
When Pittenweem becomes an Art Gallery
Posted 2017-03-16 15:06:56Pittenweem is a small fishing village on Scotland’s east coast. It is found in that lovely part of Fife known as the East Neuk(corner) of Fife.
Behind the village, the land is fertile and
the farms have long had a reputation for producing good food now including
raspberries and blueberries.
From Pittenweem High Street, a few steps will
take you to the top end of one of the steep wynds that lead down to the harbour.
Look out over the red pantiled roofs. In the distance, across an expanse of the
Firth of Forth, you might be able to make out the Isle of May, the Bass Rock and
on the opposite shore, East Lothian stretching away from Edinburgh.
Red or
orange pantiled roofs on white painted houses are a common building style in
this part of Fife. As trade developed with the Low Countries, Belgium and the
Netherlands, the tiles would originally have arrived as ballast on the boats
that sailed back across the North Sea, first towards England then up the east
coast. Pittenweem people soon found these tiles made excellent roofing
material.
Crow stepped gables embellishing some of the buildings
are another architectural feature that were first seen in the Low Countries.
It
has been suggested that the name Pittenweem is derived from, ‘pitt’ a Pictish word
for place and from a Scottish Gaelic phrase na-h-Uaimh, translating to ‘the
place of the caves’.
On this rocky coastline there are a number of
cave-like indentations and there is a cave in the village known as St. Fillan’s
Cave which has served various purposes over the years including as a home for
hermits and monks.
Pittenweem has been a fishing port since the
days when the earliest Fife fishermen found the stretch of safe sandy shore where
they could haul out their boats.
Sadly, since the shoals of herring have moved
elsewhere, the east coast fishing industry is no longer as busy as in the past.
However, Pittenweem remains an important shellfish port and market in the East
Neuk of Fife. Some fish is also landed, but mostly as a by-catch and much of that
is carried off in refrigerated trucks for export to France, Spain and Holland.
You’ll
have to be up very early to see the catches of lobster, prawns and crab being
landed and sold in the market.
There may also be a few artists out and
about, attempting to capture on canvas the effects of the dawning light as it strikes
the village and boats tied up in the harbour.
If you’re tempted to join them, you may be
moved to sketch or paint a scene in the winding streets and alleyways that seem
to have grown haphazardly over the centuries.
There are some professional artists living in
the village while others, along with a number of craft workers, live and work nearby
in the East Neuk.
Local art work is exhibited in a few permanent
galleries in Pittenweem, but it would be fair to say that most visitors and art
lovers come to see the works on show during the village’s Arts Festival in
August.
At the official opening ceremony down at the
harbour, there will be a ceilidh with music and dancing. Later in the evening, to
mark the occasion, local people will add extra sounds and bursts of colour to
the sky by setting off fireworks from their gardens.
Many of these gardens have been brought to their
best at this time, with flowers cascading down walls, tumbling from umpteen
pots and hanging baskets and from the large troughs set out along the sea
front.
One elderly lady who tends her very small,
‘secret garden’ behind her house, gives visitors the chance to look around and
should they want to, make a donation to the charity ‘Help for Heroes’, for the
privilege.
But probably the most intriguing feature of
this festival is that the artwork on display is shown in people’s attics,
living rooms, conservatories, garden sheds and garages as well as in the
‘proper’ galleries.
There can be around 90 of these very
different exhibition spaces. A large white number on a blue board at each door
shows where visitors can view and buy the art work.
You’ll find every conceivable form of
artistic endeavour including sculpture, paintings, ceramics and textiles.
The local artists and artists from much
further afield are often present, manning the stalls and walls and talking to
visitors.
Because of its reputation for artistic
excellence and its unique festival setting, many well-known Scottish and
internationally acclaimed artists have accepted the invitation to be guest
exhibitors at Pittenweem festival over the last 30 years.
As well, in recognition of the importance of
encouraging young artists and undergraduates to establish themselves on leaving
art school, the Festival offers two bursary awards each year to students in
their final year or graduates from the previous five years, from any Scottish school
of art. Candidates must also show a connection to Fife.
Like its much bigger cousin across the Firth
of Forth, the Pittenweem Arts Festival continues to expand and now includes
talks from visiting artists and musical performances.
You could also go on a guided walk along the
coast with a knowledgeable geologist or take part in a sewing session. You
might also enjoy the upholstery or enamelling workshops, a play or a
storytelling session.
To get
the most from this festival, you really need to be there for more than one day.
Children will particularly like finding the numerous bicycles decorated with
shells and flowers that have been dotted round the village.
The old fashioned sweet shop is another
attraction. Here, from the sweet jars on display, you might be tempted to buy
some Sherbet Lemons or Rhubarb Rock. If the sun is shining, treat yourself to an
ice cream.
The villages of the East Neuk of Fife have
always been competitive and though the larger ones, including Pittenweem have
their own fish and chip shop, arguably, the Anstruther Fish and Chip Bar and
Restaurant is the most famous.
Like the tradition of fireworks being set off
at the start of Pittenweem’s Art Festival, it may become your good habit to go
for a walk after a day at the galleries.
Take time to stroll the mile or so along the
Fife Coastal Path from Pittenweem to Anstruther. The path follows the sea shore
along the edge of Anstruther golf course. Look out for the small bay filled
with millions of white shells. Now find a flat rock and add your own mini environmental
artwork made of shells to the others on display.
There may be a queue at the restaurant but your
fish tea will be a splendid finale to a grand day out in Pittenweem and the
East Neuk of Fife.
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