The director of an art exhibition that wowed audiences in Helensburgh has thanked the “inspiring” unpaid carers who worked on the display.
The show - You Can't Pour From An Empty Cup - showcased works of art created by unpaid carers, inspired by their emotions and experiences.
Approximately 130 people visited the exhibition, held in the Hermitage Park Pavilion, during its short time in the town with many participating in 'doodling' exercises which added an interactive element to the display.
Alex McEwan, founder and creative director of Albatross Arts, which organised the event, praised the artists involved for their creativity and bravery putting in forward their work.
She said: “The exhibition was really well received, and we had around 130 visitors.
“Not only was it wonderful to see everyone’s reaction to seeing their work exhibited in such a lovely space but it was great to listen to all the stories people had about what they had gone on to do after the end of the projects.
“We heard about all the connections made, spin off creative groups and friends made.
“It is not easy putting your work out there. It can be very daunting but there was a huge sense of pride in everyone’s collective achievements and lots of discussion about the positive benefits of everyday creativity for mental health.”
The exhibition looked to highlight the struggles and experiences of unpaid carers in post-pandemic society and during the cost-of-living crisis.
Alex said that while there were “challenges” in creating the exhibition, they were all worth it and helped give the group an informative experience.
She added: “The real stars of the show are all the inspirational unpaid carers who took part in our project.
“It was an ambitious project which didn’t come without its challenges, but it has been so worthwhile and we have taken a lot of learning from it which we will feed into the next project.
“It is a challenging time for the third and fourth sectors, but it just goes to show what can be achieved when we pull together.”
Those who participated in the doodle exercise are encouraged to send Albatross Arts their artworks via their Instagram @albatross_arts_cic and use #EverydayCreativity.
Albatross Arts partnered with Alzheimers Scotland, FunFirst, We Are With You, Enable Scotland and Jeans Bothy to deliver the exhibition while TSI Argyll & Bute funded the project.
The display was first displayed in Mount Stuart on Bute before coming to Helensburgh and there are now plans to take it back on the road to Lochgilphead.
Albatross Arts was founded in 2020 and aims to empower people and highlight social causes through their projects.
To read more about the organisation visit: www.albatrossarts.org.
(Photos: Christine Docherty)
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