Sanquhar Pottery Project : November Update
Clay from the clay-fields that served the former Sanquhar Brickworks drying in the greenhouse at MERZ. Samples of clay have been posted to Maggie Broadley to explore in glazing. Meanwhile Sara Kennedy is adding epsom salts to see if the clay she has received can be made more ‘plastic’. An auger has arrived to help... Read More
Morane Le Coz : Designing MERZ catalogues, story and book
Designer and Illustrator Morane Le Coz was artist in residence at MERZ during lockdown. Morane worked with P6 at Sanquhar Primary to illustrate the story-book Torquil Tower. Morane returned to France in May and has been designing our exhibition catalogues and the catalogue of the Wallpaper Collective. Recently Morane has been redesigning David Rushton’s Analytical... Read More
Play : Hannah Höch & Kurt Schwitters
Helen Fox of Fox and Hound Theatre Company is preparing work with local artists, performers and makers to craft a play about Hannah Höch and Kurt Schwitters. The play will be staged on the sculpture green at MERZ around the two art-houses that depict the faces of Höch and Schwitters. MERZ and A’ the Airts... Read More
Olivia Irvine : Artist in Residence
Quirky and unusual Bothy. Repurposed studios and gallery, full of history, yet contemporary features. I would definitely recommend MERZ as a residency programme: it’s unique! It’s a quiet place to sleep, read and work, yet the town is friendly – everyone says hello! There is a lot of interesting history in Sanquhar and surrounding area.... Read More
Ric Kasini Kadour : Schwitters’ Army Residency
Ric Kasini Kadour was artist in residence at MERZ during January and February 2020. This interview outlines his Schwitters’ Army project involving 200 collages from 24 countries. The interview reveals several similarities between MERZ and Ric’s work in Canada and the US, not least in pursuing the narratives of art while establishing local and international... Read More
Julia Zinnbauer : Peter Womersley
During her extended residency at MERZ Julia Zinnbauer researched, filmed and edited a film on the Scottish Borders’ based architect Peter Womersley. Julia’s earlier films had connected modernist architecture in the United States with the James Bond movies and especially had reimagined the elegance of their female stars appearing in these settings. In her thirty... Read More
Julia Zinnbauer : Peter Womersley
During her extended residency at MERZ Julia Zinnbauer researched, filmed and edited a film on the Scottish Borders’ based architect Peter Womersley. Julia’s earlier films had connected modernist architecture in the United States with the James Bond movies and especially had reimagined the elegance of their female stars appearing in these settings. In her thirty... Read More
MERZ Pottery Project
Over the centuries Sanquhar has been the site of several Brickworks, with the last closing in the 1960s. The clay-fields lie to the north of the town where the clay still remains accessible. A trial project started at MERZ in the Autumn to refine samples of the clay with the hope of establishing a craft... Read More
Life under Lockdown (at MERZ)
Tonic Arts commissioned artists in Scotland, born over seven decades to reflect on Life under Lockdown. Funded by the Edinburgh and Lothians Health Foundation the planned exhibition at Edinburgh’s Western General Hospital awaits clearance. The MERZ contribution is a model of the Museum of Model Art, currently in use during Covid-19 lockdown as a work... Read More
Lada Wilson : Artist / Curator in residence at MERZ
Lada Wilson is the curator of 201 Telephone Box Gallery in Fife, Scotland. This contemporary art gallery in a disused telephone box is artist-led project that has community and collaborations in its core. During her time in Sanquhar Lada Wilson is developing her project ‘And then, there were two’ that departs from a mere accumulation... Read More
Calum Wallis & Rhona Jack : An Isolated Process
The exhibition by Rhona Jack and Calum Wallis has been in place in the otherwise empty MERZ since they concluded their residency in May. With restrictions on meetings eased the opening of An Isolated Process will be held for a few invited friends of the artists on Friday 4th September at 7:00pm. On Saturday 5th... Read More
Tonic Arts : Life under Lockdown
David Rushton was lucky enough to be selected by NHS Lothian’s Tonic Arts project to submit work for an exhibition titled Life under Lockdown. Life under Lockdown will include the work of artists from six generations, each invited to explore living and adjusting to Covid-19 in their home and community lives. With Covid-19 excluding visitors, the... Read More
Julia Zinnbauer : Artist in Residence in Quarantine at MERZ
MERZ Artist in Residence Julia Zinnbauer arrived from Germany to face two week’s quarantine ahead of her residency programme. Julia has been fascinated by Scotland since childhood, and here practices on her chanter on the terrace outside the MERZ Bothy. On July 8th, with quarantine fulfilled Julia will meet the folk (at a social distance) that... Read More
Julia Zinnbauer : Phonebox Postcards
9th May was World Collage Day. At MERZ in Sanquhar we celebrated the arrival of 200 packages from collage artists around the world: the collages had been shown in Schwitters’ Army an exhibition organised by Ric Kasini Kadour while on residency in January and February. In May we celebrated the postal services that had enabled... Read More
MERZ Wallpaper Collective
The first ‘edition’ of the Collective’s wallpaper catalogue is now available to download and browse. We are still inviting artists to be involved and will be taking orders in due course. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1luB5dUz_WQnExsAbgqMa5Lt5ahmkdkuy/view?usp=sharing
Torquill Tower : P6 with Morane Le Coz
During her residency Morane Le Coz worked with the kids in P6 at Sanquhar Primary to illustrate a story set long-ago in a village near Sanquhar. Morane also translated the story into French and set the story in her old village. Copies of Torquill Tower are available to buy. Contact hello@merz.gallery for details.
SANQUHAR CULTURAL QUARTER
Artist in residence Morane Le Coz has produced some postcards of MERZ that form part of the MAP of the recently announced Sanquhar Cultural Quarter.
Calum Wallis & Rhona Jack
Calum Wallis and Rhona Jack have been the artists in residence at MERZ since March. With additional support from Creative Scotland they have been able to extend their two month stay into May while Covid-19 affected travel. Their exhibition of kinetic sculptures will be on display inside MERZ for the Sanquhar Arts Festival over the... Read More