Exhibition to explore story of JD Fergusson

Exhibition to explore story of JD Fergusson

ON the same day that a major retrospective of the work of JD Fergusson opens at the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, the gallery named after him in Perth also unveils a new show dedicated to the artist.

JD Fergusson: Picture Of A Celt examines the artist's Perthshire roots and what this meant to him in terms of Scottish artistic identity, placing him not only within the cultural nationalism of Scotland after the Second World War but also in the wider international arts scene.

Fergusson considered himself "a pure Highland Scotsman, definitely a Celt" and his ashes are scattered alongside his wife, dancer Margaret Morris, at the top of Schiehallion. His interest in Celtic design stretched back to his years working in Paris in the early 20th century, but it was while based in Glasgow from 1939 onwards that his painting most reflected these roots and the nationalism debate of the time.

The exhibition, which also covers Fergusson's interest in paganism, nature and rhythm, is at the Fergusson Gallery in Perth from Saturday until June 15.

Music agency's folk event invite

RENFREWSHIRE roots music agency Brookfield-Knights has said that four of its acts have been invited to appear at the 26th annual Folk Alliance International conference in Kansas City, US, in February.

The Folk Alliance event is increasingly seen by music business insiders as the most prestigious occasion on the roots music calendar and Brookfield-Knights, which represents musicians from both sides of the Atlantic and has an international reputation for talent spotting, is hoping for major results for the Brighton-based Mountain Firework Company, Pennsylvania trio The Stray Birds (who are headliners at Celtic Connections in January), and Canadians The Bills and Jenny Ritter.

l www.folkalliance.org