Kerry Stewart lives in the Highlands of Scotland and is very involved in the local arts world through her role as Secretary for the Speyside Arts Network and as the Gallery Manager for Still Life Studio Picture Framer & Gallery. The Speyside Arts Network was formed in 2004 to develop, support and encourage an active arts programme and network in the Speyside area. It promotes and provides a platform for professional artists of all disciplines and creates qualitative opportunities for communities to participate in arts events and activities. The Still Life Studio was established in 1996 where Kerry and her partner undertake commissions, provide a picture framing service and display the work of many local artists.
Who do you work for?
I volunteer for a Community Arts Group (Speyside Arts Net) which promotes plays in Speyside and puts on festivals including a Midsummer Arts Festival last year and The Storytelling Festival in September this year. I am also a self employed partner in Still Life Studio & Gallery.
What do you do all day?
My day is varied and mostly involves marketing, accounting, ordering, customer relations – dealing with clients and artists, advising on picture framing and keeping staff busy. Updating the website and general organising our gallery space. Occasional evenings & weekends involve attending meetings, encouraging the arts in Speyside, liaising with art development workers, promoting and attending plays, and investigating new arts projects for our group.
What are you doing today?
Today I spent the morning in the gallery dealing with clients including quoting for a job for a London Firm. That involved ringing suppliers, emailing, & assorted phone calls. I also advised on jobs needing done to staff; organised filing of invoices; ordered cards for gallery for Christmas; dealt with advertisers, and discussed future arts projects with another local organiser. Had a family break with my partner Alan and two children Connor & Flynn before heading off in the evening to attend a meeting with all the theatre promoters in Morayshire discussing new shows for next year. These shows included “The accidental death of an accordionist”, The Polish Play and “The man who planted trees”. These meetings are informative as you get feedback from other promoters about plays they have seen. Also Universal Hall in Findhorn is involved and always helpful as they put on so many performances each year which include dance, music and theatre.
What’s the best thing about your job?
I think it must be the freedom of being self-employed and in control of the way I live my life. I enjoy the people I meet. They are all interesting and talented and every day is different. Sometimes the gallery is like a train station. The best thing about being Secretary of Speyside Arts Net is we get to choose plays, attend plays and meet performers, and of course we initiate and create new arts events which is just great fun and a challenge.
And the worst thing?
It has to be the book-keeping for my business and my voluntary job would have to be when a show is booked and things start to go wrong e.g. the hall we have booked for a performance is double-booked but generally it is all rewarding and every hiccup usually has a lesson to be learnt behind it. It is also very nerve wracking when you put on any event as you never know how many people will come.
How did you get into it?
Speyside Arts Net was initiated by Moray Council through its art development team. I attended the meetings as I was very keen to get things happening but didn’t really want to commit. When they said we could have a play in a few weeks only if we had a constitution and office bearers a few of us volunteered to make it happen. That was about 3 years ago and myself, Treasurer Elizabeth Strath and chair Caroline van der Heiden are still the office bearers as it is always hard to get anyone to commit to the workload involved.
My own business started 15 years ago when my partner and I moved to near Dufftown and built up a small business which belonged to a friend and was lying dormant as she was a journalist and too busy to do it. We evolved and built up experience over the years and acquired a shop front. I did a course and got my guild commended framers certificate in 1996 and things have been going great and we love being involved in this type of business. Over the years there have been so many talented people moving to Moray it is just incredible and we have been fortunate enough to meet a good percentage of them.
Who’s been the biggest influence on you, career-wise?
Pete Bingham has to be a great one to mention in the picture framing scene. He demonstrates his mount cutting techniques at trade fairs and has invented quite a few gadgets and writes books. I attended a course with him. Sandy Maxwell who is co-ordinator for NEAT (North East Arts Touring) has been a major influence to all of us on the committee. He is very calm & professional. He has guided us carefully over the years and helped us choose shows and organise promotion. He leaves in November so will be well missed.
Tell us a little about your latest project?
To be honest we all feel like a bit of a rest after running two festivals two years in a row. We will be doing the Polish Play in the Spring. We are discussing ideas for a community play whereby we bring a theatre company into the community and get them to teach us how to put on a pantomime. Our Arts Development Manager, Nick Fearne is very supportive of this idea but it will take a lot of work to get it off the ground. Also we would like to organise a craft and gallery trail along the River Spey.
What’s been your biggest professional achievement so far?
Nothing in particular but I did enjoy organising an artistic exercise whereby 15 artists were all invited to paint the same picture. We called it the Commission Exercise and each artist was given a description of what this imaginary person wanted them to paint. I was the imaginary person called Morag from the Isle of Skye. It was so interesting to see how each artist perceived Morag’s requests to paint a childhood memory. Most of the artists took it seriously and it is certainly something I would like to do again in the future.
Who is your favourite artist?
Frida Kahlo – a very brave woman and stunning artwork.
Where would you like to go from here, career-wise?
I am interested in the conservation of artwork and also learning new skills through the community group. Shadowing a director for the community play would be a great experience. Career-wise I am happy to carry on, maybe expand the gallery eventually but generally all is fine as it is.
What are the challenges facing community arts groups today?
Keeping enough volunteers involved so that we can function and also filling in Application forms for Grants and book-keeping are major challenges.
