The next exhibition at the Northlight Gallery Stromness will be Portraits for Peace and runs from Saturday 29 November – Fair Saturday – to 16 December.
The exhibition is a collaboration between Northlight gallery, Stromness and the Orkney News as part of Fair Saturday events. The exhibition is open Tuesday to Saturday 11am to 5pm when visitors can watch Orcadian artist Martin Laird painting the portraits of local Peace activists. It’s a unique opportunity to see the artist at work and the process he goes through to compose a portrait.
Portraits for Peace will feature artwork by, and of, peace activists from Orkney. It includes work by the artists Carolyn Dixon, Fiona MacInnes, Susy Shearer, Robinson RR and Bryce Wilson.
For 2025 the theme of the exhibition is portraiture and peace activism. This event has received support from the University of Glasgow and the Arts and Humanities Research Council thanks to Law Professor Charlie Peevers. Professor Peevers is studying the history of peace activism in Scotland and will be visiting Orkney and giving a public talk. More details to follow.
Martin Laird will be using Northlight gallery as an open studio and inviting members of the public to watch as he paints the portraits of several local peace activists who have volunteered to sit for a few hours to have their portraits painted. There are still a couple of spaces left so, if you are an activist, or have been displaced by conflict, and want to have your portrait painted, get in touch via news@theorkneynews.scot
Fair Saturday exists as a counterpoint to the mass consumerism of Black Friday and is a celebration of art and culture with a non-commercial emphasis. The Orkney News and Northlight Gallery participate in Fair Saturday events every year with their nominated charity Orkney Rape and Sexual Assault Service (ORSAS).
Orkney has a history of activism which includes the Orkney Woman’s Suffrage Society, the anti-uranium mining protests of the late 1970s and early 1980s, the Free-Winged Eagle newspaper, and more recently the regular vigils held by Orkney Friends of Palestine in response to the ongoing genocide of the Palestinian people.
Portraits for Peace is free to enter and will be taking donations for Orkney Rape and Sexual Assault Service. There will also be a range of other materials available on current Peace activism in Orkney.
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