Fair Isle art fellow begins work at universities

Vivian Ross-Smith. 'The Island is The Gallery' Performance 2, 2021. Photo: Stephen Mercer.

Fair Isle’s Vivian Ross-Smith has been awarded the Freelands Studio Fellowship, which will see her work alongside lecturers and teach art at universities.

The successful fellows are based at their host university for a full calendar year and are provided with a studio within the Fine Art department, access to workshop and library facilities and supported by a teaching mentor.

Ross-Smith, who grew up in Fair Isle, uses physical and digital spaces to make painting, performance and textile work. She has a Masters with Distinction from Glasgow School of Art (2020) and a BA (Hons) from Gray’s School of Art (2013).

She said “This fellowship provides a rich opportunity to work alongside an institution, develop a network, and deeply sustain my practice.

“The fellowship’s focus on practice, making, and contributing to creative communities held within the art school environment is hugely exciting and I am honoured to be one of the six selected artists across the UK.”