More than 2,000 visitors flocked to the Scottish Maritime Museum’s largest ever, free Makers and Producers Market, held across the Museum’s historic Linthouse and Courtyard on Irvine Harbourside on Saturday 15 and Sunday 16 August.
Visitors enjoyed browsing and buying a wide range of products created by more than 60 talented artisans, including breakout star of Channel 4’s The Great Pottery Throw Down, Glasgow-based chemistry teacher Whitney Choi.
On Saturday, visitors also delighted in the spectacle of more than 30 model boats on display on the boating pond.
Inside the Linthouse, the Marymass Queen officially opened Gu’un the fish n’ that, a powerful new immersive sound installation exploring the lives of Scotland’s ‘herring girls’ of the 19th and 20th centuries.
Visitors heard from the artist Beverley Carruthers and took in a free preview of the installation. The fully booked Herring Girls Collage creative workshop was also a hit, with participants working alongside mixed-media artist Angela Ortenzi-MacColl to honour the legacy of the Herring Girls through artwork featuring bold textures, vintage fragments and visual storytelling.
On Sunday, visitors admired more than 60 stunning classic cars on display across the Courtyard.
Throughout the weekend, visitors also had the chance to try their hand at ‘Street Curling’ with the Auchenharvie Curling Development Group.
Reflecting on the busy weekend, Christopher Woodland of the Scottish Maritime Museum, says:
“Our free Makers and Producers Summer Market was a resounding hit with visitors with everyone enjoying a great day out celebrating creativity, craftsmanship and community.
“The Marymass Queen and her Marys also had a great time learning about the new exhibition, Gu'un the Fish n' that, and meeting the artist Beverley Carruthers. They also stopped to take part in some street curling and chat to stallholders, including Witney Choi from Channel 4’s The Great Pottery Throw Down.
“We’re already making plans for our next free event – The Winter Market – which will take place from Friday 27 to Sunday 29 November. Watch this space for more news on that!”
The Makers and Producers Market was made possible with the continued support of Ayrshire Food an’ a’ That and the Great Harbour Community Fund.