Orkney Museum reopens

The Orkney Museum is set to reopen its doors, today, Thursday, for a new temporary exhibition.

Orkney Islands Council’s arts, museums and heritage service is taking part in the Between Islands project, devised by Stornoway arts centre, An Lanntair, with the aim of collectively promoting the heritage and culture of Orkney, Shetland and the Outer Hebrides.

The temporary exhibition will showcase paintings, drawings and prints illustrating the Between Islands themes.

Rachel Boak, curator at the Orkney Museum said: “Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the original plans for the exhibition has had to be scaled down. The aim now is for this to be held virtually, with the hope it will be made available on the their website https://www.betweenislands.com/, YouTube Channel and on our website before the end of the year.

“The temporary display opening at the Orkney Museum this week is intended to act as a ‘taster’ for that virtual exhibition. Featured artists include Stanley Cursiter, William Daniell, Alexander Moffat, Nancy Ramsay and Sylvia Wishart, with some works rarely or never-before displayed.”

The virtual exhibition will explore the inspiration and legacy of islands in the arts, crafts and literature of Orkney, Shetland and the Outer Hebrides. It will comprise of books and prints that document island journeys and scenery, paintings by island artists, portraits of island writers and their publications. It will also include examples of island crafts, from the permanent collections of Orkney Museum, Orkney Library and Archive, Shetland Museum and Archives, and Museum agus Tasglann nan Eilean, with complementary material from museum and archive collections around Scotland.

Councillor Gwenda Shearer, chairwoman of OIC’s education, leisure and housing Committee said: “We are very pleased to be able to reopen this part of the Orkney Museum and showcase this fantastic project.

“We hope folk enjoy the exhibition and that it gives them a great taste for the virtual exhibition later in the year.”

The temporary exhibition will be open on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays in the exhibition room upstairs in the Orkney Museum. A one-way system will be in place and stairlift access is available.

The main galleries and public toilet will remain closed meantime due to physical distancing restrictions. Only eight people will be allowed into the exhibition at any one time, so those wishing to visit should be prepared to queue outside if necessary and we ask people to restrict their visit a maximum of 30 minutes.

Full information for visitors about the measures in place to make the museum safe can be found on https://www.orkney.gov.uk/Service-Directory/S/orkney-museum.htm