Local artists sought for Outer Hebrides Wildlife Festival Art Exhibitions

The Outer Hebrides Wildlife Festival (OHWF) is an annual community-led celebration of the incredible wildlife of the Outer Hebrides. This year the main festival will run from the 21st to the 28th of June, with events continuing through July as part of the OHWF Fringe Festival.    

This year the festival will feature two art exhibitions; one at An Lanntair Café Foyer, Stornoway, from 7th to 28th June; and another at Taigh Chearsabhagh Café Foyer, North Uist from 7th June - 26th July.  

 Submissions for the exhibitions may include drawings, paintings, prints, and photography relating to nature, wildlife, or environmental themes in the Outer Hebrides. Artworks must ideally be no larger than A3 and must be ready to hang.  

 Those wishing to contribute their artwork to either exhibition are invited to express their interest by the 16th of May via the festival’s website, www.outerhebrideswildlifefestival.co.uk/exhibit-your-art, or by emailing Màiri, the Festival Coordinator, at mairi.carrey@bumblebeeconservation.org. Applicants must include their name, contact details, and any website/social media handles, a picture of the art they wish to submit, title, dimensions, price (if for sale), and a short description of how the piece relates to or is inspired by the nature of the Outer Hebrides.  

 Cally Yeatman, an artist based in the Outer Hebrides who contributed to last year’s art exhibition, said: “The everyday wildlife experiences of living in the Outer Hebrides are core to my practice as an artist based here, from limpets to seabirds and eagles, seaweed and lichens that dress the rocks. It’s great to have opportunities to showcase this rich environment”.  

Festival Coordinator, Mairi Carrey, said: “Whether it is the flight of seabirds or soaring golden eagles, the shimmer of machair in bloom, the rhythm of the tides, calls of corncrakes at dusk, or life beneath the waves, the Outer Hebrides offers endless inspiration. Whether your work reflects the drama of the elements, the delicate details of island wildlife, or the deep connections between people and nature, we encourage you to contribute your art and help celebrate our amazing biodiversity, inspiring others to appreciate what makes our islands so unique." 

 The Outer Hebrides Wildlife Festival is coordinated by Species on the Edge, a multi-partner conservation programme working with communities across Scotland to raise awareness of and secure a future for Scotland’s rarest and most endangered coastal and island species. Via a diverse programme of events and activities spanning the length of the archipelago, the Festival provides locals and visitors alike the opportunity to explore, experience and (re)connect with the incredible wildlife of the Outer Hebrides.  

 Past festivals have included guided walks, boat tours, snorkelling and surfing safaris, shorewatches, nature writing workshops, marine mammal survey training, Gaelic workshops, art exhibitions, wildlife photography workshops, sunset bat walks, and more. All events are hosted by local groups and individuals. If you are interested in hosting an event at this year’s festival, registration is now open and available from the festival website: https://www.outerhebrideswildlifefestival.co.uk/host-an-event.  

 All enquiries relating to the festival and the art exhibitions can be submitted through the festival website or sent to: mairi.carrey@bumblebeeconservation.org.