Deveron Projects

Deveron Arts is a contemporary arts organisation established in the Aberdeenshire town of Huntly in 1995. It brings together international artists from a variety of disciplines and the town community through residencies that address issues with both a global and local dimension. Over 20 years this has brought artists from as far afield as China, the Americas, India, Africa and mainland Europe to North East Scotland. Uniquely, Deveron Arts has no dedicated art venue, but rather uses the town as the canvas for the residencies and the work created. The town is the venue residencies have also led to a number of annual events, including the Slow Marathon initiative, and the creation of a major collection of contemporary art in the town. This socially engaged practice that brings art out of the gallery context forms the focus of ARTocracy, a curatorial handbook published by Deveron Arts in 2010.

In 2008 Deveron Arts joined forces with the Huntly Development Trust and artist Jacques Coetzer to create a new branding for the town: Room to Roam and reprised the initiative for the Aberdeenshire [link to Wikipedia] region in 2014 with Aberdeenshire Ways. In 2012 Huntly won a Creative Place Award from Creative Scotland which supported the creation of a signature menu for the town, and in 2013 a further Creative Place Award led to a new initiative spearheaded by Deveron Arts: The Walking Institute. As part of its 20th anniversary year Deveron Arts has commissioned a new work of public art inspired by one of the pivotal figures in modern art , Joseph Beuys' seminal 7000 Oaks.

the town is the venue residencies Room to Roam ARTocracy The Town Collection The Walking Institute Artist List References External Links

the town is the venue artist residencies

A new model of artistic and curatorial practice has emerged that takes place in the public realm, but can’t be subsumed under the familiar category of “public art” . Deveron Arts “the town is the venue” artist residencies, which have explored the history, context and identity of Huntly with the town acting as studio, gallery and stage for the artists, exemplify this new type of practice. Most residencies last three months, others have been over a more extended period, and see the artists researching and creating work that addresses topical issues – economic, social, political – that affect both the local community and the wider world. Over 80 artists from 23 countries across five continents have undertaken a Town is the Venue Residency since 1995. They include Baudouin Mouanda, Böller und Brot, Celia - Yunior, Dalziel + Scullion, Emily White, Gayle Chong Kwan, Gemuce - Pompílio Hilário, [[Hamish Fulton], Jacqueline Donachie, Kenny Hunter, Mihret Kebede, Nancy Mteki, Paul Shepheard, Paul Anderson, Peter Liversidge Priya Ravish Mehra, Roderick Buchanan, Ross Sinclair, Stéfanie Bourne and Utopia Group. Each artist leaves at least one work at the end of their residency, which has seen Huntly build up an unrivalled collection of contemporary art: The Town Collection. With the first of two Creative Scotland Creative Place Awards Deveron Arts invited leading food consultant Simon Preston to undertake a Town is the Venue residency in 2012. The Town is the Menu residency led to the creation of a signature menu devised to show off the best of the Aberdeenshire larder .

Room to Roam

THIS is a story about a pop star and a 19th-century poet, an artist from South Africa and a little town in the north-east of Scotland. It's a story about what contemporary art can do in a small community: some pretty odd things, and some significant ones. In 2007 Deveron Arts put out an international call to artists to come to Huntly for an ambitious project to unite a disparate set of groups and create a branding for the town. The commission was awarded to Cape Town-based artist Jacques Coetzer who spent 6 months in the town developing the brand. During his research Coetzer came across the poem “Room to Roam” by acclaimed Victorian author and son of Huntly, George MacDonald and this led inevitably to the Waterboys setting of the poem. Through the residency Coetzer struck up a friendship with Mike Scott who donated the Waterboys’ setting of the poem to the town as its anthem. Coetzer’s branding was unveiled in 2008. Its overarching, flexible theme provided freedom for all kinds of groups and businesses to interpret the wider identity and promote both themselves and the area. The contemporary logo design reflects the traditional Scottish antler, a road map, social diversity, growth and energy. The Room to Roam branding was was officially accepted as part of the town crest by the Court of the Lord Lyon in 2010.

ARTocracy

ARTocracy is a 20-year cultural experiment devised in a Scottish rural town, but with global potential. Two complementary methodologies - the town is the venue artist residency and the Shadow Curator – form the core of ARTocracy. Proposed by artist Nuno Sacramento, the Shadow Curator concept borrows from the Shadow Minister role in Anglo-Saxon politics. The Curator is constantly (and agonistically) challenged in the development of topics and projects. Mary Jane Jacob from the School of Art, Chicago is among the leading international curators to have taken on the role. In 2010 Deveron Arts published a curatorial handbook in collaborative practice critiquing the methodology and offering a practical guide to the development of socially engaged public art practice, and how ARTocracy might be applied in similar towns across the UK and beyond.

