Bus stop in West Lothian town's High Street forms part of striking art exhibition - Daily Record

Bus stop in West Lothian town's High Street forms part of striking art exhibitionBeautiful Materials extends from the walls of the gallery in LinlithgowIn Your AreaMichael Pringle12:07, 04

Jun 2025Beautiful Materials is at Linlithgow Burgh Halls(Image: West Lothian Council) A unique new art exhibition in a West Lothian town incorporates the transformation of a bus shelter.

Beautiful Materials extends from the walls of the gallery and includes a High Street bus stop in Linlithgow.

‌ The striking solo exhibition by Glasgow-based award winning artist Nicola Atkinson has launched in the Gallery at the Linlithgow Burgh Halls.

‌ It presents the vessel as a container for ideas, and aims to question how we look at art and its materials.

READ MORE: West Lothian dog owner thanks Livingston vets after beloved pet was injured in road accident Nicola said, “I became interested in how we see things every day as we often view the

entire world now in miniature on our phones. As a result, I created a scale model in the gallery where you can imagine you are a giant within the eight Georgette and Velvet floating wall

hangings with wee velvet vessel paintings.”

The bus shelter is significantly located across from the Gallery at Linlithgow Cross, it features 24 naturally illuminated and transparent colourful Vessels artworks you can see clearly from

the gallery windows, connecting the interior with exterior, and extending the boundaries of the exhibition.

Article continues belowREAD MORE: Volunteers celebrate 3,500 hours of devotion at Dogs Trust West Calder’s base Internationally acclaimed, Nicola is known for the recent public artwork The

Memory Tree which forms part of the award-winning Aberdeen Union Terrace Gardens and has created 145 public art projects, temporary and permanent in villages, towns, cities and museums

around the world.

Supported by West Lothian Council, Beautiful Materials solo exhibition puts the visitor front and centre in an active role of questioning art, how we digest what is around us, how we take

part and then, what does it all mean.

VESSEL ON LOAN allows local residents can borrow one of the exhibition artworks for their home, creating a domestic version of the exhibition.

‌READ MORE: Award for popular postmaster who's been serving community in Livingston for 30 years Nicola added: “A recent survey for museums highlighted that a person spends on average 28

seconds looking at a piece of art,” Nicola added. “This exhibition offers the visitor to have more time with an artwork to understand how the relationship to it can grow or change in the

comfort of their own home.”

Nicola has also published a stunning pocket-sized book to accompany the exhibition.

Beautiful Materials runs until Sunday, September 21 and is open daily from 9am until 5pm.

‌READ MORE: Talented pupils at Livingston school make it through to finals of singing competition Nicola will also be presenting four events, an artist’s talk on Wednesday, June 18 from

6.30pm until 7.30pm. VESSEL ON LOAN, July 2 and 16, 7pm to 9pm.

There will also be a book signing on Friday, July 4 from 12 noon until 1pm at the Far From the Madding Crowd Bookshop, and a WEAR ART MUSIC event on Saturday, August 23 from 1pm to 3pm in

collaboration with Stevie Jackson.

Further details on Beautiful Materials are available from: beautifulmaterials.co and by emailing [email protected]

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