We’ve been continuing our collaboration with artist and college lecturer Mia McGregor (responsible for the Waste Stories from NCLAN exhibitions in 2024), and as a consequence we have a new exhibition – Art with Purpose – on show in the St Andrews Building for the first half of May – see the events page for more details. The art works on display in this exhibition were craeted by students in NCLAN’s Art Club in response to a brief asking them to explore themes of collecting and collections, and their relationships to (un)sustainability. The theme was inspired by the Solway Firth Partnership’s Project Gather, and especially Mandy Barker’s SOUP exhibition.

We were delighted to welcome many of the students and guests to launch the exhibition on Thursday, 20th April. Mia and Art Club student Calvin Martin both gave lovely speeches, which they have kindly allowed me to share in this post.

Calvin, pictured below next to some of his own work, had taken on a significant amount of responsibility in desiging and creating the exhibition booklet, posters and flyer.

Calvin’s inspirational speech is reproduced here:

Art With Purpose isn’t just an exhibition; it’s a space built on intention. Every piece in the room was created with a reason behind it, a message, a lived experience, or a truth that needed to be formed. Nothing here exists for decoration. Nothing here was made to simply fill a wall. Everything you see carries weight, perspective, and a voice that deserves to be heard.

When we began shaping this exhibition, the focus was never on perfection or polish. It was on honesty. On giving artists the freedom to express what matters to them without diluting it. On creating a space where real stories, real challenges, and real emotions could be seen without being softened. What you’re seeing comes from artists who approached their work with intention, clarity, and a commitment to saying something real.

I also want to take a moment to thank Anna and Waste Stories for trusting us to contribute to their mission. Their work on using the power of storytelling to educate people about sustainability is something that genuinely matters. Being able to support that through this exhibition is something we don’t take lightly. And I want to acknowledge Mia as well. Her support, her organisation, and the work she’s put into helping us prepare and bring this exhibition together have made a real difference. None of this happens without people who care enough to put the effort in, and she’s been one of those people throughout this process.

Art has always been a way of saying what can’t be said directly. It reveals what we overlook, what we avoid, and what we forget to acknowledge in ourselves and in the world around us. The artists here have taken that responsibility seriously. We’ve created work that asks you to pause, to reflect, and to consider the impact of your own choices, your own beliefs, and your own place in the bigger picture.

This exhibition is a reminder that creativity isn’t separate from reality; it’s shaped by it. Every material, every mark, every decision carries intention. And intention is what transforms art from something you look at into something you feel, something that stays with you long after you leave the room.

I want to honour the artists who trusted this process, who allowed their work to speak honestly, and who contributed to a collective message that is bigger than any single piece. And I want to thank everyone for taking the time to engage with that message. Your presence matters. Your attention matters. The conversations you have after matter.

Art With Purpose is exactly what its name suggests: art that means something, art that challenges, and art that invites you to think differently. I hope you let these works sit with you. I hope you let them shift something in you, even if it’s small.

Thank you for supporting art that chooses truth over comfort.

Mia’s speech ran as follows:

Hello everyone,

Thank you all so much for being here. It genuinely means a lot—to the students, to the work, and to everything this exhibition represents.

This year’s Art Club project has been built around the theme Collections—the idea of collecting, arranging, exploring and understanding. And what you’ll see around you isn’t just a collection of artworks, but a collection of thoughts, experiences, memories, and ways of seeing the world.

Every student here has approached that idea differently. Some have looked inward—into identity, memory, and personal experience. Others have looked outward—towards nature, materials, and the environments we exist within. And a big part of that this year has been thinking about sustainability—how we use materials, how we reuse and reimagine, and how art can respond to the world we’re living in right now.

There’s been a real awareness in the work—not just of making something that looks good, but making something that has thought behind it, that considers impact, process, and responsibility. And that’s been great to see.

This hasn’t been about perfection. It’s been about showing up, trying things out, taking risks, and sometimes getting it wrong—and then doing it again anyway. That kind of process takes confidence, and more importantly, honesty.

I am incredibly proud of every single person who has contributed to this exhibition. Not just for the final pieces you see on the walls, but for the sketchbooks, the conversations, the problem-solving, and the effort behind it all.

I also want to take a moment to thank a few people who have supported this along the way.

A huge thank you to Anna Wilson for her continued collaboration and support.

To Heather—thank you for all your time, energy, and support with Art Club. It doesn’t go unnoticed and it’s really appreciated.

And to Calvin, for the poster and flyer design, and for helping bring this exhibition together, and to Lorna for her support with the exhibition set-up as well—thank you. That work behind the scenes is what makes this all come together.

To the students—thank you for your energy, your openness, and your trust in the process. It’s been a joy to teach you.

And to everyone here—please take your time, look closely, and enjoy the work. There’s a lot in it.

We hope everyone who visits the exhibition over the next couple of weeks follows her advice.