The Town Collection

With each artist donating at least one work following their The Town is the Venue residency, Huntly has acquired a major collection of contemporary art, The Town Collection. Art hangs in bike and car shop Autospares and in a local estate agent. The words to the town song are etched on the walls of a local hotel. Work by Eva Merz hangs in a second-hand bookshop, and a massive mural by Dalziel + Scullion in the assembly hall of the Gordon Schools. There is even a striking print work hidden in Hilda’s cleaning closet in the local library . The collection now numbers some 65+ pieces.

The Walking Institute

For some years walking has formed an important part of Deveron Arts residency programme. In 2010 Hamish Fulton (link) made the 21 Days in the Cairngorms artwork which was largely about drawing attention to the existence of wild land in the UK - as part of his town in the venue residency, and in 2012 Ethiopian artist Mihret Kebede introduced the Slow Marathon concept as part of hers. With numerous world records, Ethiopia has consistently produced some of the best long-distance runners in the world. Kebede’s project tapped into this tradition, but turned it on its head leading 100 people in a 26-mile slow walk in the countryside around Huntly . In 2013 Deveron Arts formalised the programme in the Walking Institute, which explores, researches and celebrates the human pace, brings walking and journeying activities together with arts and other cultural disciplines. The 2013 Slow Marathon, Cabrach to Huntly, marked John Muir Day and the 2014 event started at the Glenkindie on the edge of the Cairngorms National Park. Other Walking Institute projects have included: In the Footsteps of Nan Shepherd: a long distance round walk looking at issues, plights and pleasures of women walking in wilderness and Hielan’ Ways, a programme that included poetry (Alec Finlay), music (Paul Anderson) and art (Simone Kenyon, Gillian Russel). Hielan’ Ways explored the old drover routes that cross north-east Scotland and culminated in a symposium with contributions from mountaineer Doug Scott , Turner-prize- winning artist Richard Long and the Cloud Appreciation Society.

