Art Appreciation Weekend  5/6 March 2027

The Selkirk Arms has been running highly successful Art Appreciation Weekends for nearly two decades.  This popular weekend is an annual event, with a focus on learning more about and enjoying art at all levels. Unlike so many residential art weekends this is not a tutorial for learning to paint or craft, but for exploring and looking at art in its widest possible scope.

Amanda Herries, MA is a well-known art curator, writer and accredited Arts Society lecturer, with more than 30 years’ experience lecturing, writing, leading tours abroad and curating exhibitions.  She lives locally and will lead the sessions on this residential speciality break taking place in relaxed and informal comfort at the hotel. It includes delicious dinners and the chance to explore the locality in the afternoons.

The Arts Appreciation series in March 2027 is:

‘TAMING THE GREAT OUTDOORS; FROM PASTURE, UP THE GARDEN PATH TO THE FLOWER VASE’

Through the ages artists have painted the landscape they see around them, travelling to capture in paint or pencil the wild views, raging seas and beautiful scenery.

This weekend we will focus on the closer landscape; the fields and pastures grazed and harvested not far from home, observing how those views changed through the centuries, be it in Europe or in Asia.   We will then move into the artificial landscape – the garden and its contents.  Garden landscapes have been created in the East for well over one thousand years. 

 In the West gardens may have taken a little longer to evolve but have developed through many styles and incorporated plants ‘hunted’ worldwide. Eventually these plants have found their way into the house, as symbolism in pieces of jewellery, as decoration on ceramics, metalwares, textiles, and of course in the flower vase. 

Please come with me up the garden path as we meander informally through this fascinating and colourful aspect of art.

Amanda Herries

Arrive Friday - check in from 2pm

Meet your host for the weekend Amanda Herries at a drinks and canapés reception in the Burns room at 6pm before your first talk and dinner and a chance to meet your fellow residents attending the Art Appreciation weekend.

First talk 6.30 and your introduction to the weekend

A 2 course dinner with tea or coffee will be served at 7.30pm

Saturday

Breakfast served from 07.15 to 09.15

First talk of the day 10am - 12noon - a break for 15 minutres before a soup and sandwich lunch at 12.15

The afternoon is free to explore Kirkcudbright and the many wonderful galleries

Pre dinner drinks and canapés at 6pm

Second talk of the day 6.30 before a 2 course dinner at 7.30pm

Sunday

Breakfast served from 08.00 - 09.30

First talk of the day will start at 10.30am with the same format as Saturday and finishing with a soup and sandwich lunch.
Price inclusive of dinner, bed, breakfast, pre dinner drinks, talks and soup and sandwich lunches £340 Per person based on 2 people sharing a twin or double room £340pp single room / please enquire about double for single occupancy rates