Update today: 25th Apr 2024

CELEBRATING BONFEST 2024 – Fri 3rd – Sun 5th May

Every year Bonfest is organised by a sub-committee of the DD8 Music charity. The income raised by the annual festival is invested back into the local community, in particular the running of this amazing music charity. They even have a music studio which is available to the public as a rehearsal space and recording studio. At the forefront of DD8 Music is the development of young local musicians. They aim to involve these aspiring young people in as many local community events as possible where they can engage their interests on a practical and educational level so that they can gain experience and knowledge in a field that they are passionate about.

The festival commemorates Bon Scott a native of Kirriemuir who was the frontman of the band AC/DC.

This artwork is a wee pun relating to one of AC/DCs famous songs. The bottles (artwork not alcohol) will be sold on the last day of the festival with proceeds going to the DD8 charity.

Have you guessed what this year’s Bonfest installation pun is???Please share any photos you take at the gallery using #128TBG

Update today: 24th Jan 2024

ANNE MARIE BARNETT with PERFECTLY IMPERFECT

A new exhibition and artist talk coming soon from the 128 Telephone Box Gallery Graduate Award Winner artist Anne Marie Barnett.

3rd Feb – 23 March 2024

The artist talk will be held on Saturday 24th February. It begins with a viewing of the work at the gallery at 3.30pm, then on to Kirrie Connections, 29 Roods, Kirriemuir, DD8 4HN for 4pm with the talk and refreshments.

Sponsored by VACMA Visual Artist and Craft Maker Awards

Update today: 8th Dec 2023

SUSTAINABLE ECO-FRIENDLY HANDMADE HOLIDAY DECORATIONS

With the environmental crisis and the economic struggles that people are facing this holiday season, UHI Perth Gateway to Creative Industries (Art and Music) students have created wonderful holiday decorations from household waste, old damaged books, leftover craft materials, old fabrics and biodegradable glitter to demonstrate cost-effective and fun to make alternative decoration solutions. Even the batteries used for the lights are rechargeable. This is to inspire people to try to make their own.

Update today: 16th Nov 2023

SUSTAINABLE MONOPRINT WORKSHOP 2023

This short snappy session was held at the Carnoustie/Monifieth Careers Fair on behalf of UHI Perth. Deirdre Bennett ran this session using sustainable printing materials such as discarded paper offcuts, last pages in old sketchbooks and beautiful brown packaging filler paper that is common in parcels on the run-up to Christmas.

Update today: 13th May 2023

128 TELEPHONE BOX CONTEMPORARY ART GRADUATE AWARD 2023

This year’s 128 Telephone Box Contemporary Art Graduate Award was presented to Anne Marie Barnett at UHI Perth’s (University of the Highlands and Islands Perth) Graduate Showcase 2023 which was held in Perth city. This winning contemporary art graduate will be exhibiting new work at the gallery in January 2024.

Update today: May 2023

SUSTAINABLE TETRA PAK PRINT EXHIBITION

Running from MAY – JULY 2023

As a part of the Angus Festival of Making in May, Deirdre Bennett ran two free sustainable print workshops. These workshops were designed to demonstrate how general household waste materials can be used to create beautiful artworks without damaging the environment. Tetra-pak cartons are recyclable plastic and aluminium-coated cardboard cartons used to hold milk or juice. The paper that was printed on was handmade from reconstituted household wastepaper. The finished pieces will be exhibited in the 128 Telephone Box Gallery from May to July 2023.

Update today: 8th April 2023

2 X WORKSHOPS: SUSTAINABLE TETRA-PAK PRINTING ON HANDMADE PAPER

WHEN: Saturday 13/05/23 – 2.30 – 4.30pm and Sunday 14/05/23 – 2.30 – 4.30pm

FREE – Age 12 Plus – Max 8 Participants

Location: Kinnordy House, Kirriemuir, DD8 5ER

FREE – Age 12 Plus – Max 8 Participants

Introductory session of print making using sustainable eco materials. 

BOOK YOUR TICKETS HERE

This workshop is designed to demonstrate how general household waste materials can be used to create beautiful artworks with minimum damage to the environment. Tetra-Pak cartons are recyclable plastic and aluminium coated cardboard cartons used to hold milk or juice. The paper that will be printed on is handmade from reconstituted household wastepaper. The process will take about 2 hours and will be suitable for accompanied children and adults. The finished pieces will be exhibited in the 128 Telephone Box Gallery in Kirriemuir after which they can be collected by the participants. Kinnordy house is wheelchair accessible with toilet.

