Grantown studio 'banks' a good year

The Spey Bank Studio in Grantown is celebrating its first anniversary next month with a new exhibition.

The studio opened on the Strathspey capital’s High Street in October last year following a nine-month renovation.

The premises previously housed the Bank of Scotland which was controversially axed as part of cost-savings in March 2021.

But now the ground floor is a bright, spacious gallery and shop, selling a diverse range of artwork from Badenoch and Strathspey and the wider Cairngorms National Park as well as giftware and ceramics by owner Angus Grant.

The first year of business has included two major exhibitions and a host of ceramics classes.

The studio is also the base for the Spey Art Group, a community organisation,

Mr Grant, who is also an art teacher at nearby Grantown Grammar School, said the first year of business has been exciting.

He said: “Grantown is a wonderful place to do business and everyone has been incredibly encouraging of our venture.

“Our first year has been full of hard work but we are delighted with how our first year has gone. One of the aspects I have enjoyed most has been running the shop and talking to so many new people about art.

“It’s been a wonderful to help customers find an artwork that they love. We’re also delighted at how popular our ceramics classes have been.

“Our students have had great fun making peacock cups, toby mugs, cake stands and butter dishes.”

During October, the gallery will host an exhibition of abstract art, featuring artists with varying styles.

Among the group is Grantown-based Joanna Wilson, an award-winning painter whose work references cartographical lines and organic shapes, including figurative compositions.

Photographer Jess Greaves turns her focus on nature, using multiple exposures and darkroom techniques to explore the inter-connectedness of humans and the natural world.

Katie Ward is an up-and-coming painter and printmaker whose emotionally-charged work seeks to capture a sense of atmosphere and push between abstraction and representation.

Meanwhile, there is a sense of fun and imagination in Malcolm Tyson’s colourful pieces, which develop the idea of doodles. And there will be several pieces by Claire Blois, the well-known Highlands artist.

The exhibition opens on October 7 and runs until October 21. The gallery will be open from Wednesday to Saturday, 10am to 5pm.

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