Always a highlight of the season, the Uist Arts Association present their annual showcase of local artists’ work at the annual Summer Open Exhibition. Visit the Studios in Taigh Chearsabhagh to see the broad range of creative practices on display.
The Summer Show will launch with an opening preview on Friday 26th June, 6.30-8.30pm. Free and open to all, please join us to meet the artists and celebrate their work. Refreshments are provided.
Many of the artworks are available to purchase, with new pieces added throughout the exhibition period. The Summer Show will be staffed by the artists who volunteer over the summer. Feel free to spend some time chatting about the artworks and find out more about the artists.
For more information about the Uist Arts Association and membership, visit the UAA website here.
The UAA Summer Open Exhibition 2026 is free to view in Studios 1 – 3, Monday to Saturday, 10am – 4pm, from 27th June – 8th August. If you would like to support our continued programming and enable us to keep offering free events and exhibitions, please consider making a donation to Taigh Chearsabhagh.
The Exhibition’s importance to local artists:
Mairi Stewart explains the importance of the exhibition to her practice:
“The UAA Summer Show enables me to share my perspective and passion for the Uist landscape. I don’t exhibit outwith North Uist and the show is my annual outlet. This year, I’m focusing on the connection between landscape and a sense of belonging through a series of paintings depicting iconic ruins. These ruinous homes symbolise families of the past and their connection to locals of today.’’
Alex Currie, photographer, presents a series of black and white c-type photographs of contemporary island images. He explains the importance of exhibiting as part of the UAA Summer Show:
“I live on the Isle of Barra and to be able to exhibit at the UAA Summer Open Exhibition in Taigh Chearsabhagh is absolutely crucial to my art and practice. My work is socially engaged, and this exhibition gives me an invaluable opportunity to be able to engage with the wider community and gain some critical feedback and input on my work, as well as engaging and interacting with the wider arts community on Uist and Barra. UAA provides the opportunity for artists to be able to exhibit in a professional gallery setting in a renowned arts organisation like Taigh Chearsabhagh. An absolutely invaluable opportunity for all involved.”
The stories behind some of the artworks:
With over 100 artworks displaying a broad range of creative viewpoints, this year’s exhibition also presents a series of installation pieces that express fresh perspectives on environmental, community and global issues through textile, video and sculptural works.
Artist Niall T. Campbell’s Sounding Rod: is a cast peat sculpture of a sounding rod held in his hands. It recalls the skill of his grandfather to locate graves in an era before gravestones were common. Capturing the raw, elemental liquidity of the earth, this work offers a visceral connection to Hebridean history and the moorland.
MeltingWarmingRisingCirculatingCoolingSinkingCollapsing ia a concrete poem on blue waterpipe that can be seen floating in the bay outside the gallery windows. A pastiche of Nancy Holt’s MoonSunStarEarthSkyWater, 1969 collage on paper (30cm x 45cm), this work continues Laura Donkers’ preoccupation with nature’s taken for granted systems that are rarely seen yet sustain where and how we live, and the urgent need for awareness and protection to safeguard environments and economies globally.
Textile artist, Marie Melnyczuk has created Mapping the Machair, a large handwoven rug that translates sketches, voice notes, photography and birdsong recordings into woven form. Combining techniques such as twill, plain weave, tapestry, kelim and soumak, the rug reveals the structure of its own making. Exposed threads with varied weaving patterns and painterly interventions create a richly textured surface that echoes the complexity of the machair. She says of her practice:
“While the majority of my work focuses on design and commercial elements, exhibiting work provides the freedom for experimentation of materials and techniques, allowing a deeper examination of the themes that underpin my whole practice.’’
Woes of the World by Matthew Topsfield is an improv quilt that began as a playful exercise inspired by Chris English using reclaimed, thrifted, stash and scrap fabrics exploring quilting techniques. Its creation spanned the contemporary escalation of troubles in West Asia on early 2026, combined with concerns about US hegemony, oil-based interests in global politics and the more recent kidnapping of President Maduro and blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Details of traditional Palestinian embroidery and other textile designs reflect deeply rooted
connections to land, local identity and national expressionism. Matthew expands on the importance of this practice:
“Along with subversive stitching, art quilts can challenge us to look and think differently about the world around us. In this way, they can transcend their more usual realm of craft and become important works of art that convey meaning and emotion. In the case of ‘Woes of the World’ this sits the historic and current plight of the Palestinian people in the wider geopolitical context that is dominated by colonialist and extractive ideals.”
The multilingual Island Voices/Guthan nan Eilean community project offers a newly released compilation video that brings together highlights from the collection of recordings that captures and curates perspectives on Hebridean life. Gordon Wells, manager and researcher, says of this project:
“It’s been a unique privilege to be part of building this body of work over the past two decades … [to] platform the rich oral heritage of the contemporary Hebrides … making stimulating links with other communities too.’’
A local story of an elopement in 1849 of Jessie MacDonald of Balranald and Donald MacDonald, a tacksman from Baleloch is captured in The Elopement by painter Kathrhona Lawson. Their plot was foiled due to a storm and Jessie’s father had Donald arrested but was later released. And eventually they sailed away and settled in Australia.
Part of the new Uist Art on the Map Trail
The Summer Show is one of the stops on the Uist Art on the Map Trail of indoor and outdoor artworks. The Trail offers a route through the islands to visit Open Studios, Creative businesses and outdoor sculptures, installations and soundwalks. The trail will show you parts of the island and local life that might be otherwise inaccessible. Visitors can browse the artist profiles on our website to identify interesting artists and use the interactive Google map in each profile to find their location. The Art on the Map trail is promoted via our webpage at https://uistarts.org/map/ or by using a QR code publicly distributed via postcards and posters.