Argyll Hope Spot Retrospective Exhibition

A retrospective of artwork resulting from four years of snorkelling artists residencies in Argyll goes on show in the heart of Oban. The Argyll Hope Spot is curating an exhibition looking back on 4 years of the Argyll Hope Spot Snorkelling Artist Residency. A total of 37 artists and communicators have participated as residents or tutors across our 5 residencies to date. In 2021 we hosted our first snorkelling residency for artists. Through our residencies, we hope to bring a range of audiences closer to the incredible world hidden beneath the surface of Argyll’s waters. Eight artists visited the Argyll Hope Spot that year to explore, sketch and make new work. They worked on the shore and in the water - even sketching whilst snorkelling. Their work brought to life scenes that we don’t normally see, and are not often represented through art. We hosted residencies again in 2022, 2023, and 2024 opening applications to artists and communicators from a wide range of disciplines from architects to composers. Their work ranges hugely in medium and feeling. Drawings, paintings, sculpture, sound works and animations make space for a wider range of people to feel a deeper connection to life underwater in the seas of Argyll and beyond. We’ll show work from both local and international artists (Italy and Germany). We’re asking the question, what happens after the residency? We're particularly interested in work that relates to the idea of artists as change-makers and the work will all be marine related. The Argyll Coast and Islands Hope Spot is a community-led celebration of this part of Scotland’s world-class natural riches. It is the first Hope Spot in mainland UK. Hope Spots are special places, vital for the ocean’s health, linked by the international organisation Mission Blue. This growing global network also includes the Galapagos Islands and Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. Collectively, Hope Spots are creating a global wave of community support for ocean conservation that policymakers cannot ignore. The Argyll Coast & Islands Hope Spot stretches from Ardnamurchan to Loch Sween. It includes four Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), Special Areas of Conservation, National Scenic Areas and National Nature Reserves. *Please check with The Rockfield Centre for opening times. Exhibition space is available for room hire and so may be closed to the public at times.*