Alison Kinnaird

MBE Mbe may refer to: * Mbé, a town in the Republic of the Congo * Mbe Mountains Community Forest, in Nigeria * Mbe language, a language of Nigeria * Mbe' language, language of Cameroon * ''mbe'', ISO 639 code for the extinct Molala language Molal ...

, MA, FGE (born 30 April 1949) is a glass sculptor,

Celtic music Celtic music is a broad grouping of music genres that evolved out of the folk music traditions of the Celtic people of Northwestern Europe. It refers to both orally-transmitted traditional music and recorded music and the styles vary considerab ...

ian, teacher and writer born in

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

, Scotland. She is one of the foremost and most original modern

glass engravers Glass is a non-Crystallinity, crystalline, often transparency and translucency, transparent, amorphous solid that has widespread practical, technological, and decorative use in, for example, window panes, tableware, and optics. Glass is most ...

in Scotland.

Portrait

Her application to art college having been rejected, Kinnaird earned a MA in

Celtic studies Celtic studies or Celtology is the academic discipline occupied with the study of any sort of cultural output relating to the Celtic-speaking peoples (i.e. speakers of Celtic languages). This ranges from linguistics, literature and art histor ...

and archaeology at the

University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 15 ...

, in the course of which she also studied copper wheel glass engraving with Harold Gordon in

Forres Forres (; gd, Farrais) is a town and former royal burgh in the north of Scotland on the Moray coast, approximately northeast of Inverness and west of Elgin. Forres has been a winner of the Scotland in Bloom award on several occasions. There ...

, having met him while on a family holiday there. Kinnaird's glass engraving works are in many galleries and private collections. She uses lead and optical crystal. The techniques used by Kinnaird include copper-wheel engraving, cutting, sandblasting, acid etching and casting. Starting in a studio in the

High Street, Edinburgh The Royal Mile () is a succession of streets forming the main thoroughfare of the Old Town of the city of Edinburgh in Scotland. The term was first used descriptively in W. M. Gilbert's ''Edinburgh in the Nineteenth Century'' (1901), des ...

, her work won early recognition and was included in an exchange between the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and the Salzburg Fringe.Mary Gladstone, ''Of Clocks, Birds and Apple Cores'', Scotland’s Crafts Guide, Summer 1977, 20, 10-11 Later, believing that the small physical size of works produced in traditional glass engraving confines their appreciation to a limited audience, she expanded the scale of her works by using flexible drive engraving and sandblasting, combined with the adventurous use of

dichroic glass Dichroic glass is glass which can display multiple different colors depending on lighting conditions. One dichroic material is a modern composite non-translucent glass that is produced by stacking layers of metal oxides which give the glass shift ...

. More recently she has employed bonded coloured glass as her engraving medium. Kinnaird is also a musician, a gift that led her to discover relationships between music and glass engraving, notably through designs based on Lissajous figures. She plays, teaches and lectures on the small Scottish harp also known as the

clàrsach The Celtic harp is a triangular frame harp traditional to the Celtic nations of northwest Europe. It is known as in Irish language, Irish, in Scottish Gaelic, in Breton language, Breton and in Welsh language, Welsh. In Ireland and Scotland, ...

. She was one of the first acts signed to Temple Records during the 1970s and she has had eight albums released through the label. She worked with the Scottish music group

Battlefield Band Battlefield Band were a Scottish traditional music group. Founded in Glasgow in 1969, they have released over 30 albums and undergone many changes of lineup. As of 2010, none of the original founders remain in the band. The band is noted for t ...