the town is the venue: Artist List

Year	Artist	Country of Origin	Residency Project	Description
1997	Ewan McClure	Scotland	The Three Degrees	Deveron Arts' first artist in Huntly. Paintings of local people in a realistic style.
1999	Julia Douglas	Scotland	Threadbare	Looking at Huntly's historic and contemporary connection to textiles
2000	Paul Carter	Scotland	Messiah 1/Chapel Barbarossa	Messiah 1 acted as a space-station whose purpose was the retrieval of the Messiah, and was installed in the Brander garden.
2000	Wilhelm Scherübl	Austria	Structure	Questioning community structures through analogies with plant life
2001	Jonathan Claxton	Scotland	Groundword	Exploring the relationship between nature and language by looking at our physical horizons
2002	Leena Nammari	Palestine	Belonging	Negotiating a feeling of belonging in an alien country
2003	Eva Merz	Denmark	Empty Shop / Modern Monument	Exploring the problem of declining retail in rural communities.
2003/4	Umesh Maddanahalli	India	From Here to There	Influence taken from the Ingmar Bergman classic film, The Seventh Seal, in which a journeying knight passes through plague-infested towns and duels with Death over a game of chess.
2003/4	Paul Anderson	Scotland	Strathbogie Collection	A collection of tunes on vernacular Huntly life
2004	Colonel - Thierry Geoffroy	France	Made in Huntly	Exploration of identity - documentation and photographs of participants displaying a personally
2004	Eva Merz	Denmark	Space/Retail/Magic	A critical view of supermarket development in rural locations
2004	Eva Merz	Denmark	Country Living	Publication on Life, Art and Work in the North East of Scotland.
2004	John Kenny & Chris Wheeler	Scotland/England	Doric	Poemes Poetiques: an exploration into Huntly's vernacular sounds and languages
2005	Donal Brown	Scotland	Huntly in Harmony	Development of a series of tunes inspired by local places and people. Collection contains 30 new pieces
2005	Fabiana Galante	Argentina	¡La Pipeta!	An exploration of soundscapes through a merging of the traditional pipe with Argentinian Tango music
2005	Kenny Hunter	Scotland	Where In? Where At?	A public monument for the fantasy writer George MacDonald depicting the raven from Lilith.
2005-7	David Blyth	Scotland	Town Artist	A collaborative project seeking to develop dynamic partnerships between local groups and Deveron Arts.
2005-7	Deborah Beeson	Scotland	Artist For All Seasons	Investigating how Huntly operates on a day-to-day and a seasonal basis, studying social and economic staples of the town's fabric.
2006	Dew Harrison	Scotland	Action Paintings	An experimentation with digital media in a sporting context.
2006	Elsebeth Jørgensen	Denmark	Cinemagic Tour II: Scenes from an Imaginary Place	Research into the social history of Huntly's former picture house.
2006	Jelka Plate	Germany	MONO	Project began with the subject of youth isolation and boredom in the rural environment.
2006	Roderick Buchanan	Scotland	Salon des Refusés: ARTCUP	A project bringing two teams of artists/footballers together during the World Cup in Germany.
2006-7	Bob Pegg	Scotland	Secret Doorways, Strange Worlds	A celebration of the work of Huntly fantasy writer George MacDonald through new storytelling.
2007	Böller und Brot	Germany	Homemade	A TV-style film series questioning what we eat to sustain our busy lifestyles.
2007	Duncan McLaren	Scotland	George MacDonald Diary	Looking at the life work of George MacDonald from the perspective of a fictitious grandson.
2007	Nuno Sacramento	Mozambique	Exposure	While developing the role of Shadow Curator with Deveron Arts, Sacramento played a significant role in the development of projects during the George MacDonald festival.
2007	Paul Shepheard	England	How to Like Everything?	A look beyond oppositional tactics, and creation of a method of criticism on the way the world truly is, and consequently, how art is.
2008	Emily White	England	Center of Huntly	A comprehensive project including the first full performance and recording of Ronald Center’s string quartets.
2008	Garry Williams	Scotland	Music for Street Fights	Undermining the brutality of street fighting by transforming it into a form of choreography.
2008	Jacques Coetzer	South Africa	Room to Roam	A considered brand for Huntly, looking at both physical and more spiritual opportunities.
2008	Leàn Coetzer	South Africa	Maypole	Exploration of everyday travelling while also acknowledging traditional forms of movement undertaken during celebrations.
2008	Merlyn Riggs	Scotland	Feed the Five	An examination of hospitality through traditional North East cooking.
2008	Sally Garden	Scotland	Center of Huntly	A project celebrating the life and work of Huntly composer Ronald Center
2008-12	Norma D Hunter	Scotland	Arts Visitor	Collaborative project on community issues where local people are often central to the design and final outcome of the work.
2009	Catriona McKay	Scotland	Skimmerin'	Exploring the boundaries of the traditional clarsach (harp), through experimental music and improvisation in the environment.
2009	Gemuce - Pompílio Hilário	Mozambique	Money Crunch	Confronting inflation, inability to manage without money, and the results of benefitting from modern money.
2009	Hans Abbing	Netherlands	The Value of Art	A social study of art, artists and the arts economy from the perspective of value.
2009	Jacqueline Donachie	Scotland	Slow Down	An exploration of what a car-free town would look like through a festival of all things slow
2009	Richard Demarco	Scotland	7000 Oaks	Development of the concept of the tree being an element of regeneration and representative of time in itself
2009	Utopia Group	China	Palace of Puzzles	Project exploring the legacy of Huntly-born sinologist, James Legge
2009	Senzeni Marasela	South Africa	Jonga: Look at Me - Museum of Women, Dolls and Memories	An exploration of women’s self-perception, in the 50th year of the Barbie doll.
2009-12	Catrin Jeans	Scotland	Cultural Health Visitor and supporting artist for all occassions	Nurturing common contexts for cultural happenings through her work as the Cultural Health Visitor
2010	David Sherry	N. Irleland	Health and Safety Effects	A wry look at health and safety and how the issue affects our lives
