The Maclaurin Art Gallery News

Future Folklore: The Art and Craft of Storytelling

The Maclaurin Gallery • March 6, 2026

Coming Soon from VISUAL ARTS SCOTLAND

Private View: Saturday 28 March 2026 2pm. Exhibition Runs: Sunday 29 March - Wednesday 27 May

We are looking forward to presenting this exciting show on behalf of Visual Arts Scotland later in the month. It is an open call exhibition of work (applications now closed) and here’s a little more about it and a few images to give you a taste of what’s to come!


“Folklore is never fixed. It evolves with each retelling, carried across generations through craft, song, ritual, and imagination. Ayrshire’s landscape; from its rugged coastline and selkie myths to the haunted ruins celebrated by Robert Burns, has long inspired stories that bridge the human and the otherworldly.


This exhibition brings together artists and makers who use craft as a vessel for storytelling. Weaving together the material and the mythic, they reimagine traditions and invent new narratives for the future.


From selkie legends that speak to belonging and transformation, to contemporary myths of migration, technology, and climate change, the works on display trace how stories are made tangible in clay, textile, wood, paper, sound, and performance.


Future Folklore: The Art and Craft of Storytelling celebrates the enduring power of craft to preserve, reinvent, and create tales that shape our collective identity; stories that root us in place while imagining what comes next.”

Quiet Reflection by Anupa Gardner
From Mould to Miracle Flemings Legacy by Christina Yip
Still Shallows by Al Bell

RSA200: Celebrating Together Opening

By The Maclaurin Gallery • July 3, 2026
There was a huge amount of preparation for these two exceptional exhibitions, celebrating RSA200 years and we enjoyed a joint launch event, kindly opened by Councillor Alec Clark, Portfolio holder for Tourism and Culture, along with Gallery Engagement Officer Erin Crossan and Trustee Michael Clark. In addition to the RSA200 shows, Michael and Ian McNicol got together and curated the excellent PRINTMAKING: A RECENT HISTORY exhibition which is hanging in gallery one. Using the words of Dianne Gardner, we have 3 exhibitions for Ayrshire and a real spirit of cooperation in the making. Call in and see these special shows, here throughout the summer. It’s a fantastic opportunity to see selected works from the Maclaurin and South Ayrshire Council’s permanent collections, enhanced with fabulous artwork on loan from the Royal Scottish Academy. Guest RSA artists include Bronwen Sleigh, Ade Adesina and Frances Walker.

Well Connected: The Royal Scottish Academy and The Maclaurin Collection

By The Maclaurin Gallery • May 28, 2026
Saturday 20 June - Sunday 30 August 2026 Founded in 1826, the Royal Scottish Academy supports art and architecture in Scotland. It is an independent, non-governmental institution, governed by Members to operate on a charitable basis.

Private View for Future Folklore: The Art and Craft of Storytelling

By The Maclaurin Gallery • March 31, 2026
We were delighted to host the Private View for Visual Arts Scotland on Saturday afternoon and what a turn out it was!  This exhibition FUTURE FOLKLORE: THE ART AND CRAFT OF STORYTELLING has over 300 pieces of contemporary art on display and, as a result, we also had a very busy Private View! The exhibition was opened by Chair of the Maclaurin Trust, John Walker, along with Amanda Airey, Trustee of Visual Arts Scotland. Visual Arts Scotland supports over 1400 artists and makers in and around Scotland and we are very fortunate that VAS brings this major show across to Ayrshire. Please take advantage of it being right here on your doorstep! As always, entry is free to the gallery and all artworks for sale. Keep an eye out for some of our Ayrshire artists taking part as well.