on their albums ''Music in Trust Vol I'' (1987) and ''Music in Trust Vol II'' (1988). Kinnaird has written many books about traditional music and the small Scottish harp. Her first book on the subject was published in 1990 and is a collection of 24 harp tunes that she arranged. ''Tree of Strings'' (1992), written in collaboration with Keith Sanger, documents the history of the harp in Scotland and is the first book of its kind. ''The Lothian Collection'' (1995) has 25 harp tunes from the big houses and great families from East, West and Midlothian all arranged by Kinnaird. ''The Small Harp Tutor'' (1996) is a book about learning to play the small harp, which covers the history of the instrument, maintaining the instrument, arranging tunes and gives useful finger exercises. The book is accompanied by a 60-minute CD, which guides the learner from novice to more accomplished player. Kinnaird's most recent book is ''The North East Collection'' which features tunes mainly from the 18th and 19th century arranged by herself. In 1997, Kinnaird was awarded the

for her contribution and long standing service to art and music. In 2011

National Life Stories National Life Stories is an independent charitable trust and limited company (registered as the ‘National Life Story Collection’) based within the British Library Oral History section, whose key focus and expertise is oral history fieldwork. S ...

interviewed Kinnaird for their 'Craft Lives' archive. The interviews took place over three days and document her life from childhood to becoming a successful artist and musician. She has been recognised for her contributions to Scottish folk music and was inducted into the

Scots Trad Music Awards The Scots Trad Music Awards or Na Trads were founded in 2003 by Simon Thoumire to celebrate Scotland's traditional music in all its forms and create a high profile opportunity to bring the music and music industry into the spotlight of media and ...

– Hall of Fame in 2010. Alison Kinnaird was married to the musician, producer and writer Robin Morton until his death. She has two children, Ellen and John. File:Maze-Royal Museum of Scotland.jpg, ''Maze'',

National Museum of Scotland The National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh, Scotland, was formed in 2006 with the merger of the new Museum of Scotland, with collections relating to Scottish antiquities, culture and history, and the adjacent Royal Scottish Museum (opened in ...

File:Streetwise_I.jpg, ''Streetwise 1'' File:Nativity Window St Mary's Church Kenardington, Kent.jpg, ''Nativity Window'', St Mary's Church Kenardington, Kent

Awards

* 2010: ''MG Alba Scots Traditional Music Awards, Hall of Fame'' * 2004: ''Glass Sellers Award'' * 2002: ''Creative Scotland Award'' * 2001: ''Adrian Sassoon Award'' * 1998: ''CC Chelsea First Exhibitors Award'' * 1998: ''Inches Carr Crafts Bursary'' * 1997: ''MBE for services to art and music'' * 1987: ''Glass-Sellers Award'' * 1980: ''SDA/CCC Crafts Fellowship''

Memberships

* 2003–2004: ''Member of the award panel for Creative Scotland Award'' * 1993–1996 '' Scottish Arts Council Crafts Committee'' * ''Fellow of the Guild of Glass Engravers'' * 1984–1987 ''BBC Broadcasting Council for Scotland'' * ''Contemporary Glass Society'' * ''Glass Art Society'' * ''Scottish Glass Society'' * ''Index of Selected Makers, Crafts Council''

Teaching

* ''Masterclasses, International Festival of Glass, Stourbridge, England'' * ''Urban Glass, Brooklyn, NY'' * '' College of Art and Design, Wroclaw, Poland'' * ''Northlands Creative Glass, Scotland'' * '' Corning Glass Studio, Corning NY, USA'' * ''Frauenau, Germany''

Selected exhibitions

* 2018 Berengo Gallery, Murano, Italy * 2017 Edinburgh International Festival Fringe, solo exhibition * 2017 Scottish Glass Society, Edinburgh * 2017 ''Celebrating 80'', London Glassblowing Gallery * 2016 ''Unknown'', Scottish Parliament to Kirkaldy Art Gallery (ongoing tour) * 2015 British Glass Biennale, Stourbridge * 2014 Edinburgh International Festival, solo show * 2013 SOFA, Chicago * 2013 Edinburgh International Fringe Festival, solo show * 2012 ''Luminesce'', Linlithgow, Scotland, solo exhibition, * 2012 Fleming Collection, London * 2012 The Scottish Gallery, Edinburgh, solo exhibition * 2012 Travelling exhibition, Wroclaw, Jelenia Gora, Ostrow, Lesno, Poland * 2011 Johansfors, Kristallmuseum, Sweden * 2011 ''British Studio Glass'', Coburg * 2010 ''Invited Artist'', British Glass Biennale * 2009 ''Urban Glass'', NY, USA * 2008 ''The Cutting Edge'', Royal Museums of Scotland * 2007 ''Invited Artist'',

Visual Arts Scotland Visual Arts Scotland (VAS) is a registered charity (No. SC006715) based in Leith, Edinburgh, Scotland representing approximately 500 fine and applied visual artists throughout the country. Information Visual Arts Scotland is a multi-disciplinary ...

