Creative Dundee

Fun A Day Dundee: Exhibition Preview

Dundee has been participating in the Fun A Day project since 2011, first introduced here by artist Morgan Cahn due to its popularity in America. Fun A Day Dundee is now in it’s 5th year, with a simple premise to follow: choose a project (e.g. take a photo, draw a picture, bake a cake, go walking) which can be achieved every day in January. The results of the creative efforts are exhibited in a group show the following month, providing an opportunity for artists and non-artists to share their work with the public. This year’s exhibition kicks off with a preview evening at 6pm on Friday 12th February at WASPS Artists Studios, Meadow Mill and runs through the weekend 10am-5pm.

This year a large number of participants took part in the project, posting their efforts daily on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. One participant, photographer Dylan Drummond, set about taking surreal, and entertaining photographic self portraits each day. He described his experience as “a challenge and also very satisfying creating the images and having an audience for them.”

Dylan Drummond - Month of self portraits

Dylan Drummond – Month of self portraits

Many of the participants used Fun A Day this year as a chance to inject some fun and creativity into an activity they do regularly, as well as it being a motivational tool to produce new art work, build on skills for enjoyable projects, and simply, to do something new and fun that brightened up their January.

Yoga teachers Penny and Morgan explored some playful yoga postures in January, describing their reasons for taking the project as “creating a bit of space for freedom, fun and relationship.” Adding, “we’re taking a pause from our daily lives and coming together to explore playful yoga postures. We love to do our yoga and hope to show you how yoga can be gravity defying, but most of all fun!” For the exhibition, Penny and Morgan are displaying photographs of their impressive, combined yoga poses.

Penny and Morgan - Yoga poses

Penny and Morgan – Yoga poses

There is a wide variety of work that is featured in the show, with painting, prints, photographs, sculpture, textiles, poetry, and much more! Musician Ed Muirhead has taken part in Fun A Day Dundee several times, combining art with his talents in music, and this year has produced a series of paintings along side new song lyrics. He shares that painting with “fresh colours” each day, whether he felt like it or not, created “a positive experience once again, to create new things at the start of a new year.” The project can be challenging, but Fun A Day Dundee focuses on participants enjoying their work, and chooses quality of experience over quantity of work produced.

Ed Muirhead - painting song lyrics

Ed Muirhead – painting song lyrics

Fun A Day Dundee strives to encourage participants to network and support each other during the project, which they clearly succeeded in, through online comments, discussions, and shares of artwork. The exhibition highlights the efforts, talent and determination found in individuals in and around Dundee.

Dundee Designer Judy Scott has already continued her project into February, claiming that she doesn’t think she can stop now. Her project embodied a “colour mark making, collage and mixed media filled Janurary. To focus on positivity, happiness and moving forward to a fabulous uplifting 2016.”

Judy Scott - Neon play

Judy Scott – Neon play

To see the projects taken out by Dylan Drummond, Penny & Morgan, Ed Muirhead, Judy Scott and a whole host of other individuals,  head to the exhibition preview evening at 6pm on Friday 12th February at WASPS Artists Studios. Alternatively, you can visit the exhibition through the weekend 10am-5pm. For more information please visit Fun A Day Dundee’s website.

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