Inverness Creative Academy

02/09/2026

Explore the creative spaces of the fantastic artist community based at Links Studios in Nairn this weekend, including Fiona Matheson Studio and Deirdre McCrimmon!

Rare opportunity for public to take a behind-the-scenes look in artists’ studios in Nairn.
Read more in comments.

26/08/2026

Opening Thursday 3 September at Inverness Creative Academy: 'If I paint it, maybe it will become home' by Marina Gjertsen

Peppered with narrative and symbolism, Marina's work explores themes of home and belonging, from a unique vantage point as both a local and 'outsider'.

Marina’s paintings explore her visual surroundings to form connections with her world, while her poetry examines her experiences of childhood and a fractured sense of national identity. Peppered with narrative and symbolism, Marina’s work considers the world from a unique vantage point that is both personal and universal; both as a local and as an ‘outsider’.

In recognition that a sense of belonging can come from the people you surround yourself with, Marina has invited artists and poets who have been part of her creative journey to exhibit selected pieces in a curated section of the exhibition.

Visit the show from 3 September until 24 November, Monday–Friday (9am–5pm) and Saturday (10am–3pm).

06/08/2026

The team at Inverness Creative Academy is very excited to be taking part in this year's Doors Open Days Festival programme, with bookable guided tours, and the fantastic artist community at the building coming together for an Open Studios weekend!

Swing by on Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 September (10am–3pm) for a wander around the studios, or book a tour (starting at 10.30am and 1pm) via the link:
https://tinyurl.com/ybaffe45

Inverness Creative Academy was transformed by Wasps into the first creative hub for the Scottish Highlands in 2020. It offers working accommodation for artists, makers and the creative industries. The building also boasts stunning events spaces (the Assembly Hall and the Gym Hall) that are used to host exhibitions, markets and screenings

The Victorian-era former Inverness Royal Academy building was opened in 1895, and served as a school until 1980 when it was relocated to Culduthel Road.

Images:
2–6. Historic Environment Scotland and Am Baile.
7. Photograph by Gair Fraser.

10/07/2026

'A chance to think' - exhibition by Toni Harrower. Opens Saturday 11 July till Saturday 18 July, 11.00 - 4.00. Closed Tuesday. At Wasps Links Nairn studios, Grant St, Nairn (just behind the little theatre). A great opportunity to meet the artist.

18/06/2026

We’re excited to showcase the talented craftspeople featured at the Summer Artists & Makers Market at Inverness Creative Academy this June. Visit us 19–21 June to meet and shop from:

Jane Nestor is a painter with a studio at Inverness Creative Academy. She specialises in human and pet portraits, as well as seascapes and landscapes.

Cecilia Mann is a visual artist based at Inverness Creative Academy. She makes a variety of art and crafts from different recycled materials for the home.

Leila Ross works in soft pastels to create landscape scenes, inspired by the Scottish Highlands. She often works on dark coloured paper to create moody atmospheres, and bring out the vibrancy of the colours used. She is based at Inverness Creative Academy.

Mark your diaries for the Summer Artists and Makers Market:
Friday 19 (4pm–8pm), Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 June (10am–4pm)
at Inverness Creative Academy, IV2 3JP
Free entry and all welcome, including well behaved pups.

16/06/2026

Discover local creativity this June at the Summer Artists & Makers Market hosted by Inverness Creative Academy. Join us from 19–21 June and support incredible makers including:

Libby Mitchell is a multidisciplinary artist based at Riverside House in Edinburgh. Scotland. Having completed an Advanced Diploma of Visual Art in Australia, she has since travelled New Zealand as a landscape artist, taking inspiration for her art from the bush and her time working as a landscaper in Northland. She captures the sense of serenity within immersive landscapes, bush-scenes and wildlife through colourful paintings, intricate charcoals with homemade materials and thought-provoking photography and installations.

Len Pentecost-Ingram is a wooden clock-maker based in the Highlands. His work is often made in an art deco style, with both wall-mounted and standing clocks available.

Isle of Riso is the Highlands’ first risograph studio, based at Inverness Creative Academy. They offer diverse services including Risograph printing, design, and illustration, providing a platform for local creatives and businesses to bring their ideas to life sustainably and affordably. Through workshops and community engagement, they advocate for eco-friendly creativity.

Mark your diaries for the Summer Artists and Makers Market:
Friday 19 (4pm–8pm), Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 June (10am–4pm)
at Inverness Creative Academy, IV2 3JP
Free entry and all welcome, including well behaved pups.

14/06/2026

The countdown is on for the Summer Artists & Makers Market at Inverness Creative Academy! Here’s a look at some of the talented craftspeople you can meet and shop from on 19–21 June:

Hooked and Hung is a botanical wonderland of all things crochet. A carefully curated selection of wooly plants, cacti, succulents and fungi ensure a delightful everlasting approach to houseplant care.

