Case Studies

Artists Unlimited, Edinburgh

I was an artist when I was young, but I stopped painting when I got married and had children like you did in those days. It’s wonderful that through the class I’m painting again.

Artists Unlimited is a group for anyone who would like to improve their artistic skills. The weekly class gives its members the chance to chat, draw and paint with a tutor on-hand to give guidance and encouragement on perfecting their art.

The class is open to everyone, but the current students are pensioners who want to stay active and, for one member in particular, recapture their youth! Meg Steven-Gibb said, ‘I was an artist when I was young, but I stopped painting when I got married and had children like you did in those days. It’s wonderful that through the class I’m painting again.’

The group had been pretty nomadic without a regular affordable venue. It was getting harder to keep the group together, but chair Muriel Malley stepped in and applied for a Scottish Community Foundation small grant (small grants are awards of up to £1,000) to cover running costs, including venue hire, tutor fees, materials and administration for six months.

Now with a base at the Wester Hailes Arts Education Leisure Centre (WHALE), the group has held a successful auction of their artwork, and recently held an exhibition.