It was a steady first weekend for an open-air art exhibition created to showcase the talents of designers from across the north-east.
AB53 Creatives is being held at Delgatie Castle in Turriff for the next two weeks with the aim of highlighting artists from the local area.
The art exhibition is centred around a tree on the grounds of the castle which has been specially designed and adorned with artwork.
It was the brainchild of Megan Thores, a final-year student from Robert Gordon University’s Gray’s School of Art, who wanted to prove that talented artists do not have to move to London to get recognition for their work.
Opening day
It kicked off on Saturday with a steady stream of visitors.
Miss Thores was there between 10am and 3pm to welcome people in and answer any questions they might have had.
She said: “I was lucky that it was not chucking it down with rain so that people could get the chance to see the exhibition.
“It was slow in the morning but more people started to pass by and have a look, and there is a coffee shop in Dalgetie and the customers came down as well and it turned out great.
“It is all focused on one tree, with different artists all showcasing their work on it.
“There is also a QR code there that takes you to a website to explain about what it is about.
“When I was there, I never officially interviewed anyone but got some feedback about how it was good to see something like this locally instead of a big city.”
Showcase local work
Miss Thores came up with the idea following the success of her podcast called AB53 Creatives which connects artists in rural areas.
She wanted to show that artists didn’t need to move to the “big city” to be successful, and said: “I found through my time at uni there was a lot of mention about moving to the big city. This was something I never saw on my cards and led me to create AB53 Creatives.
“I want to show just how much creativity can be found in Aberdeenshire and how successful people are doing.”
The event is on until May 29 and is free to enter, with artists all using locally sourced wood to showcase their work.
