Art beyond the park as Shawlands welcomes Art Village

Shawlands Arcade will play host to the first ever Art Village from May 11, as part of the Southside Festival.

There, art lovers can browse work across a range of modern mediums until May 25 — and it’s free to visit.

Curator and southside artist Mark Thomas McGhee told The Extra: “It’s a pilot project which we hope to do every year, and grew out of the Art in the Park exhibition at the Southside Festival.

“The majority of artists in Glasgow are based in the southside, but there aren’t many places for them to show work over here.

“That’s the main driving force behind the project – to facilitate artists and give them somewhere to exhibit.

“Our aim is to have Shawlands – and the Arcade – buzzing again.”

The Art Village takes its place alongside the Southside Fringe in the Arcade, showcasing work from over 50 contemporary artists and short filmmakers under the heading It’s All Around You.

Everything from graffiti, installation, ceramics, photography and oil painting are covered, with big names like Peter Howson and Lesley Banks sitting alongside recent graduates and submissions coming from as far and wide as Australia, Finland and Poland.

Mark added: “It’s about building a bridge between the established talent and what’s new and fresh – and showing that the gap between them isn’t that big.”

A selection of short films will also be on display, marking what organisers believe to be Scotland’s smallest cinema.

It’s All Around You is funded by Glasgow Life and supported by Ultimate Jam Sessions – a live music network agency working across Scotland.

The Art Village is open May 11-25, 10am-6pm, and admission is free. To find out more, visit www.facebook.com/artvillagescotland.