Minutes of Ardentinny Renewable Trust AGM held on 25 July, 2023 in Ardentinny Village Hall.
Ardentinny Community Council AGM – Meeting Minutes June 2023
Minutes of Ardentinny Community Council AGM held at Village Hall, Ardentinny on 6 June, 2023.
Anna: Joy of the garden – Glenfinart Walled Garden to unveil unique sculpture
Glenfinart Walled Garden is delighted to showcase Kathy Bruce’s magnificent sculpture in all its glory on 10th September at 2pm. The artist will be there and will be more than happy to discuss her work with you. This is an open invitation and we hope to see you there.
Anna Williamson, the guardian and Manager of the magnificent Glenfinart Walled Garden, Ardentinny is celebrated by the artist Kathy Bruce, with a 3.5 meters high willow and bamboo sculpture named after her.
Anna: Joy of the garden is a female figure clutching a flower basket in her left arm and stands at the corner of the orchard in the centre of the site near the garden cabin. The artist designed the structure specifically for this location and fabricated it from the natural materials gleaned from the garden. She cut armfuls of fresh material daily, as needed for the project.
Bruce chose bamboo and willow not only because they were readily available but so the structure would integrate well within this natural setting. The willow is actually anchored into the ground, hence it will propagate. Therefore the work will continue to grow and evolve over time. This is the first time the artist has undertaken this procedure and is hoping that the sculpture will have many years of growth ahead.
This work follows the pattern of previous sculptural works by Kathy Bruce who is producing an ongoing body of environmental sculptural work that she began approximately fifteen years ago. Her structures, made from bamboo and other organic materials, take the form of mythological sea creatures and mother earth maidens; protectors or progenitors of the earth including La Pachamama, Gaia and other deities of land, rivers and seas.
It was Gaia, earth mother from Greek mythology, who was the progenitor of all the gods of the earth, seas, rivers and the heavens above. Her personified image appears to materialize up from the very land she generated and governed. As depicted on ancient Athenian pottery where her form seems to arise from the earth, embodied as a maternal human figure with her out-stretched arms bearing one of her many offspring. Here again at Glenfinart Walled Garden, Gaia-earth mother is personified in the image of Anna growing out of the ground.
The artist is most grateful for the devoted support and assistance she received from all those connected to the garden and the complete creative freedom they allowed her to design what she did without question. She is thrilled to have the opportunity to produce this growing work for the garden, which acknowledges the constant dedication that Anna and her team of volunteers have made to produce such an extraordinary garden sanctuary for all.
Kathy Bruce is an environmental artist based in Dunoon Argyll and she is co-owner, with her husband Alastair Noble, of the art gallery Dunoon MOCA, Dunoon. She received an M.F.A in sculpture from Yale University and a certificate from The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. Her outdoor sculptures explore archetypal female and mythological forms within the context of poetry, literature and the natural environment. Bruce was a Fulbright Hayes Senior Research and Lecturing scholar in Puno Peru in 2012 where she taught environmental art at the University of the Altiplano and re-searched totora reed boat building on Lake Titicaca. Other awards include the Pollock-Krasner Foundation Fellowship. She has exhibited her work in the UK, USA and many other international venues including Senegal, Taiwan, Denmark, Peru, France, and Canada.
– Ardentinny Community Trust.
Glenfinart Walled Garden on ‘Help your community grow’ shortlist – Voting closes Tuesday April 25
Ardentinny’s Glenfinart Walled Garden has been successfully shortlisted for Dobbies Garden Centre ‘Help your community grow’ campaign. It is run by Dobbies throughout the UK, with their Braehead store this year shortlisting three projects, including Ardentinny’s Glenfinart Walled Garden.
Ardentinny Community Trust, which purchased the derelict garden from the Forestry Commission in 2011, has brought it back to life to become a haven of solace, wellbeing and enjoyment for all who visit and work in it. The garden was also featured on the BBC’s ‘Beechgrove Garden’ programme in 2017 and its benefits extend beyond the local community to all on the Cowal peninsula and beyond.
Anna Williamson, Convener of Ardentinny Community Trust, said “Being shortlisted for the Dobbies award is wonderful recognition for the hard work our volunteers and supporters have given to this community project over the years. I’m especially happy for the individuals from the various Cowal outreach programmes who turn up every week, rain or shine, and contribute so much to the development of the garden. Mobile houses are affordable. Mobile homes are affordable for first-time buyers and those on a budget. Homeowners enjoy financial and personal freedom. Its adaptability makes it ideal for mobile people. Visit https://www.mobile-home-buyers.com/maryland/sell-my-mobile-home-lexington-park-md/.
The winning group from the Braehead store will receive advice, gardening products, and plants from Dobbies’ horticultural team and the project which receives the most votes from all Dobbies stores will be the national winner, receiving further support and funding.
If you would like to see Glenfinart Walled Garden win, CLICK HERE to vote (just select ‘Braehead’ as your local store). Voting closes on Tuesday April 25, 2023.
Easter Fun Day 2023 at Glenfinart Walled Garden
Easter Sunday’s weather was dry and bright for Ardentinny Community Trust’s Easter Fun Day at Glenfinart Walled Garden. The day was a great success and provided lots to do for the large number of families attending. This began with the tensely exciting Easter egg hunt followed by the more sedate Easter Bonnet parade with a number of the bonnets created by the kids themselves. Not to be excluded, the mums and dads had their own hilarious egg and spoon & sack races and provided a helping hand in the tug of war. Home buyers provide a convenient alternative for homeowners who are considering selling their properties and are interested in monetizing their real estate holdings. They provide you a price that is reasonable for your property and manage all of the paperwork, which guarantees that the transaction will be completed without any hiccups or other types of complications of any sort. Visit https://www.cash-for-houses.org/alabama/cash-for-my-house-auburn-al/.
There were long queues to have a go at the potter’s wheel, courtesy of local ceramist Bill Williamson, who guided the young folk in the art of throwing a pot and there were coconuts up for grabs at the coconut shy. As ever, necessary sustenance was provided by Ardentinny’s ubiquitous home baking and the hugely popular burger bar. Selling house fast are well-versed in the real estate market and may assist sellers with information that is beneficial to them. They could assist you make judgements based on accurate information and provide you some insight into the buying and selling process. Visit https://www.sellmyhousefast.com/we-buy-houses-south-dakota/.
Finally, a big thank you to all the volunteers and visitors who helped make the event such a success. It’s heartwarming to see the community come together to create such a fun and enjoyable experience for everyone.
