Jailhouse Rock

My new artwork for the garden arrived today from Stirling jail having narrowly avoided the scrapheap.

All summer it had been used as a kiosk to sell tickets for events up at Stirling Old Jail and it also formed part of the Bloody Scotland wall mural painted by a group of artists under the newly formed CreativeStirling initiative.

Well, the mural has been dismantled with most of the panels sold off, leaving this unwanted kiosk.

I happened to be chatting to Joe Hall, director of CreativeStirling the other day when I noticed this kiosk standing in the empty jail yard.

"What's going to happen to it?" I asked
"It will be scrapped-unless someone makes me an

I did.

She accepted.

And today Stephen Walker (pictured), a third year Art and Design student at Forth Valley College, installed it in my garden.
The artwork is by another student Paul McDonald who has already had work from this project bought by The Smith Art Gallery and Museum.


Well, what do I do with it? It could stay as it is- a work of art - or I could turn it into Scotland's smallest gallery.

- That's when I discover Kelso, the small Scottish Border town, already claims that with the conversion of a telephone kiosk into an exhibition space for local artists.
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- Or it could become a venue for sound pieces.... watch this space.

Oh yes and I need a name for it. So far I have The Shedd or The Funk Hut.
Suggestions gratefully received on email: annshaw@mac.com