No 5 Update : MERZ Artist Residency House
In keeping with the MERZ residency buildings, No 5 is self contained with kitchen and shower … but uniquely at MERZ, no 5 offers two bedrooms, a small double and a bunk-bed ‘single’. No 5 also has a small studio on the ground floor, a space that can be used for a modest studio-exhibition in... Read More
Olivia Irvine & Linda Kosciewicz : Oursels as ithers see us
Olivia Irvine, Michele Marcoux and Linda Kosciewicz were artists in residence at MERZ in Spring 2021. Their group exhibition provided the focus; to look in from the ‘outside’. Coincidentally these three explorations at MERZ addressed our Winter Exhibition theme, in a less obvious way: as ‘local portraits’. Unfortunately the Covid upsurge imposed post-Christmas restrictions on visitors.... Read More
MERZ RESIDENCIES : New Accommodation for 2022
During the pandemic MERZ has been extending its residency accommodation adding extra self-contained residencies, museum and studio spaces to the original Bothy and MERZ Gallery. The Tadpole residency building features a wood-burning stove, a king-size loft bed and a large shower in its en suite: ideal for a couple as well as single. Tadpole has... Read More
MERZ Animation Workshop : 29th January
Hosted by John F Quirk and Helen Woolston: “A screening of unorthodox animation, in both style and slant. Animation is punk. Animation is personal. Join us for a sampling of rough, unpasteurised, scratchy, and tricky and strange shorts, from Estonian birthday parties to Czech shoe-eating to Japanese bird shit.” Animators from South West Scotland are... Read More
Laia Gimeno : Artist in Residence at MERZ September ’21 to January ’22
Following her three month residency at MERZ Laia wrote:- ‘MERZ Residency Programme offers an amazing place to work, the installation is perfect and you can find everything that you need for work. There’s more too if your work is based on models or miniatures at MERZ’s Museum of Model Art. One of the unique features... Read More
Laia Gimeno : Models of Journeys and Refuge
MERZ artist in residence Laia Gimeno introduces Models of Journeys and Refuge, an exhibition at the Museum of Model Art from 28th to 30th December 2021. Here Laia works with local kids and her own project using Brazilian ‘lambe lambe’ theatre models. With MERZ Laia has been working on the Kurt Schwitters-Hannah Höch movie that... Read More
Laia Gimeno : Models of Journeys and Refuge
Laia Gimeno is currently an artist in residence at MERZ. Laia has been working on the set and models for Kurt Schwitters-Hannah Höch : the movie. Laia has been developing her project of the Brazilian model theatres, lambe lambe. Working with kids from Sanquhar Laia has assisted with four lambe lambe that tell the tale... Read More
Olivia Irvine : Familial Places
Recent MERZ artist in residence Olivia Irvine received a Creative Scotland Open Fund Bursary to research and develop ideas based on her family. Olivia spent time gathering information in the places she was brought up – Kilmarnock, Cults, Aberdeen and Banff – and in her mother’s current house in Edinburgh. She made trips to these... Read More
Michele Marcoux : MERZ residency
Michele Marcoux was artist in residence at MERZ in Spring 2021. Michele and her colleagues Olivia Irvine and Linda Kosciewicz will be exhibiting work derived from their residencies at Patriothall in Edinburgh.
White Mill : Mark Zygadlo
Mark Zygadlo introduces White Mill at MERZ. White Mill is a wind-powered device for purifying water that featured in the Sanquhar Arts Festival.
Lady Dada and Hannah Hoch : The Unveiling
Lady Dada and Hannah Höch unveil The Orchids and The Divers at the launch of the Third Sanquhar Arts Festival at the end of August 2021. The collage by Denise Zygadlo and Amy Marletta was made in May for World Collage Day at MERZ but along with the Festival itself unveiling was delayed till August... Read More
Life under Lockdown
Appearing at MERZ for a limited run, the exhibition Life under Lockdown features the work of seven artists from their teens to their seventies. Running over the last weekend of August as part of the Sanquhar Arts Festival the exhibition will be open by appointment for the next few weeks.
Earthship Fife : Paula Cowie
Our second ‘film as research’ features Paula Cowie of Sustainable Initiatives Scotland introducing the ‘rammed tyre’ Earthship Fife as it nears completion. Photographs of the finished building have been added. The ‘film as research’ is part of the Changing Places exhibition at the Museum of Model Art held during the 2021 Sanquhar Arts Festival. ‘Artitect’... Read More
Changing Places : Derrie Pearson
One of two ‘research’ films made for the exhibition Changing Places curated by Derrie Pearson. Derrie has been the MERZ ‘artitect’ in residence since late June combining graduate ‘architect’ qualifications to design and plan a new building with the local ‘artistic’ intervention of members of the MERZ Advisory Panel. In her film Derrie explores the... Read More
Life under Lockdown
Trailer for the Life under Lockdown exhibition at MERZ as part of the Sanquhar Arts Festival (open from 11:00-4:00 Saturday 27th and Sunday 28th August). On Friday 27th at 7:30 exhibition curator Hans Clausen will chair a panel discussion on the engagement of artists within a hospital and care setting following Covid 19.
Changing Places : Exhibition SANQUHAR ARTS FESTIVAL
Museum of Model Art, St Mary’s St, Sanquhar Saturday 28th August 2:00 till 4:00 Sunday 29th August 2:00 till 4:00 Monday 30th August 11:00 till 12:00 Derrie Pearson is a recent graduate in architecture and since July has been the MERZ ‘ARTITECT’ in residence. Derrie has been working on the design of a small off-grid... Read More
SANQUHAR ARTS FESTIVAL 2021
Collage Unveiling : Performance MERZ Queen’s Road 27th August 6:30 Denise Zygadlo and Amy Marletta began constructing their 8’ x 8’ collage for May’s World Collage Day. Time, weather and events overtook the installation so Denise will perform A Collage Unveiling on the outside of MERZ at 6:30 on 27th August.
Tadpole and Recent Residency Experience at MERZ
Just across Sanquhar High Street from the Bothy, and beside the Museum of Model Art and ZipStudio, Tadpole is our second purpose ‘re-built’ self-contained residency. While Bothy is a rural stone building from the 1830s Tadpole is an industrial brick building from the 1890s. Both Tadpole and Bothy are quiet, self-contained and close to town... Read More