It may not be COP26 – but Auchencairn in its own small way is taking a stand against climate change.
And while 25,000 people attend the make or break summit in Glasgow a few dozen are filtering daily through a homespun exhibition in the Murray Hall.
The Auchencairn artworks – 58 in total – have been contributed by local residents aged from nine to 90, most of whom are not working artists.
Local action group Auchencairn Climate Transition (ACT) has curated the exhibition to show what can by done at a local level to highlight the climate emergency.
Spokesperson Bill Barlow told the News on Monday: “We hung all the artworks yesterday and opened the exhibition this morning.
“It was surprising and quite exciting to see how many exhibits were submitted.
“Having a local art exhibition has been a very nice thing to do – it is very much a grass
roots organic community initiative.
“We had ten people through the doors this morning already so it’s a good start.
“Some folk we knew but others we had not seen before.”
Bill, 80, helped organise the show along wife Carolyn, willow sculptor Trevor Leat and artist Jenny Ashmore.
And he has submitted three sculptures of his own as a personal statement on the looming crisis.
He said: “The intention was always to coincide with COP.
“We felt that a climate-themed exhibition would be as good a voice as any in communicating what is at stake right now, particularly for those who may find words difficult as a vehicle of expression.
“There are contributions from a range of local people through from children to professionals.
“Pupils from Auchencairn Primary School have all made contributions by painting a selection of birds from the Amazonian rain forest and composing little poems to go with them.
“As has rightly been said, we are not teaching children about climate change, they are teaching us.
“I don’t think on our own that we are going to halt climate change – I have no illusions about that.
“But hopefully what we do now will make us stronger in the years ahead.
“If we are honest with ourselves though we are in real trouble.”
ACT volunteers are taking it in turns to volunteer their time at the exhibition which is open daily from 10am-12pm and 4pm-6pm until November 14, inclusive.
Bill said: “We put the word out in the village for people of any age and ability to show their concern for the climate situation through art.
“Our membership has been boosted by the focus on COP and Carolyn came up with the idea of an exhibition.
“One of the best of all ACT’s achievements within Auchencairn has been to foster a greater sense of community.
“I feel that has been growing exponentially within the last few years and is immensely valuable for social wellbeing.”
He added: “If anybody does sell anything they will donate ten per cent of the proceeds to ACT.
“We will have a meeting in two weeks to see what our next step will be.”
