Exhibition of Islay RNLI crew portraits raises over £9,000
A exhibition of portraits by Islay artist Heather (Deborah) Dewar has raised a total of £9,280 for Islay’s RNLI charity. The exhibition of original paintings showcased Dewar's paintings of the men and women who serve the local community as part of the RNLI.
The exhibition, ‘Gulls & Buoys’, was on display into February 2023 at Islay’s Gaelic heritage centre, Ionad Chaluim Chille Ìle. The collection is the culmination of three year’s work in which Heather captured 20 members of the volunteer crew. The renowned Islay artist also presents her own BBC ALBA series ‘Dealbhan Fraoich’ (Heather’s Portraits); combining the position of artist and interviewer as she creates portraits of well-known Gaelic speakers. Therefore, exhibiting at the local Gaelic centre, seemed the natural fit for the paintings. Information about each painting and roles within the RNLI were displayed with local Gaelic translations.
Alongside the crew portraits were some of Heather’s other works depicting Islay and Scottish folklore. It was always Heather’s intention that a portion of all sales were donated the RNLI charity to help them continue saving lives at sea. She says: “I thought the paintings would be a way of making known to everybody who the unsung heroes in their midst were, those who responded to often dangerous calls for help from those at sea.”.
A lifelong supporter of Islay RNLI, for 5 years Heather was Islay’s lifeboat press officer, attending shouts and reporting on the lifeboat launches. To this day Heather’s camaraderie and home-baking are always appreciated at the station. On the opening night of the exhibition invited guests were treated to the local primary school children, of whom many have family members in the lifeboat crew, performing a wonderful concert of songs with a little help from RNLI mascot Stormy Stan.
Islay Lifeboat Press Officer, Kate Hannett said: “Islay RNLI would like to thank all those who supported, visited, and enjoyed the exhibition while it was on show. It is fantastic that such an amount was raised by our fundraisers to help the RNLI and we never take for granted our incredible supporters both here in the Islay community and from further afield. Of course, we send a massive thank you to Heather for all the hard work and effort put into making the exhibition for us.”.
Key facts about the RNLI
The RNLI is the charity that saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 146,700 lives.
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