Current Projects
Upland delivers a year round programme of projects, events and exhibitions working with young people, emerging and established artists and makers. We create projects and also work alongside organisations to deliver projects.
ROAM (Space)
Exploring the potential for a project space run for and by emerging artists in Dumfries & Galloway.
Early Engagement
Upland is committed to bringing artists and craftmakers into schools to deliver talks and workshops for young people.
We also provide more bespoke opportunities for young people who may face barriers to education with our 1:1 Studio Visits.
Professional & Creative Development
We aim to provide support and opportunities to enable the creative talent of Dumfries & Galloway to flourish.
Emerge
A programme of mentoring and a bursary for emerging artists and makers who have a connection to Dumfries and Galloway.
Past Projects
This Is Not My Day Job
A work in progress by Rhiannon Dewar, Sarah McCusker, Christian Haynes, Emily Tough and Liv McDougall.
KILSTURE ROAMING
A work-in-progress exhibition of contemporary art in Kilsture Forest, 19-20 Aug 2023.
Artful Migration Residency Programme 2023
Artful Migration is aresidency programme which supports artists to create work informed by wildlife, the natural world, the environment and climate change.
MORAG x TELLAS 2023
A brand new hybrid residency exchange between Morag Macpherson and Tellas launching in 2023.
ROAM (West)
A new project that explores how contemporary art practice can be developed in the Western region of Dumfries and Galloway.
Bea Last's Visual Art Summer Studio
An intensive short course for young people that covers various elements of the creative visual art process.
Spring Fling Film by Colin Tennant
We commissioned D&G-based photographer and filmmaker Colin Tennant to produce a short film for this year's event to mark and celebrate Spring Fling's 20th year.
Spring Fling at 20 Exhibition
A mix of work by artists and makers from over the years, celebrating the 20th Spring Fling Open Studios event.
Earthlight // Creative Bursary
Ruth Elizabeth Jones and Emma Varley presented Earthlight, a collaborative temporal installation supported by the Spring Fling Creative Bursary, at Spring Fling 2022.
The Biscuit Factory Exhibition
We are thrilled to present a brand-new selling exhibition in partnership with The Biscuit Factory in Newcastle to celebrate our milestone 20th Spring Fling Event.
Modern Makers 2022
This year participants are working collaboratively on a group project, experiencing hands-on learning with skilled woodworker, Mark Zygadlo.
Winter Art & Craft Fair
The inaugural Fair giving visitors to shop for handmade unique Christmas gifts made by Upland Members
Jump Cut
A creative project for young people (30 years and under) to learn filmmaking skills.
Langholm Made: infinite hands
a programme of short films celebrating women, weaving and textiles.
Langholm Made: Conversations with former textile workers
A set of booklets capturing personal reflections and memories to celebrate the unique heritage of Langholm's textile industry
The Call, Katie Anderson
A public art commission for Spring Fling 2021
Modern Makers 2021
Modern Makers 2021 – working with jeweller Lisa Rothwell-Young
Making Connections: Schools Project
Exploring and highlighting Langholm’s rich history and heritage in textile manufacture
Artful Migration 2020
An artist residency at the National Trust for Scotland’s Kelton Mains site at Threave Estate
Making Connections: Langholm Made
Exploring and highlighting Langholm’s rich history and heritage in textile manufacture.
Modern Makers 2020
Modern Makers 2020 – working with glass artist Amanda Simmons
The WaterOrgan
A public art commission for Spring Fling 2019
SF Pop-UP
SF Pop-UP in the heart of Dumfries
Modern Makers 2019
Modern Makers 2019 - A focus on the craft of printmaking
Energise Members Exhibition
A focused group exhibition exploring our evolving relationship with the natural world and our impact upon it.
Energise
A project giving artists the opportunity to research and creatively explore the subject of climate change in relation to the unique landscape of Dumfries & Galloway.
Life Stories
A project with the Elmbank Centre and Upland Member artist Hope London.
Coast to Coast
An exhibition of work by printmakers from Iceland and Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland
Modern Makers 2018
Modern Makers 2018
Artful Migration: Artist Residency
An artist residency at WWT Caerlaverock
Surge
A curated exhibition of work by Upland Members
Patriothall Gallery
2-10 September 2017
EDGE
A public art commission for Spring Fling 2017
Collected Exhibition
To celebrate 15 years, we invited collectors to showcase artworks purchased at previous Spring Fling weekends.
Outpost | Spring Fling
This year Spring Fling's flagship exhibition took place in New Brewery Arts in Cirencester.
Modern Makers 2017
Students of the Modern Makers 2017 programme worked with slipware potters Doug Fitch & Hannah McAndrew
Confluence
A flowing together. In a literal sense, it's about rivers. But it's more often used to talk about the coming together of factors or ideas, or of cultures.
Spring Fling x Wigtown Book Festival Residency
Artist in Residence 2016/17
Spring Fling Rural Mural (#SFRM) 2016
Upland has again joined forces with urban art specialists Recoat to grow and evolve Spring Fling Rural Mural (#SFRM) 2016
We Are Upland Symposium
Upland held it's offical launch on Friday 5th February 2016. 'We Are Upland' was a one-day symposium which brought together artists and makers from across the region along with a variety of speakers from all across Scotland.
Modern Makers 2016
Between February - July 2016 six young people from D&G worked with Sam Booth (Echo Living) to design and build a bespoke structure for an RSPB reserve near Wigtown
Modern Makers
'The best way to become a skilled maker is to learn from one'
Modern Makers is a programme for a small group of young people to work intensively with a professional maker to learn craft skills.
Spring Fling Rural Mural (#SFRM) 2014
Spring Fling joined forces with Glasgow based street art collective Recoat to produce Spring Fling | Rural Mural (SFRM).
Writer in Residence
Poems and flash fiction inspired by the artists and makers of Spring Fling
Resident in Schools
In 2014/2015, Spring Fling took six artists as residents into two schools for five days to work with schools and students in Dumfries & Galloway across the curriculum on a project identified in collaboration with the school.
Spring Shows 2014 - 2015
Exhibitions in the run up to Spring Fling: our journey to take quality contemporary art and craft outside Dumfries & Galloway, to attract new national and international visitors in.
Environmental Art Festival Scotland 2013
Scotland's inaugural Environmental Art Festival
Modern Heritage Craft
Modern Heritage Craft (2013 - 2015) created the chance for young people to work with professional makers to learn a craft and create a contemporary functional object in 10 days.
Young Artist Bursary (YAB) Mentoring Programme
A 6-month programme of mentoring for recent graduates with a connection to Dumfries and Galloway
Couch
For the 10th anniversary of Spring Fling, artist Alice Francis was commissioned to wrap the entire outside of a traditional Galloway cottage in floral couch fabric.