The art festival beating the odds by the seaside
The art festival beating the odds by the seaside
Portobello artists and their guests preparing to take centrestage
Seaside communities that boomed in Victorian times are supposed to be bohemian enclaves these days. There must be something in the water.
Think Brighton and its festivals or Margate with its Turner Contemporary beachfront gallery and Wonderland retro theme park.
Edinburgh is no different. Portobello might not be as edgy as Leith, but with its book shops (yes, two of them now), cafes and newly-reopened Town Hall staging concerts and comedians it definitely fits the arty bill.
And what could be more boho than turning your beach, gardens and front rooms into an impromptu art gallery?
That is what happens every September as the Art Walk Porty draws visitors to Edinburgh’s seaside for more than just a walk along the beach and a drink or bite to eat.
The draw of the sea
The Capital’s own seaside art festival is the vision of artist Rosy Naylor who saw the potential after moving to Portobello around a decade ago. What started out as a group of artists opening their studios to visitors has grown into an eagerly-awaited annual event.
Still at its heart, an event organised by local artist volunteers, it brings together creatives living and working in Porty, across Edinburgh, and around the world, with a dedicated audience of art lovers and curious beach visitors.
There are paintings on the wall ready for next weekend’s launch - of swimmers, in the sea and at what might be Portobello’s Victorian baths - when I meet Rosy at Miro’s cafe on the Prom.
“This was actually a quirky little fish and chip shop,” she says with a broad smile, as we talk about how much the city’s seaside has changed in recent years. That chippy really did look unpromising from outside, more than a little shabby, but the friendly staff served great fish and chips, and the most delicious sausage in a roll with supplies from local butcher Findlays.
Rosy felt drawn to Portobello after first moving to Edinburgh about 25 years ago, following art and music studies in Brighton and then Glasgow.
“I think I knew I would always come to Portobello at some point. I grew up by the sea down south, near Whitstable, and I suppose I very much believe in the community by the sea,” she says.
She is not alone. There are, it turns out, literally dozens of other artists living within walking distance of the beach.
What is it about the seaside and artists? “I don’t know, I'm weirdly attached to places on the edge of a city, maybe because I grew up a bit like that. Whenever I go anywhere, I always like to go to somewhere on the edge. So I'm quite interested in the edge lands and the sea.”
Thriving in tough times
Since Rosy launched it in 2015 “to see how it goes”, Art Walk Porty has grown as the community from which it has sprung has changed quite dramatically.
The festival struck a particular chord during the Covid pandemic, when Portobello became central to life in the Capital, as growing numbers of people rediscovered the beauty of the beach and promenade.
“We're used to doing things outdoors, so it wasn't that much of a change for us. Of course, we had to think about distancing people from each other, but we had films projected on to the flats along here.
“People really valued being able to see it and take part in something cultural.”
Despite coming out of the pandemic stronger than ever, the Festival was almost defeated by the current funding crisis facing the arts in Edinburgh and across Scotland.
“There's been times this year where we haven't been sure there would be a festival. We've had to weigh up whether to produce something that is quite different to what people's expectations might be.”
After successive years of support from the national arts agency Creative Scotland, funding has not yet been forthcoming for 2024, although the festival still hopes to secure another grant. In the end, only the support of the Royal Society of Edinburgh allowed this year’s event to go ahead.
Meet the artists throwing open their doors
Much of the format of this month’s Art Walk will be familiar to regular visitors. There will be art installations on the beach, although by necessity not quite as ambitious in scope as in previous years, as well as the ever-popular open studios trail. In fact, this year, there are four separate walking trails, taking in an ever-wider range of artists.
There will also be a cluster of workshop talks on the beach, with an emphasis on participation and a topical theme of “undercurrents”, which addresses environmental topics and practical issues about producing healthy food locally. “It’s quite an exciting way forward in many ways,” says Rosy.
There will be 44 venues in total this year, with many artists opening their home studios to visitors and around 10 local shops and cafes also becoming mini-galleries over the two weekends. Here are the stories of just a few of the artists:
JULIANA CAPES (Venue 39)
At Venue 39, 10 Esplanade Terrace, local artist Julianna Capes has installed an outdoor collection of ceramic and found object sculptures responding to the quantities of dead seabirds which are washing up along the coastline. Juliana is a multidisciplinary visual artist who has exhibited extensively, most recently at Leith’s Sett Studios, Jupiter Artland, CCA Glasgow and the Alchemy Film Festival in Hawick.
KARL STERN (Venue 30)
Further along the prom at Venue 30, artist Karl Stern is showing his characteristic collograph prints and the plates he uses to make them. Karl has been a fixture of the Art Walk for many years, and is one of the local artists who help to plan and organise the event. Last year, Karl suffered a serious stroke just before ArtWalk, with friends and family helping to hang his exhibition while he was in hospital. This year following a remarkable recovery he is back to full health, has had a successful show at House for An Art Lover in Glasgow, and will be showing recent work inspired by people and landscapes.
MARGARET SIMPSON (Venue 44)
Towards Eastfield there is an opportunity to visit one of the landmark buildings in Portobello – Rock Cottage at Joppa Pans. This distinctive white cottage is well known and, new to Art Walk Porty, owner Margaret Simpson is taking part as Venue 44. Margaret, a native of Shetland, was the art teacher at The Royal Blind School, and in retirement has taken up her own work which she will be showing as part of this year’s programme. Her finely detailed pencil drawings of weathered objects found on the beach behind Rock Cottage will be on display, as well as her Fair Isle knitting, made of Shetland wool inherited from her family.
PAUL MACPHAIL (Venue 11)
The beach plays a central role in the life of Portobello, and frequent visitors will sometimes spot enigmatic objects, delicate sculptures made out of driftwood, pebbles, flotsam and jetsam, which have seemingly been left in the sand. These mysterious creations are the work of local artist Paul MacPhail who makes them on the beach, then photographs them in surprising ways, creating a surreal sense of space and scale. He then leaves them to be discovered by walkers – and washed away by the sea. Paul is showing his photographs and sculptural work at Venue 11, 54 Regent Street, providing a rare opportunity to see a selection of his work.
ALISON CHISHOLM (Venue 33)
It turns out there are a lot of artists living in Portobello including some who have been inspired to resume their artistic practice by the Art Walk. Alison Chisholm studied at Glasgow School of Art and then had a career in art education and for many years managed the Travelling Gallery. She helped to organise Art Walk Porty for many years, but never took part. However, during lockdown, Alison started drawing again through weekly online speed drawing sessions, and this year is participating in the programme, showing the work made as a result of this project. She can be seen at Venue 33 on Dalkeith Street.
DUNCAN BARRETT and SARAH LIPPETT (Venue 2)
The Art Walk even appears to be encouraging more artists to move into the area. At Venue 2 in Cunningham Square, which is part of the recent Barratt Homes development on the Baileyfield site, two very different artists are showing their work. Painter Duncan Barrett has been inspired by the local area to make a series of seascapes and landscapes, while Sarah Lippett is an award-winning illustrator who creates socio-political reportage comics focused on telling the stories of diverse communities in locations across the UK and abroad.
You can visit the Art Walk festival hub at 268 Portobello High Street, Edinburgh, EH15 2AT.
Portobello’s Art Houses are open on Sat 7th, Sun 8th, Sat 14th & Sun 15th September 10am to 6pm.
The full programme is available at artwalkporty.co.uk