Visitors to Kirkcaldy Galleries' Art-tastic exhibition urged to be storytellers

They are being urged to create stories and verse inspired by some 20 works of art on display in the Art-tastic exhibition at Kirkcaldy Galleries.

Budding writers of all ages can draw on a wealth of inspirational material to frame their work, a selection of which will be posted on social media. A poem, short story or even a few scribbled lines on a postcard will suffice, but curators are confident audiences will not be lost for words.

Art-tastic – which opened last weekend – is packed with works that will encourage people unfamiliar with art to see it in a fresh light. Works on show include paintings by L S Lowry – famed for his matchstick-like figures – the eminent 20th century artist Sir William MacTaggart and leading Arts and Crafts painter John Duncan.

Visitors can enjoy the full-length film version of Clydebuilt Puppet Theatre's re-telling of the classic children's story, The Lighthouse Keeper and the Seal, in a specially created mini cinema.

Gallery-goers can pick up a free activity sheet packed full of games and puzzles. Hands-on activities in the galleries include colouring sheets, a giant snakes and ladders game and a jumbo-size jigsaw. There are also Museum Makes craft videos to enjoy and puppet-making worksheets to take home.

“We’ve not necessarily picked works by the most well-known artists in the OnFife collection,” said curator Lesley Lettice. “Instead, we’ve chosen paintings that capture the imagination and will provide our visitors with plenty of opportunities for storytelling.”

Also featuring in the Art-tastic exhibition are paintings of local scenes in Fife, including one of Kirkcaldy’s Links Market in full swing by Peter Smith.

Curators have written their own stories to accompany each of the paintings on show as a jumping off point for visitors. The aim, however, is to encourage visitors – particularly children – to interact with the paintings and dream up written work of their own.

The curators hope visitors will delve into the collection and be surprised at what they might learn from looking at paintings in a different way.

Lesley added: “Paintings are much more than just lines and colour. The longer you look at one, the more there is to discover. There are often lots of hidden details that just need a closer look. Art-tastic is packed with potential stories – all you have to do is fire your imagination and bring them to life.”

The Clydebuilt film, the Museum Makes videos and the puppet-making worksheets are also available on the Art-tastic webpage: www.onfife.com/event/art-tastic

Art-tastic is on at Kirkcaldy Galleries until October 22, 2023. To find out more, go to www.onfife.com