The SOC has collaborated with Visual Arts Scotland (VAS) to organise an open exhibition inspired by birds. VAS is a leading platform for contemporary artists working in a wide range of disciplines including both fine arts and applied arts. The exhibition presents the selected entries resulting from an open call to the VAS membership and reflects the broad base of interests and skills of the group. Selected artworks include jewellery, ceramics, textiles, monumental garden sculpture as well as paintings and fine art prints. The themes touched on by the artists are equally varied, with many reflecting on the comfort, inspiration, and sheer delight that we find in the observation and company of birds. This led to the choice for the title for the exhibition, taken from the following poem by Emily Dickinson (1830-1886):

“Hope” is the thing with feathers -
That perches in the soul -
And sings the tune without the words -
And never stops - at all -

And sweetest - in the Gale - is heard -
And sore must be the storm -
That could abash the little Bird
That kept so many warm -

I’ve heard it in the chillest land -
And on the strangest Sea -
Yet - never - in Extremity,
It asked a crumb - of me.

Artists included: Julie Barnes, Jan Bowman, Georgina Bown, Iona Brown, Emma Butler Cole, Yeonjoo Cho, Laura Cullen, Laura Derby, Leo du Feu, Richard Goldsworthy, Rebecca Kaye, Daniel Lacey, Hannah Lamb, Hanna Lehtinen, Fiona Maher, Patricia McCormack, Sheila McDonald, Kate Millbank, Gregory Moore, Kevin Morris, Siobhan Morrison, Rhona Petrie, Gillian Ryan, Coire Simpson, Joan Smith, Joanne Soroka, Izzy Thomson, Gail Turpin, Sandra Vick, Patricia Vionescu, Helen Walsh, Katie Watson, Emily Westfall, Charles Young.

About VAS: Visual Arts Scotland (VAS) is a leading platform for national and international contemporary artists. The society was originally founded in 1924 as an organisation for women artists and since the 1980s has championed craftspeople, makers, designers and applied arts practitioners. Today, our membership is composed of fine and applied artists, celebrating the best in innovative contemporary visual arts. The conversation between disciplines, to encourage challenging and ambitious ideas, is at the heart of Visual Arts Scotland’s mission. VAS has a vibrant, active and participatory membership of practising artists. The society provides a platform to support and connect them, and to showcase their work.