Update today: Thursday 26th January 2023

‘THREADS THAT BIND US’ – By Felicity Rose McClure

Official Launch 5th February from 3pm

(29th Jan – 28th  Feb 2023)

Felicity Rose McClure is a Scottish artist currently practising from her studio in East Scotland. She recently graduated from Perth College UHI Scotland with a BA (Hons) Art and Contemporary Practices. She was also the recipient of the prestigious 128 Telephone Box Gallery Graduate Award for excellence at her final year show 2022.

Working mostly with 2D mixed media her practice tackles themes of identity, self-expression and mental health, and how these characteristics relate to each other to form the self. She often expresses these ideas through self-portraiture, the nude female figure, and monochromatic patterns.

McClure has been practising since 2016 and in that time, she has presented her work in a number of exhibitions; the Ice Factory Perth 2022, the Garment Factory 2019, the 13th Note 2018, and the Paisley Art Institute 2017 in Glasgow. Her practice continues to grow and evolve. This can be seen in her current solo exhibition ‘Threads that Bind Us’, at the 128 Telephone Box Gallery, Kirriemuir, Scotland.

Update today: Tuesday 4th December 2022

A SUSTAINABLE HOLIDAY SEASON – DEC 2022

(4^th Dec – 6^th Jan 2022)

With the environmental crisis and the economic struggles that people are facing this holiday season Perth College UHI ‘NQ Art and Design‘ students have created wonderful decorations from household waste, old damaged books, leftover craft materials, old fabrics and biodegradable glitter to demonstrate cost-effective and fun to make alternative decoration solutions. Even the batteries used for the lights are rechargeable.

Update today: Tuesday 11th October 2022

Sustainable Print Workshop & Exhibition

(28th August – 12th October 2022)

The workshop was designed to demonstrate how general household waste materials can be utilised to create beautiful artworks without damaging the environment.

Special thanks go out to the Angus Makers, Sustainable Kirriemuir, Kirrie Krafters, Kirrie Connection and everyone who collected and donated used tetra pak cartons for the use in this workshop. (Hamilton Kerr Photography, Airlie Arms and 88 Degrees)

Update today: Thursday 28th August 2022

Coming Soon!!!

Exhibition by Contemporary Stained Glass Artist Maureen Crosbie

(6th August – 18th August 2022)

‘VOICES’

Exhibition – Artist Talk – Tour – 6 – 18 Aug

Launch: 6^th at 2pm at the 128 Telephone Box Gallery

Followed by:

Stained Glass Tour of Kirriemuir United Parish Church, Bank Street, Kirriemuir, DD8 4BG

Find out more about Crosbie here:

Website: www.gallusglass.com

Visit Gallus Glass Etsy Shop:  https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/GallusGlass

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gallusglass

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gallusglass/

Children’s Summer Workshop Exhibition 2022 Now Installed – Thursday 21st July 2022

(21st July – 4th August)

‘Things that make me happy’

Come along and have a look at the clay sculptures created in the workshop – lots of wonderful conversations and fun was had during the making.

The clay workshop was in collaboration with DD8 Music Kirriemuir. DD8 Music is a registered charity.

Find out more about how you can get involved with DD8 Music at www.dd8music.com

Children’s Summer Workshop Exhibition 2022

(21st July – 4th August)

‘Things that make me happy’

Creators:

• Daisy Gibbons
• Ruby Richardson
• Holly Simmons
• Katie Nicoll
• Bex Warne

Clay workshop was in collaboration with DD8 Music Kirriemuir. DD8 Music is a registered charity.

Find out more about how you can get involved with DD8 Music at www.dd8music.com

Special thanks to our sister gallery:

201 Telephone Box Gallery – Strathkiness, Fife

Communication and connection are big words and concepts but they play important roles in our lives. The ways we communicate and connect with each other are intrinsic to our everyday existence and can be inspirational. The idea of ‘communication’, in its broadest sense, is the curatorial concept behind the smallest gallery in Strathkinness, Fife – the 201 Telephone Box Gallery – which was established four years ago in a K6 telephone booth by artist, curator and lecturer Lada Wilson.