Royal Scottish Academy The Royal Scottish Academy (RSA) is the country’s national academy of art. It promotes contemporary Scottish art. The Academy was founded in 1826 by eleven artists meeting in Edinburgh. Originally named the Scottish Academy, it became the ...

* 2006 British Glass Biennale, Stourbridge * 2006

Glasmuseet Ebeltoft Glasmuseet Ebeltoft is a museum in Ebeltoft, Denmark. It is dedicated to the exhibition and collection of contemporary glass art worldwide and also offers public demonstrations and seminars to glass students in its glass-blowing studio. Establis ...

, Denmark * 2006 Coburg Glaspreis Exhibition' * 2005 ''21st Century British Glass'', London * 2004 ''Psalmsong'', V&A London Museum * 2004 ''British Glass Biennale'', Stourbridge * 2004

Broadfield House Glass Museum Broadfield House, a Grade II listed building, was home to a glass museum and hot glass studio, owned and operated by Dudley Council museum service and was located in Kingswinford, West Midlands, England. The museum closed on 30 September 2015. ...

, Dudley * 2002 ''Art for Europe'', Brussels * 2001 ''Art Glass Gallery'', Santa Fe * 1999 Kaminesky Senov, Czech Republic * 1999

National Glass Centre The National Glass Centre is a cultural venue and visitor attraction located in Sunderland, North East England. It is part of the University of Sunderland. Background The National Glass Centre is located in Sunderland, on the north banks of the ...

, Sunderland * 1998 ''Contemporary Applied Arts'', London * 1996 ''British Glass'', Prague * 1996 Contemporary Arts Centre, Utrecht * 1988 Solo exhibition, Coleridge, London * 1987 ''Group exhibition'', Galerie de Vier Linden, Asperen, The Netherlands * 1984 ''Group exhibition'', Habatat Gallery, Detroit, USA * 1979 ''The Bowl'', British Crafts Centre, London, organised by World Crafts Council * 1977 Salzburg Festival, Art Gallery, Salzburg, Austria. * 1975 ''Contemporary Scottish Artists'', Exhibitions Centre, Edinburgh

Selected collections

* 2016 ''Eve'',

Museum of Decorative Arts in Prague Founded in 1885, the Prague Museum of Decorative Arts ( cz, Uměleckoprůmyslové muzeum v Praze or UPM) is housed in a Neo-Renaissance edifice built from 1897 to 1899 after the designs of architect Josef Schulz. It opened in 1900 with exhibitions ...

* 2012 ''Standing Feathers'',

Aberdeen Art Gallery Aberdeen Art Gallery is the main visual arts exhibition space in the city of Aberdeen, Scotland. It was founded in 1884 in a building designed by Alexander Marshall Mackenzie, with a sculpture court added in 1905. In 1900, it received the art ...

* 2010 ''Adam and Eve'',

Shipley Art Gallery The Shipley Art Gallery is an art gallery in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, England, located at the south end of Prince Consort Road. It has a Designated Collection of national importance. Origins The Shipley Art Gallery opened to the public in 1 ...

, Gateshead * 2008 ''Maze'',

* 2005 ''Psalmsong'',

Scottish Parliament The Scottish Parliament ( gd, Pàrlamaid na h-Alba ; sco, Scots Pairlament) is the devolved, unicameral legislature of Scotland. Located in the Holyrood area of the capital city, Edinburgh, it is frequently referred to by the metonym Holyro ...

