Following on from the popular 2011 lecture series ‘Art of Place’ for 2012, The University of Glasgow’s new Solway Centre for Environment and Culture, in Dumfries, in association with Spring Fling are delighted to present ‘Looking In – Looking Out’ – a three part lecture series. Focusing on the themes of ‘Memory’, ‘Land’ and ‘Sustainability’, the series celebrates the work of artists from this region; as part of the historical artistic legacy, stimulated by its distinctive environment and culture, whilst remaining engaged with and sustaining links to the world outside. These lectures will explore the relationship between creativity and location – a key theme for the Solway Centre for Environment and Culture just as it is for Spring Fling – engaging with the reasons why, and where, artists choose to work where they do.
Each evening – four artists who have participated in Spring Fling over the past ten years will speak about their work and practice; a series of art professionals from out with the region will speak about their work and experience (speakers to be announced on the page from February 2012); and Dr Valentina Bold from The University of Glasgow representing The Solway Centre for Environment and Culture will lead a Q&A with the participating artists.
MEMORY
Wednesday 18 April 2012, 6pm – 7.30pm
Artists have long been drawn to Dumfries and Galloway. With a focus on Dumfries and Galloway’s artistic legacy and its continual appeal for living artists, these speakers will talk about living and working in the region, their journey towards feeling part of an artistic community, and being inspired or influenced by artwork or artists from the past.
Invited External Speakers:
Dr. Maggi Toner-Edgar – After working in France and America and running her own fashion design company in the 1980s, Maggi spent over 20 years leading Degree and MA courses in Fashion and Applied Arts in Higher Education at UCLAN and Cumbria Institute of the Arts. Her main interest is in fashion, millinery and sculptural textiles with the Cumbrian landscape and weather conditions inspiring her in relation to concepts, colour and form. www.toneredgar.com
Maggi will talk about:
Memory and Thinking Caps
These three small collections formed a mini-memoir, inspired by memories of people and place.
The practice research involved investigating how we learn from our own experience of practice. My research explored how the physical experience of being creative can exorcise memories; it shows how the creative process can be beneficial for lifting your mind above and away from the everyday. Fabrics have meanings that transmit visual messages and concepts, often not fully recognised or understood.
Creative Style 
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