This May sees the opening of the 128 Telephone Box Gallery in Kirriemuir, which is inspired by and based on the model established by the 201 Telephone Box Gallery.

The 128 Telephone Box Gallery in Kirriemuir takes the concept of ‘connection’ as its curatorial concept and is curated by artist, curator and lecturer Deirdre Bennett.

Its inaugural exhibition entitled ‘Never grow up’ is a site-specific installation by Lada Wilson. Every time Lada creates an artwork, she tells a story: about a world of fragments, leftovers from the past, artefacts of new discoveries… – elements put together and composed especially for its location (here, inside a red telephone box).

This time, Lada’s story is about play – its presence and absence – and how people think that when they ‘grow up’ they must stop playing. By questioning this, Lada’s performance on the 7th of May 2022 will activate the installation at the 128 Telephone Box Gallery in Kirriemuir and celebrate J. M. Barrie’s birthday (9^thMay), whose Peter Pan inspired and provided a reference point for Lada’s installation. 

The 128 Telephone Box Gallery and 201 Telephone Box Gallery are planning to support each other and to engage in joint projects in the future that will bring innovative contemporary art to their communities.  

Through communication and connection, the network of small red galleries grows and provides an opportunity to showcase contemporary art in iconic structures, in keeping with their historical heritage but also creating new stories, new histories.  

Lada Wilson’s work is installed – 2nd May 2022

Wilson’s work is installed and ready for activation on the 7th May at 2.30pm. Please photograph and share on social media with the hashtag #128TBG

Grand Opening Coming Soon!!!

Poster ready announcing the Grand Opening of the 128 Telephone Box Gallery – 2.30pm 7th May with the artist in residence, Lada Wilson.

Merch Merch Merch…well actually freebies for the opening – 29th April 2022

Some cute tiny badges just arrived – something to remember the #128TBG by. Fee while stocks last.

It has been a lot of work!…but worth every bit of it. I am happy 🙂 – 29th April 2022

It has taken a lot of work but I think the K6 box looks ace! What a transformation! I am a happy curator …..looking forward to getting some awesome art in here. Just look at the before and after photos below. Wow! Wow!….still need to do the inside and replace the telephone signs and some of the glass pieces.

Crowning Glory! Shiny Shiny….. new crowns sets it all off – 28th April 2022

Finally got to paint the crowns – my gold paint ran out so will have to buy more to finish them all around the box. But the gold crowns really pop against the shiny new red coat.

Gloss is finished and sign is up – 27th April 2022

After a few days of painting and pulling masking tape off (this took way too long – tip: never use cheap masking tape – sheesh!) it was time to put the gallery sign up. Unfortunately, the new glass and telephone signs have not arrived so I will have to replace these in the summer.

Time for the gloss …and a wee break! – 19th April 2022

I am not a huge fan of gloss as it is so very sticky and gets everywhere. However, this has livened the box up even more. Frustrated by the wind blowing leaves and sand on the box as I paint but I also feel so very sorry for the poor little bugs getting stuck despite my best efforts. Coffee deserved I would say.

Also, a shout out to my kind husband Aidan for all his help and support.

Undercoat on and it looks so good already! – 16th April 2022

First full coat on – such a difference already. Hope the weather keeps up. One of the great things about this project is that I am getting to meet the local people. Lots of people stop to say ‘hello’, or ask about the project and share stories about Kirrie. This really is a wonderful town.

Masked off – undercoat ready!!! What a yummy red colour – 16th April 2022

The masking off took ages but I hope it speeds up the painting especially as this K6 will need 4 coats. The paint was kindly donated by the Kirriemuir Community Council.

Lots of sanding to be done …..dusty work!!! – 16th April 2022

If a job needs doing then do it right. Also, do it safely – always wear a mask when sanding even outside – particularly if sanding old paint.

Key to my Heart…or should I say Art? – 13th Feb 2022

Finally sourced a suitable lock for the 128 Telephone Box Gallery. Looking forward to it all coming together.

I saw the sign!….8th Feb 2022 –

The 128 Telephone Box Gallery’s new signs have been ordered! Woot Woot! Exciting stuff!

New Year New Day…1st Jan 2022 – Update

The 128 Telephone Box Gallery is in a bit of a sorry state right now and certainly needs a lot of TLC. This is not so easy this time of the year. Sanding and re-painting will need to wait until late spring/early summer. However, a good clean up and tidy will definitely be on the cards before the official opening.