, Edinburgh * 2005 ''Streetwise I'', Tutsek Foundation, Munich * 2005 ''Streetwise II'', Dundee Museum & Art Gallery * 2003 ''Portrait of Roy Dennis'',

Scottish National Portrait Gallery The Scottish National Portrait Gallery is an art museum on Queen Street, Edinburgh. The gallery holds the national collections of portraits, all of which are of, but not necessarily by, Scots. It also holds the Scottish National Photography Co ...

, Edinburgh * 2001 ''Evolve'',

* 2001 ''White Lies'', Crafts Council Collection * 1995 ''Triptych'',

Victoria and Albert Museum The Victoria and Albert Museum (often abbreviated as the V&A) in London is the world's largest museum of applied arts, decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 2.27 million objects. It was founded in 1852 and nam ...

, London * 1989 ''Man into Seal'',

Corning Museum of Glass The Corning Museum of Glass is a museum in Corning, New York in the United States, dedicated to the art, history, and science of glass. It was founded in 1951 by Corning Glass Works and currently has a collection of more than 50,000 glass obje ...

, New York City, USA * 1988 ''Ring of Crystal, Ring of Stone'',

Leicester Museum and Art Gallery The Leicester Museum & Art Gallery (until 2020, New Walk Museum and Art Gallery) is a museum on New Walk in Leicester, England, not far from the city centre. It opened in 1849 as one of the first public museums in the United Kingdom. Leiceste ...

, Leicester * 1987 ''Disc – Leap'',

Ulster Museum The Ulster Museum, located in the Botanic Gardens in Belfast, has around 8,000 square metres (90,000 sq. ft.) of public display space, featuring material from the collections of fine art and applied art, archaeology, ethnography, treasure ...

, Belfast * 1986 ''Doors on the Past'',

* 1986 ''Disc – She is Summer'', Kelvingrove Museum and Art Gallery, Glasgow * 1980 ''Doors'' – engraved block, Scottish Development Agency – Scottish Crafts Collection, Edinburgh

Selected commissions

The Donor Window Scottish National Portrait Gallery

* 2017 ''Nativity Window'', St Mary’s Church, Kenardington, Kent * 2016 ''Window'',

St Cross College, Oxford St Cross College is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Founded in 1965, St Cross is an all-graduate college with gothic and traditional-style buildings on a central site in St Giles', just south of Pusey Street. It a ...

* 2015 ''Quaking Aspen Panels'', Beverley Hills, California * 2014 ''Windows'',

Dornoch Cathedral Dornoch Cathedral is a former Roman Catholic cathedral and is currently a Church of Scotland parish church serving the small Sutherland town of Dornoch, in the Scottish Highlands. As a congregation of the Church of Scotland, which is Presbyterian ...

* 2012 ''Donor Window'',

* 2009 ''Self Portrait'',

Fitzwilliam Museum The Fitzwilliam Museum is the art and antiquities museum of the University of Cambridge. It is located on Trumpington Street opposite Fitzwilliam Street in central Cambridge. It was founded in 1816 under the will of Richard FitzWilliam, 7th Vis ...

, Cambridge * 2007 ''Interface-Panels'' for Murano Hotel, Tacoma, USA * 2006 ''Butterfly Panels'', Marchmont St Giles Church, Edinburgh * 2004 ''Praise Window'',

* 2003 ''Portrait of Roy Dennis'', National Portrait Gallery of Scotland * 2000 ''Millennium Commission'',

* 1993 ''British Film Institute Awards'' * 1992 ''Door panels'', commissioned by Lord Bute of

Mount Stuart Mount Stuart is a mountain in the Cascade Range, in the U.S. state of Washington. It is the second highest non-volcanic peak in the state, after Bonanza Peak and seventh-highest overall. Mount Stuart is the highest peak in the Stuart Range, and ...

* 1991 ''Alumnus of the Year Award'', commissioned by

Edinburgh University The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 1582 ...

