Gifted

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Mission

Over the course of 2011 ten delicately crafted sculptures were found hidden in in Scotland’s national arts institutions. The mysterious appearance of these anonymously gifted artworks gained an international following with coverage by NPR, BoingBoing and the Guardian.

I was tasked with designing and coordinating a national touring exhibition of these original artworks.

 

 

Project

Managing the development of this exhibition, I worked with the nine recipients to coordinate the artifact loans. I secured appropriate exhibition partners at libraries (and one book festival) in towns and cities across Scotland.

gifted book cover

I worked with art dealers, movers and gallery designers to prototype the transport and display logistics for the exhibition, and developed budgets, marketing strategies and fundraising documents to secure the future of the project.

I coordinated the tour schedule and worked with local groups to create public events and promotional activities relevant to local audiences. The program was developed to coincide with Book Week Scotland and the launch of Gifted, an art book published by Birlinn (Polygon).

 

Reach

In its six-city tour, nearly 50,000 people visited Gifted. The print book sold out its first print run within months and the project garnered international press. A new edition of the book has recently be released, and the detailed exhibition booklet is available on Issuu.

The marketing campaign and digital materials reached millions of people and the artworks continue to receive international attention.

gifted logo

 

 Partners

This project was funded by Creative Scotland and spearheaded by the Scottish Poetry Library, the first recipient of one of these magnificent works.

Lending Institutions: National Library of Scotland, National Museums Scotland, Filmhouse, Scottish Poetry Library, Edinburgh City Libraries, Scottish Storytelling Centre, UNESCO City of Literature, Edinburgh International Book Festival, Edinburgh Writers Museum

Exhibition Tour Locations: Wigtown Book Festival, Mitchell Library Glasgow, Carnegie Library Dunfermline, Dundee Central Library, Aberdeen Central Library, Scottish Poetry Library