2010	Hamish Fulton	England	21 Days in the Cairngorms	Linking Huntly with the Cairngorms National Park through a 21-day walk
2010	Maider López	Spain	How do you live this place?	Mapping community relationships and routines inspired by the 17th century cartographer James Gordon
2010	Shona Donaldson	Scotland	Short Nichts and Lang Kisses	Looking at the North East ballads through a contemporary exploration of the Greig Duncan collection.
2010	Stéfanie Bourne	France	Red Herring	Investigated production, distribution, consumption and composting, highlighting what we eat and how it gets to us.
2010	Tim Brennan	Scotland	Deveron Manoeuvres	Linking many of Huntly’s artworks in the Town Collection to provide a walking route from the town library to the butchers, garages and other venues.
2011	Amy Fung	Canada	Huntly Review	Identity politics and the locality of place. Fung edited The Huntly Review, an online archive of cultural observations and commentaries
2011	Anthony Schrag	Scotland	A Perfect Father Day?	Investigation into the role of fathers in today's society.
2011	Baudouin Mouanda	Congo Brazaville	SAPE: Swagger	Society of Ambient People's Elegance across the world, urban and rural. An investigation into youth culture, with emphasis on fashion.
2011	Peter Liversidge	England	Proposals for Huntly	Proposals questioning whether the artist's job is done once the idea is formed.
2011	Priya Ravish Mehra	India	Making the Invisible Visible	Looking at textile traditions with the assistance of darners Intekhab Ahmad and Zakir Hussain.
2011	Rocca Gutteridge	England	UK Border Walk	Gutteridge and Claudia Zeiske walked along the Scottish/English border in reaction to the Tier 5 visa policy for foreign artists.
2011	Roman Signer	Switzerland	Transmissions from the River	Transmitting imagery from the middle of a river to a place inhabited by people.
2011	Ross Sinclair	Scotland	Real Life Gordons of Huntly	Contemporary examination of the ancestral home of the Clan Gordon and their world-wide diaspora.
2001-12	Rocca Gutteridge	England	Walkingand…	Working towards an Institute of Walking Appreciation through an online archive.
2012	Alan Macpherson	Scotland	Minor Path	A writing and research residency investigating the relationship between art and path-making.
2012	Allysson Velez	Brazil	Nordeste/North East - Ceilidhcatu	Exploration of the cultural similarities and traditions of his home state of Pernambuco in the North East of Brazil with those of Huntly and the North East of Scotland.
2012	Michael Höpfner	Austria	Walking Off The Grid	14 days walking a 30-mile circuit around Huntly, looking to reconstruct the geography of the landscape
2012	Mihret Kebede	Ethiopia	Slow Marathon	A collaborative 5,850 mile walk. The Slow Marathon has become an annual event at Deveron Arts.
2012	Simon Preston	Scotland	The Town is the Menu	An investigation of local food and eating customs to develop a signature menu for Huntly.
2012	Rocca Gutteridge	England	Walkachat	Excursions into the Scottish landscape to chat about art and other parts of life during day-long walks.
2012/13	Anne Murray	Scotland	With and against the Flow	A joint project with Jake Williams Mapping of walking along the river Deveron against and with the flow from the Cabrach in the foothills of the Cairngorms to the Moray Coast between Banff and Macduff.
2013	Celia - Yunior	Cuba	Faceloop	Mapping friendships looking at direct human relations and cyber connections.
2013	Jake Williams	Scotland	With and Against the Flow	A joint project with Anne Murray Mapping of walking along the river Deveron against and with the flow from the Cabrach in the foothills of the Cairngorms to the Moray Coast between Banff and Macduff.
2013	Mary Jane Jacob	USA	Fernweh	Consideration of the notions of art in community through hosting, visiting and travelling.
2013	Nancy Mteki	Zimbabwe	Mbereko	Investigating the delights and issues of maternity and childhood in relation to material culture.
2013	Stuart McAdam	Scotland	Lines Lost	A series of performative walks linked the 50th anniversary of the Beeching Report bringing into focus historic and contemporary concerns around transport legacy.
2013	Caravan Gallery	UK	Pride of Place Project	A project recording the ordinary and extraordinary details of everyday life in Huntly.
2013-14	Paul Anderson	Scotland	http://www.deveron-arts.com/paul-anderson-symphony/	Having walked the Hielan' Ways routes near the his home in Tarland Anderson wrote a symphony inspired by the landscape and local traditional tunes.
2013-4	Alec Finlay	Scotland	Some Colour Trends	Innovative mapping of the landscape, not as a distance to be conquered, but a series of views, and colours, to be reflected upon.
2013-4	Simone Kenyon	England	In the Footsteps of Nan Shepherd	Long distance round-walk exploring the issues, plights and pleasures of women walking in wilderness.
2014	Clare Qualmann	England	Perambulator	Performance project, making visible the issues around walking with a pram.
2014	Gayle Chong Kwan	England	Wandering Waste	Adopting the role of a traveller to fantastical lands, to address aesthetic food ideals and notions of waste.
2014	Gill Russell	Scotland	Maps and Meanders	Mapping the archaeological, mythological, historical, sonic, and poetic, ancient and contemporary.
2014	Sanaa Gateja	Uganda	MacKay of Uganda	Exploration into the life and work of missionary and Africa explorer Alexander MacKay.
2014	Xenson Znja	Uganda	The Lubare and the Boat	An exploration into the life and work of missionary and Africa explorer Alexander MacKay.
2014	Jacques Coetzer	South Africa	Aberdeenshire Ways	A joint project with the Caravan Gallery exploring the identity and uniqueness of the region through its people, colour and ways of life.
2014	The Caravan Gallery	UK	Aberdeenshire Ways	A joint project with Jacques Coetzer exploring the identity and uniqueness of the region through its people, colour and ways of life.
2015	Caroline Wendling	Germay	Oaks and Amity	A new piece of land art reflecting on pacifist notions around WWI, inspired by Joseph Beuys’ seminal 7000 Oaks and using saplings grown from acorns collected from Beuys’ oaks.
2015	Aidan O’Rourke	Example	Example	Example

External Links

Deveron Arts Huntly Development Trust