Glasgow Print Fair is an annual event that showcases a wide range of artists and designers from across the UK who work in print. POP shop members took a day trip to Glasgow to take part in the print fair and share their work with new audiences.
Since applying and being accepted for Glasgow Print Fair 2023, POP shop members Walter Newton, Hannah Clinch and Steph Connelly met regularly to design the stand and work out how to use the opportunity to support the development of ideas. Glasgow Print Fair is a firm fixture on the creative calendar, attracting printers from across the UK and an audience of thousands from Glasgow and beyond.
“Each of us has really different work. Walter has prints and cards, Steph has beautiful silk scarves and I have jumpers, so we had to design a stand that could accommodate all of our work," says Hannah
After a few planning sessions, a stand was mocked up at the shop to scale using upcycled window shutters to create a bright yellow backdrop. The shutters and reused peg board were salvaged from Dunoon Burgh Hall back in 2016, when the Hall was cleared out for renovation. Walter added in a few shelves painted in bright pink to match the POP shop brand and other items were hung on hooks.
Each member of the team took a side of the screen and this became the backdrop of the POP shop’s Print Fair stand.
The Print Fair took place at the LightHouse Centre for Design and Architecture in Glasgow and attracted thousands of people through the doors.
“It was really good to see my work generating so much interest. I have a series of prints that all focus on gaming equipment and these prints sparked so many conversations about people’s gaming experiences, which was great to hear”
Steph is an environmental artist and engineer. The Print Fair was a bit of an experiment to see how her collection of limited edition silk scarves could be sold. Over the last year, Steph has been creating watercolour paintings to support her recovery from Long Covid. These beautiful paintings have been printed onto silk and then hemmed by Anoli, a Dunoon-based fashion designer, to create a collection of four limited-edition silk scarves
“Living with a chronic illness can make life seem very small in a way as normal activities are no longer possible and life is lived mainly at home. So having the opportunity to share my work with thousands of people visiting the Print Fair was really exciting. That wouldn’t have been at all possible for me without the help of POP shop collaborators.”
Glasgow Print Fair was a brilliant opportunity for POP shop members to work in collaboration to test out new approaches to retail and income generation.