26 November 2009

See sea eagles art exhibition at Dundee

Photo opportunity: 12noon, Friday, November 27th at Bradshaw Art Space, Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design, Perth Road, Dundee. A preview will take place prior to the exhibition opening to the public and judges will meet with winning students.

Bird hide wallpaper, a video game, 3D masks, sculptures, WWII-style posters, a model crannog, and an eagle chair are just some of the work produced by Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design students to commemorate the re-introduction of Sea Eagles to the East Coast of Scotland.

Third-year illustration students from DJCAD, part of the University of Dundee, have been working with the East Scotland Sea Eagles project partners to create artwork to potentially be displayed at locations where the Sea Eagles have been regularly seen since the re-introduction programme began in 2007.

East Scotland Sea Eagles is a five year project (2007-2011) returning white tailed Sea Eagles to East Scotland. The project is a partnership between RSPB Scotland, Scottish Natural Heritage and Forestry Commission Scotland, who host the release site.

The diverse range of work produced by students will be exhibited at Bradshaw Art Space, DJCAD, from Saturday, November 28th until Wednesday, December 16th being put on display on location.

The students work will be judged by representatives from the partnership and prizes of £200, £100 and £50 will be given as prizes to the three students who the judges feel have created the most exciting work to interpret the project. The exhibition is free and will be open to the public 9am-5pm, Monday to Saturday.

'The Sea Eagle project is really exciting,' said Natalie Russell, lecturer in Illustration at DJCAD. 'This is the student's first live brief and a great opportunity for them to produce creative works that could be exhibited within the public domain.'

'The students have interpreted the brief in imaginative ways and I am very impressed by the diversity of their visual work. It's going to be a powerful show.'

Locations where the re-introduced sea eagles have been regularly seen, include:

• Loch Tay
• Montrose basin
• Loch Leven
• Monikie Country Park
• The Firth of Tay
• Flanders Moss National Nature Reserve
• Loch of Strathbeg
• Tentsmuir National Nature Reserve
• Anstruther
• The Isle of May National Nature Reserve

Claire Smith the East Scotland Sea Eagles officer said, 'Now that we are in the third year of the project it is really exciting to see people enjoying and celebrating the return of sea eagles in a variety of locations across east Scotland. It's fascinating to see the ways the locations are being used by the students in their interpretation.'

Dougie Pollok, Strategy and Communications Manager, Scottish Natural Heritage said, 'It was really good to see the varied and different approaches taken by the students to interpret the ESSE. I was very impressed by the quality of the work so far and was intrigued by the thought processes they had gone through in developing their ideas.'

Alan Chalmers, Design Manager, Forestry Commission Scotland said, 'The students' work is all very different. It is really innovative, individual and fresh thinking and it was really enjoyable and inspiring to see their work.'

The judges are Bruce Anderson (East Scotland Sea Eagles project manager, RSPB Scotland) Dr Donna Leishman (Programme Director, Illustration, DJCAD) Katherine Leys, (Operations Manager, Scottish Natural Heritage) and Alan Chalmers (Design Manager, Forestry Commission Scotland)

For media enquiries contact:
Grant Hill
Press Officer
University of Dundee
Nethergate, Dundee, DD1 4HN
TEL: 01382 384768
E-MAIL: g.hill@dundee.ac.uk
MOBILE: 07854 953277