Lynn Winpenny combines cyanotypes with photography, transposing her illustrations and artworks onto functional household objects and wearable items.

Dot Walker is a landscape painter based at Inverness Creative Academy. She is inspired by th north of Scotland and its unique atmosphere and breathtaking light that plays on the land and water. Dot paints mainly in oils using a vibrant palette and strong textures to try to convey the emotions that the landscape evokes.

Based in Fortrose, Susan Plowman creates bespoke jewellery for individual clients in her design studio. She uses ethically sourced gemstones and recycled gold to create a range of rings, necklaces and earrings. There are also ranges for sale that are inspired by the beautiful beaches, rugged landscapes, wildlife and ancient sites of the Black Isle.

Mark your diaries for the Summer Artists and Makers Market:
Friday 19 (4pm–8pm), Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 June (10am–4pm)
at Inverness Creative Academy, IV2 3JP
Free entry and all welcome, including well behaved pups.

12/06/2026

Say hello to the amazing artists, designers, and makers joining us at the Summer Artists & Makers Market at Inverness Creative Academy. Stop in 19–21 June to browse and shop from:

Carolyn Eva is an artist based in the Highlands of Scotland, with a studio space at Inverness Creative Academy. As a passionate artist, she brings a unique perspective to every project. Her artistic style blends traditional techniques with contemporary flair.

Beti-B Rings is a jewellery studio based in Cromarty. Beti’s rings are made from the smallest, high-quality Japanese glass beads. Every single bead is meticulously woven by hand to create a
unique, contemporary jewellery.

Gael Hillyard is a visual artist and writer based at Inverness Creative Academy. Her visual art practice focuses on light, atmosphere and our changing relationship with the land and sky, with a current emphasis on dark-sky environments and the ecological, social, and cultural implications of light pollution in the Scottish Highlands.

Ceri McEwan is a potter based in Dundee who specialises in functional, wheel-thrown ceramics. Her work celebrates consideration of ergonomics, balance and weight resulting in pots designed to be used, handled and lived with. Entirely self-taught, Ceri began making pots in the spare room of her home, gradually building the skills and confidence that have led her to open her own ceramics shop in Perth.

Mark your diaries for the Summer Artists and Makers Market:
Friday 19 (4pm–8pm), Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 June (10am–4pm)
at Inverness Creative Academy, IV2 3JP
Free entry and all welcome, including well behaved pups.

10/06/2026

From handmade crafts to original artwork, discover the talented people bringing the Summer Artists & Makers Market to life at Inverness Creative Academy this June. Visit us 19–21 June and shop from:

LAKRISTA pottery and ceramics studio creates simple, functional forms for you to use as part of your day, with textures and colours inspired by the small moments of calm found in the landscape around us. LaKrista incorporates the ashes of local plants, oxides, clay and neutral glazes to decorate her work, aiming to make pieces that highlight the beauty and simplicity of natural materials.

Muriel Dorthe’s practice finds its roots in nature, using leaves to make monoprints with ink and oil paint.

Based in the Scottish Highlands near Inverness, Geddes Designs is a small family venture, based at home. Every piece made and sold is handmade with care, from start to finish. Their original handmade silverwork focuses on simple geometric shapes and textured surfaces to evoke the natural patterns of nature and the local landscape.

Geraldine Sekan is a locally based knitter, making wearable items from high-quality wool.

Mark your diaries for the Summer Artists and Makers Market:
Friday 19 (4pm–8pm), Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 June (10am–4pm)
at Inverness Creative Academy, IV2 3JP
Free entry and all welcome, including well behaved pups.

08/06/2026

We can’t wait to introduce the brilliant creatives taking part in this year’s Summer Artists & Makers Market at Inverness Creative Academy. Come along 19–21 June to shop from:

Erika Vado is a painter based at Inverness Creative Academy. Her work focuses on abstract and semi-abstract seascapes and landscapes that explore the vastness, mystery, and emotional resonance of nature. Working predominantly in oils, she is continually inspired by the ever-shifting light and depth of the North Sea, as well as the expansive skies of the Scottish Highlands.

The Highland School of Jewellery is based out of Inverness Creative Academy, and provides a wide range of jewellery making courses. Whether you are a beginner or advanced maker, their courses teach a wide range of jewellery making techniques to suit your level and interests.

Rebecca Bolland is a textile worker originally from Iowa, USA. Since moving to the Highlands and setting up a studio at Inverness Creative Academy, she has been making clothing, household items and quilted pieces.

Kira Brown is a jewellery maker and ceramic/resin artist whose work is predominantly inspired by the textures and forms of the natural world. Working primarily with silver (in clay and sterling form), natural clay and resin, she creates jewellery and decorative and practical pieces that always capture an element of texture.

Mark your diaries for the Summer Artists and Makers Market:
Friday 19 (4pm–8pm), Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 June (10am–4pm)
at Inverness Creative Academy, IV2 3JP

Free entry and all welcome, including well behaved pups.