New art space set to give Glenrothes a splash of colour

Norma Stewart, Margaret West, Billy Cauldfield, Lilian Sloan, Candice MacKenzie, Cllr Ian Sloan & Angela Ross. Pic: Steven Brown

Glenrothes Art Club have agreed with LaSalle Investment Management, the company that runs the town’s Kingdom Shopping Centre, to take over one of the vacant units, formerly occupied by Poundstretcher, as part of an exciting three-month project leading up to the festive period.

Club members are currently putting the final touches to a packed calendar of events which will include live art demonstrations, workshops and, art classes for all ages.

They also hope to attract a number of big name artists to the project and have already confirmed that celebrated Fife artist Josephine Gillespie, will be conducting a live art demonstration class.

“We had the same shop space for an arts display for two weeks earlier in the year and so the club is delighted to have secured the space for the next three months,” said Lillian Sloan, chairman of the art club, one of the longest running organisations in the town.

“We will be incorporating a range of event and will also have the pop up art shop again in the lead up to Christmas, which proved so popular last year.

“Most important of all though is the project gives people of all ages the opportunity of all ages to get involved in art and possibly do something they haven’t tried before.”

And with £5000 of funding already provided by Glenrothes Area Committee, as well as support from Kingdom Kidz charity, getting involved in many events and activities will cost people nothing more than £1.

“There’s a nominal registration fee but other than that all aspects of the project will be free,” Lillian explained.

“We’ll be using some of the funding to provide specific events aimed at school children, which will run throughout the October school holidays,” she added.

Club members got the keys to the vacant unit last week and will initially open on Tuesdays and Thursdays, as well at weekends.

The town centre project comes at a potentially exciting time for the club which is awaiting the outcome of a planning application.

If approved it will allow ‘planning in principle’ on the club’s Cottar House building, which has been its home for over 50 years.

Members voted in favour of selling the building in 2014.