* 1990 ''Gift for His Imperial Highness'', the Crown Prince of Japan, commissioned by

Royal Bank of Scotland The Royal Bank of Scotland plc (RBS; gd, Banca Rìoghail na h-Alba) is a major retail and commercial bank in Scotland. It is one of the retail banking subsidiaries of NatWest Group, together with NatWest (in England and Wales) and Ulster Bank ...

* 1989 ''Screen of 10 panels'', commissioned by Lord Bute of

* 1986 ''Gift for HM the Queen Mother'', commissioned by

Royal College of Physicians The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) is a British professional membership body dedicated to improving the practice of medicine, chiefly through the accreditation of physicians by examination. Founded by royal charter from King Henry VIII in 1 ...

* 1983 ''Duke of Edinburgh Design Award'', commissioned by Alan Doe of

Westland Helicopters Westland Helicopters was a British aircraft manufacturer. Originally Westland Aircraft, the company focused on helicopters after the Second World War. It was amalgamated with several other British firms in 1960 and 1961. In 2000, it merged w ...

* 1980 ''Wedding bowl'' for HRH the Prince of Wales, commissioned by

The Scotsman ''The Scotsman'' is a Scottish compact newspaper and daily news website headquartered in Edinburgh. First established as a radical political paper in 1817, it began daily publication in 1855 and remained a broadsheet until August 2004. Its par ...

newspaper * 1979 ''The Wealth of Nations'' presented to

The London Institute of Banking & Finance The London Institute of Banking & Finance is the oldest training and professional body for banking and financial services in England and Wales, and works internationally with partners to establish ethical and professional standards across the ...

in England, commissioned by Institute of Bankers in Scotland

Books

* 2013 ''Reflections – the Art of Alison Kinnaird, Kinmor Music'' * 2011 ''Life Story recorded for British Library Crafts Lives series'' * 2011 ''Portrait of the Nation'', Trustees of the Scottish National Galleries * 2008 ''20th Century British Glass'', Charles Hajdamach, Antique Collectors Club * 2007 Invited Contributor, V & A Museum, 150th Anniversary Celebration Album * 2005 ''25 Years of New Glass Review'',

* 2003 ''Contemporary International Glass'', V & A Pub, Jennifer Hawkins Opie * 2002 ''Artists in Glass, Late Twentieth Century Masters in Glass'', Dan Klein, Mitchell Beazley * 1999 ''Engraced Glass'', Marilyn & Tom Goodearl, Antique Collectors Club * 1996 ''Glass Art'', Peter Layton, Black, University of Washington Press

Bibliography

* 2002: ''The North East Collection'' * 1996: ''The Small Harp Tutor'' * 1995: ''The Lothian Collection'' * 1992: ''Tree of Strings''

Discography

* 2004: ''The Silver String'' * 1994: ''Mac-talla – Mairidh Gaol Is Ceol'' * 1992: ''The Harper's Land'' (with Ann Heymann) * 1990: ''The Quiet Tradition'' (with Christine Primrose) * 1988: ''The Scottish Harp'' * 1988: ''Music in Trust Vol. 2'' (with Battlefield Band) * 1986: ''Music in Trust Vol. 1'' (with Battlefield Band) * 1979: ''The Harp Key – Crann Nan Teud'' (

Temple US Records Temple US Records is a record label founded in the late 1970s by Robin Morton. Morton, a former member of The Boys of the Lough, had already founded Temple in Temple, Midlothian; Temple US is based in Arlington, Massachusetts. Morton worked as a ...

) Evans, D, Alison Kinnaird ''The Harp Key'', Taplas, Jun/July 1996

References

External links

* * *
How to create stunning portraits on glass
' - BBC video in which Kinnaird demonstrates some of her techniques {{DEFAULTSORT:Kinnaird, Alison 1949 births Living people 20th-century Scottish women artists 21st-century Scottish women artists British glass artists Glass engravers Women engravers Artists from Edinburgh Alumni of the University of Edinburgh Alumni of the Edinburgh College of Art People associated with the University of Edinburgh School of History, Classics and Archaeology Scottish folk musicians Scottish writers about music Members of the Order of the British Empire