SCHWITTERS’ ARMY

    For Kurt Schwitters, MERZ was his manifesto. He explained it as “the combination of all conceivable materials for artistic purposes, and technically the principle of equal evaluation of the individual materials.” His intention was to give anything from a used bus ticket to a piece of wire found on the street “equal rights with paint.”... Read More

    David Rushton : Collapse the Box

    When over in Scotland in May 2019 to film the Sanquhar Arts Festival the Belfast production company and broadcaster, NvTv interviewed David Rushton. NvTv had shot enough footage to edit a programme for their artist series, ‘Collapse the Box’. Here MERZ Director David Rushton talks about his reasons for relocating to Sanquhar, for establishing MERZ... Read More

    Ally Wallace : Factory Lines

    Ally Wallace was our second Funded Artist in Residence at MERZ, staying from September to November in 2019. In this film Ally outlines the influence of local buildings and textile industries on his research, his approach to working and the final exhibition in the Gallery. The MERZ residencies and this recording are supported by the... Read More

    Andy McDowall : 40 years behind the lens

    An exhibition to return to, again and again. Andy McDowall‘s, 40 years behind the lens opened at MERZ on Friday 20th. Andy will be in the gallery most afternoons from 1:00-3:00pm till 4th January to talk you through forty years of history in photographs of life in Sanquhar and Upper Nithsdale.

    Amy Marletta & Denise Zygadlo : As the moon sees it

      The Museum of Model Art’s exhibition ‘As the moon sees lt‘ by Amy Marletta & Denise Zygadlo also features a tribute to the Dada artist Hannah Höch, the celebrated pioneer of photomontage. A sample of soft furnishing elements for the Hanna Höch art-house on the sculpture green at MERZ forms part of the exhibition.... Read More

    MERZ Collage Seminar & Workshop 25th January 2020

    North American artist Ric Kasini Kadour is co-founder of Kolaj Magazine, and a former gallerist. Ric is our artist in residence at MERZ from 7th January till 21st February. Rhed Fawell is an Edinburgh based artist, an avid Instagram networker who runs the Edinburgh Collage Collective. Rhed will run a practical workshop on collage for... Read More

    Wah Leather : Skill-Swop

    Our first skill-swop residency at MERZ offered snowboarder, artist and dry stone-waller Wah Leather an opportunity to work on her snowboard themed designs before going to France to teach over the Winter season. In exchange for accommodation and access to ZIPStudio Wah rebuilt our dry stone wall and the pebbled access into the sculpture green... Read More

    SANQUHAR CULTURAL QUARTER

    ANDY McDOWALL VENUE: MERZ OPENING Friday 20th December : 6.00pm Andy McDowall : 40 years behind the lens VENUE : MERZ Queens Road Sanquhar Opening 6:00pm Friday 20th December then between 1:00pm and 3:00pm 21st-23rd, 27th-29th and 2nd-4th January I have been capturing images of people and places within our community for a number of... Read More

    Nith.TV : Kelloholm P6

    Dave and Jess began work with P6 at Kelloholm Primary in November to help set up a Kids Council. Convenor Jade Davidson hopes to bring the Kids Councils from P6 in Sanquhar and Kelloholm together in 2020. Meanwhile both primary schools are exploring what they’d like to change in their immediate area.

    New logo for Museum of Model Art, Sanquhar

    1:24 is the scale of (most of) the models displayed in the Museum of Model Art. This small museum in Sanquhar successfully registered ‘MoMA’ in its yellow mark in the UK (UK00003410571). The New York based Museum of Modern Art has a longstanding use of ‘MoMA’ and had registered ‘MoMA’ in the EU. The New... Read More

    David Rushton : Collapse the Box

    When over to film the Sanquhar Arts Festival Belfast production company and broadcaster NvTv interviewed Dougie Sharpe and David Rushton. Unbeknown to either artist, NvTv had shot enough footage to edit a programme on Dougie and later on David for their ‘Collapse the Box’ series. In this episode David Rushton talks about his reasons for... Read More

    SNUG

    Latest living accommodation for artists and visitors at MERZ is in our centrally heated flat. SNUG nestles into the far corner of the floor being converted into offices for MERZ alongside the director’s living accommodation. With loft bed, seating, desk, WiFi, an en suite shower-room and TV, visitors to SNUG share the large communal kitchen... Read More

    Primary 6 : Kids Council Hustings

    Following the Summer’s decision to form a Kids Council kids in P6 at Sanquhar Primary have been exploring the election process. Here those who volunteered to stand for election to the Kids Council present their manifestos. Nith.TV and the Sanquhar Kids Council are supported by the Holywood Trust.

    Ally Wallace : FACTORY LINES

    Ally Wallace : Factory Lines Opens at MERZ, Queens Road at 6:00pm Friday 8th November. All welcome. And … open over the weekend 11.00am – 4:00pm Saturday 9th & Sunday 10th November. Ally has been our artist in residence at MERZ since September 2019. Focusing on the representation of buildings Ally has followed – through... Read More