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The Pier Arts Centre is to mark the centenary of the birth of Ian MacInnes with a special exhibition this autumn, including some of the Orcadian artist’s earliest portraits, alongside paintings, drawings and illustrations from throughout his long career.

Ian MacInnes was born in Stromness on 26 January in 1922 and died there in 2003.

During the post-war period Orkney was enriched by a group of like-minded people who shared an enthusiasm for art, music, literature and the cultural well-being of the islands, and Ian and his wife Jean were key figures during those years, helping to breathe new life back into Stromness.

As Principal Teacher of Art, and later Headmaster of Stromness Academy MacInnes steered many young Orcadians towards rewarding careers – with many encouraged into studying art.

The exhibition at the Pier Arts Centre highlights Ian MacInnes’s achievements as an artist - from early portraits made during the 1940s, to drawings and paintings of some of his favourite landscapes – especially Stromness, the West Shore and Rackwick Valley. The exhibition also features a small selection of MacInnes’s graphic work including satirical sketches, caricatures and illustrations for a variety of books and publications.

Pier Arts Centre Curator Andrew Parkinson commented “It’s great to be able to display this body of work by MacInnes, giving visitors the opportunity to enjoy the breadth of his work, including some rarely seen paintings.

Our thanks and due to the MacInnes family, and other private collections, for generously lending works and archive material to the exhibition. Stromness Museum and Orkney Islands Council have also kindly loaned works from their extensive collections of Orkney art.”

Ian MacInnes (1922-2003) centenary exhibition opens on Saturday 3 September and will be on display until 12 November.

The Pier Arts Centre is open Tuesday to Saturday 10.30am-5pm. Admission is free

, Visit Orkney, Life in Orkney, Arts, Crafts & Design, Culture & Events, Stromness