An exhibition of over thirty Craft Café artists' work was showcased at The Image Collective Gallery in Leith this October. It raised over £900 for the project which will go towards celebrating artwork in further exhibitions and to stock up on more materials, coffee and biscuits.
Taking up a large part of Ocean Terminal’s second floor, the exhibition included volcanic paintings by John Treeby, intricately drawn Scottish landscapes by Evelyn Emslie and silk scarves, clutch bags and sketchbooks featuring original Craft Café designs.
One striking piece that was sold was a 12kg handmade cloth unicorn, bought by Councillor Amy McNeese-Mechan and delivered to Edinburgh City Chambers.
Netta Watson,84, is one of the residents exhibiting her work. She was ecstatic to see her work on display. "I can’t quite believe it. To have all these people here to see the work that we’ve created is incredible. I never thought that I would have artwork being exhibited in a gallery… Would you believe that I failed my Girl Guides badge for art? If only they could see me now!”
This Craft Café annual exhibition took place in October in order to coincide with the Luminate Festival which celebrates the creative achievements of older people in Scotland.
Natalie McFadyen White, Senior Programme Manager for Impact Arts, speaks about the importance of Craft Café and similar projects: “It has been really exciting for Viewpoint, Impact Arts and Craft Café members to have this exhibition open to the public, and especially in a striking, spacious and public setting like Ocean Terminal. They have worked incredibly hard putting this collection together and have created a fantastic end result for the public, which is diverse, exhibits great technical skill and also features very personal material”.
