Images: © Sandra Iliffe/MEM Donaldson Collection, Inverness Museum and Art Gallery, High Life Highland
The HND Visual Communication/Illustration Project students at UHI Inverness have been working hard this semester on a project inspired by the Mary Ethel Muir (MEM) Donaldson Collection in the museum’s photographic archive.
Students were presented with a chapter from The Isles of Flame: a romance of the Inner Hebrides in the days of Columba – a novel written by Donaldson. The chapter tells of the arrival of the Irish monk Columba and his missionaries at the hillfort of Craig Phadrig in the 6th century. Their aim was to convert the mighty Brude, King of the Northern Picts, to Christianity. A battle of powers ensues between Columba and the King’s Druid, Broichan, as the Irish monk successfully commands the gates of the formidable fortress to open, so he and his men can enter.
After a visit to the museum to see the contact prints from MEM Donaldson’s glass negatives, as well as some artefacts from the Iron Age and Pictish eras, students were tasked to render two pages of a graphic novel, based on the story of Columba at Craig Phadrig. Each student was able to select which part of the chapter they wished to illustrate, choose their own style and medium, and who their target audience would be. Students were also asked to create a poster using their illustrations to advertise this exhibition, these will be included on the museum’s social media channels.
The class chose on the exhibition’s title, Days of Columba. Inverness Museum and Art Gallery is delighted to be displaying this exhibition until 31 August. To compliment the students’ work, a selection of photographs taken by MEM Donaldson of places pertinent to Columba’s story, are on display in the 1st Floor Foyer Photographic Gallery.
Community Gallery/Photographic Gallery
Until 31 August 2024
