Kirriemuir’s rich heritage is the inspiration behind the first exhibition of 2023 in the Angus town’s smallest art gallery.
Last May, an old red telephone box became the unlikely addition to the county’s cultural offering.
128 Telephone Box Gallery took its name from the last three digits of the K6 kiosk’s original number.
The conversion was the idea of Perth College UHI creative industries lecturer Deirdre Bennett.
She took inspiration from a similar venture in Fife after Lada Wilson turned an old Strathkinness phone box into 201 Gallery.
Threads That Bind Us
And on Sunday, award-winning artist Felicity McClure became the latest artist to display her work in the wee Kirrie gallery.
It’s a fitting showcase for Felicity’s Threads That Bind Us work.
The exhibition ties together her own life with the town’s built and industrial heritage.
Felicity graduated from Perth College UHI with a BA (Hons) in Art and Contemporary Practices.
She received the 128 Telephone Box Gallery graduate award for excellence at her final year show in 2022.
Felicity said: “Upon discovering the Kirriemuir’s rich history, I was inspired particularly by the sandstone buildings that give the town its nickname, the Wee Red Toon.
“I have a personal connection to small town life as I grew up in a village similar to Kirriemuir.
“So it was easy to find inspiration in a place that felt familiar.
“I also felt a deepened connection to my own family’s past during this project.
“Working with the fabrics reminded me of the strong women in my family, who worked with textiles out of both necessity and love.”
Exhibition’s sandstone foundation
And Felicity says she took extra inspiration from the red sandstone building blocks of Kirrie.
“The material is a physical link to the past,” she said.
“For me this symbolises the town’s connection with its roots.
“Kirriemuir has a proud history, and so this project reflects and celebrates this history.”
She used traditional dyeing techniques on fabrics which included bed linen and old dish towels.
And the distinctive red sandstone hue was replicated by experimenting with ingredients as diverse as beetroot, turmeric and onion skins.
“For me, the process of dyeing with natural ingredients and weaving fabrics and wool commemorates the town’s past weaving industries and all the people that were involved that helped to make Kirriemuir the welcoming place it is today,” she said.
