Art walk strides forward with new festival

Art Walk Porty is chalking up another programme of events, exhibitions, art houses, artist led-walks, book launches, performances, film nights and pop-up spaces from 4-12 September, with the full programme announced around 10 August.

Established in 2015, the Art Walk has grown into a range of individual projects taking place at sites in and around Portobello, often working with lost or under-visited spaces. The core activity – a two week festival of contemporary art – celebrates the local community and creative spirit of Edinburgh’s seaside town, with many local artists opening up their houses to the public.

A new Project Room Pop-up is now open at 189 Portobello High Street (Portobello Baptist Church), showing a range of works from recent artist residencies, along with associated works from artists near and far.

The first exhibition, Planted, (until 14 August) shows a series of installations, artworks and short films that draw upon the physical act of planting and relationships with the natural environment, with artists Annie Lord (The Neighbouring Orchard), Felicity Bristow and Susie Wilson, Jonathan Baxter/A&E, Joanne Matthews and Hsin-Yi Wang, and Hayley Harrison.

The works raise discussion around the value of growing, acts of sharing, the strengthening of neighbourhoods, along with many ecological considerations. Experiences of the pandemic interweave their way through many of the works, reflecting upon what edible growing spaces can provide at times of such adjustment, and change.

For more information on Art Walk Porty programme visit www.artwalkporty.co.uk