tack, a feather and a funky rock), such as a vintage toy car, a post-it note that read ‘Sparkle Baby’, and a map of the town.

Our Conversing Building project was a super fun introduction to our roles at Creative Spaces. It was my first opportunity to work collaboratively on a creative project with other young creatives, something that felt quite daunting at first is now something I’m looking forward to doing more of in the future.

James

The Conversing Building project pushed us straight out the gate to create something that represented us, and in turn our community in Dumfries. It helped us work as a team and realise where some of our strengths lie”

Sonah

Conversing Building was a really interesting jumping off point for our time with Creative Spaces. Working on this project taught us how we fit together as a team, and got the ball rolling with our style and approach.

Anna

Creative Spaces is a Dumfries-based collective of young creatives, working with and advocating for our region’s young artists.

Situated in the heart of Dumfries, Creative Spaces collaborates with young creatives from across the region, providing young people with opportunities to engage in the arts. Whether it’s through events, workshops, mentorships, or our annual Associates Programme, we aim to enhance Dumfries and Galloway’s creative scene by offering free access to opportunities and paid commissions.

Keep up to date with the Creative Spaces team on Instagram: @creative.spaces_

Conversing Building Open Evening: Emily Tough Portraits of Dumfries

September 11 @ 5:30 pm 7:00 pm

This month as part of our Conversing Building project, we have invited artist and Stove member Emily Tough to spend some time in the town centre and create an artist’s book sharing portraits and celebrating moments of everyday life.

Join us for an opening evening on Wednesday, 11th of September to celebrate the exhibition.

Artist Emily has been recording the buildings, people, and businesses of Dumfries town centre though reportage style illustrations, building up a profile of life as it is now in the town centre through a set of drawings which has been reproduced as a large concertina book on display in the Stove Cafe. 

Say hi to Emily who will be out and about drawing, maybe even get your portrait done! She hopes people will enjoy seeing themselves in this publication and may wish to join on the 11th of September from 5:30pm for an open exhibition evening.  

More about Emily’s work is available online via Instagram and Facebook.

Free
100 High Street
Dumfries, DG1 2BJ United Kingdom
01387 252435
View Venue Website


Access Information:
 Level Access in rear of building through adjacent close to left-hand side of the Cafe (facing the front of the building). To ensure your experience with us is as best as it can be, please do let us know if you have any specific access requirements and we’d be happy to help. Please email Kevin or Sal on: [email protected] or phone 01387 252435 and speak with one of our team. We are able to provide walk-throughs of the building before attending our events as well as assign seating before your arrival.

Conversing Building x The Stove Cafe: Emily Tough Portraits of Dumfries

September 3 @ 9:00 am September 28 @ 3:00 pm

This month as part of our Conversing Building project, we have invited artist and Stove member Emily Tough to spend some time in the town centre and create an artist’s book sharing portraits and celebrating moments of everyday life. The newly created book will be on display in the Stove Cafe, with an additional opening evening taking place on Wednesday, 11th September.

Artist Emily has been recording the buildings, people, and businesses of Dumfries town centre though reportage style illustrations, building up a profile of life as it is now in the town centre through a set of drawings which has been reproduced as a large concertina book on display in the Stove Café. 

Say hi to Emily who will be out and about drawing, maybe even get your portrait done! She hopes people will enjoy seeing themselves in this publication and may wish to join on the 11th of September from 5:30pm for an open exhibition evening.  

More about Emily’s work is available online via Instagram and Facebook.

Free
100 High Street
Dumfries, DG1 2BJ United Kingdom
01387 252435
View Venue Website


Access Information:
 Level Access in rear of building through adjacent close to left-hand side of the Cafe (facing the front of the building). To ensure your experience with us is as best as it can be, please do let us know if you have any specific access requirements and we’d be happy to help. Please email Kevin or Sal on: [email protected] or phone 01387 252435 and speak with one of our team. We are able to provide walk-throughs of the building before attending our events as well as assign seating before your arrival.

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