Soulisquoy Printmakers - 40 Years Exhibition

The exhibition, which will be on display from 18 February-15 April, brings together prints from the early 1980s with more recent editions including specially commissioned new works, printed at Soulisquoy, by artists Megumi Barrington, Magda Choluj, Laura Drever, Colin Kirkpatrick and Brandon Logan.

Many of the works on display will be for sale with further editions available in the Pier Arts Centre shop and on Soulisquoy’s website.

Soulisquoy Printmakers, a volunteer-led charity, was founded in April 1982, creating a high-quality facility to enable locally based artists and printmakers to create work in Orkney. In 2023, it is still a thriving organisation that promotes, encourages, and enables access to professional printmaking facilities for artists and the wider community alike to engage in creative activity.

For over 40 years, Soulisquoy has successfully presented workshops, residencies, master classes, exhibitions and folio projects that have involved artists of all levels of ability, including children, young people, and community groups.

Soulisquoy Chair Laura Drever commented “Over the years there has been an active community of creative practitioners dedicated to ensuring that printmaking has a place in Orkney. This exhibition is a celebration of the people involved, the artwork created, and skills learnt – it promises to be a fantastic showcase of Soulisquoy Printmakers.”

Originally based in an adapted war-time building on the Hatston Industrial Estate in Kirkwall, Soulisquoy has been based in Stromness since 2016, when it became one of the first tenants of the WASPS Studios housed in the town’s former library.

Pier Arts Centre Director Neil Firth added “Soulisquoy Printmakers and all its members have made a huge impact on the arts in Orkney and we are pleased to work in partnership with them in presenting this exhibition marking an important milestone for the organisation. Our audiences will find a great deal to delight in in this exhibition and perhaps it will inspire some to start printmaking themselves.”

There will be opportunities throughout the exhibition to take part in printmaking workshops and drop-in days. Details will be announced on the Pier Arts Centre website.

Alongside the Soulisquoy exhibition, there will be a new display showcases many of the prints in the Pier Arts Centre’s permanent Collection including work by Barbara Hepworth, Alan Davie, Katy Dove and Anish Kapoor amongst others.

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