The bridge is complete, the paths are open, several artworks are installed already and others are to continue to develop over the next few months.
I look forward to this Saturday the 3rd of December when the bridge will be officially opened, with a carnival of light, lanterns, and more from the Carnival Arts Yard.
You can now walk the River of Names, and see it for yourself!
Hope to see you there!
A long gap in posts, as I’ve been working hard designing the river. This has meant creating the final design on the computer, incorporating hand-drawn elements.
Designs are now with the manufacturers, and we are working out the fine detail of how to put the design into production.
More here soon!
There are eight artists/groups working to create artworks for the project. Over the winter, we’ve been busy! Community engagement has included workshops in clay, drawing, poetry – some in person, some virtual.
Some glimpses of what’s been going on:
Lambhill Stables workshops:
Boom Arts have held drawing workshops and litterpicks:
Louise Nolan has made hundreds of tiles with community groups and batches for posting:
My ‘river of names’ has gathered several hundred names, and I’ve finished the poem, which I’m now designing into the ‘river’:
Possobilities have held art workshops and Nicola McHendry is creating viewfinders.
Work on the bridge is progressing fast, and it’ll be exciting to see the artworks being incorporated into the site this spring!
For updates, follow:
Maryhill Together on Facebook
This website/blog!
Scottish Canals – there is a newsletter to sign up to.
I’m now working on the final designs for the river. Part of the design is using different fonts, typefaces, and lettering. Today, I’ve been gathering some of the special images I’ve found and selecting which ones to include.
Deep in design/contemplation process at the moment.
I’ve gathered over 1,000 names that I would love to put in the river. But of course, this is far too many. So this month hard decisions are going to have to be made about which names to use.
In the course of my research and consultations, I’ve discovered some wonderful stories and many forgotten names of people, places and events that remain just as slight memories, glimpses and fragments.
I recently heard about the ‘Lost Children of Maryhill’, and there are the memories and ghosts of so many of the people who lived, worked and passed through the area around Stockingfield.
I’ve been thinking about names, how they endure, how some are ‘written on water‘ and some are ‘carved in stone’.
After working on designs and considering the river deeply over the past few weeks, I’ve started to think that a central poem is needed to flow through the river. I’m now working on that – a poem that hopefully can evoke the memories and echoes of all of those people, places and lives that have woven around the site and created the place.
This week, I’ll be thinking about all of these things and starting on the poem.
Also holding an open zoom on Wednesday – do join me!
This week has been busy with workshops at Glasgow Women’s Centre and a zoom chat with Maryhill Together, as well as conversations about street songs, puffers and buddhism.
The art projects for the bridge are all intended to reflect and involve the local community – it’s great to hear from local people what they value about the canal and the area, and what they’d like to see included in the artworks and the River of Names.
We’ve heard lots about how local people use the canal, the memories of playing and swimming in the canal, and also about people’s concerns and hopes for the future of the canal and the whole surrounding area.
Do follow ‘Maryhill Together’ on facebook for updates on the artworks’ progress and ways to get involved.
Follow this blog for updates on the ‘river of names’
Sign up to Scottish Canals’ newsletter about the project here.
We’ll be hosting another zoom chat in January – meanwhile please feel free to get in touch to suggest names, ask questions, download resources and activities here or just for a chat.
This week, along with Louise Nolan of Maryhill Together, I’ll be chatting via the wonder of zoom to local groups, and holding an open zoom chat on Wednesday the 1st of December.
All are very welcome.
The zoom meeting link can be found here.
It’s a great chance to hear more about the project, ask questions, meet some of the artists and make suggestions for names to add to the ‘river’.
Hope to see you there!
While working mostly on research, I’ve also been developing the design for the ‘river’*.
I’ve sortedthe names gathered so far into about twenty ‘streams’ – ‘nature’, ‘built environment’, ‘sport’, etc. These will then flow and weave and intertwine along the piece. It should make for a stronger visual, and hopefully produce some interesting combinations and meetings.
This will mean designing will be like making several complex curved, elongated jigsaws intertwined with each other. A challenge!
*strictly speaking ‘watercourse’, of course.
I am now deep in researching for names to add to the ‘river’.
One of the nice things is discovering people (and places) connected to the canal and local area.
Hilda Goldwag was an artist recommended to me by the Scottish Jewish Archives centre. She lost her family in the Holocaust, coming to Glasgow as a refugee in 1939, and living the rest of her life here.
The canal, its boats and buildings were one of her main subjects – you can see some of her wonderful paintings here.
Scottish Canals have issued a press release regarding the artwork for the Stockingfield Canal site.
Work is now starting on community engagement, with all the following artists and groups planning various activities and consultation:
And of course, I am looking for names for the ‘river of names’! Do please get in touch if there’s a person, place, wildlife or event you think should be added to the river.
A River of Names 