Rig Arts Guru Lauds Idea To Bring Disused Buildings Into Use

Bringing a disused building back into community use is helping the founder of a local arts organisation get back to her artistic roots.

Karen Orr, chief executive of RIG Arts, has taken on studio space in the centre of the town with help from the OuterSpaces charity and local property firm Bowman Rebecchi, who has facilitated the use of the available spaces on behalf of its clients while the search for long-term tenants continues.

Outer Spaces works with artists to help them 'occupy and activate' empty commercial properties for a nominal rent, with Bowman Rebecchi supporting its clients with short-term tenancies. 

Karen, along with fellow artists Jim Strachan, Elizabeth Donnachie, and her husband Jason Orr, is now dedicating one day every week to creating her own work.

She says getting back into her own studio has been an 'amazing experience'.

She added: "This is a brilliant opportunity for local artists.

"It gives people the room they need to work and keeps the buildings ventilated and occupied.

"It's great getting back into my own creative space and figuring out my art again."

Karen is born and bred in Greenock and was taught by Norrie Edgar before going on to study at the Glasgow School of Art.

She completed a postgraduate qualification in Poland, and when she returned to Scotland, worked at IBM for 12 years.

When she left the firm, she started Artista and began making props for television and film. In 2009, she took on studio space at Ladyburn through Riverside Inverclyde and RIG Arts evolved from there.

Karen, who paints in a figurative style, has had a residency in Berlin and exhibitions in Poland, at the Beacon, and at the Watt Institution.

She said while RIG Arts will always be her passion, it's good to have space and time to dedicate to her own work.

Karen says she has plans to create a series of compositions themed around women's issues.

She added: "I do so much socially-engaged work with RIG and I absolutely love it, but it's amazing to have a wee place just for me so I can find my own creativity again.

"I've always kept my hand in but I never had a lot of time."

Karen hopes the space will develop into a creative hub in its own right and will help groups of creatives work together.

She added: "We're already making links with other groups of artists across Inverclyde and we're all finding out about what's happening in the community.

"We're hoping that other spaces like this will spring up.

"It's giving people a real chance to explore their own work and to teach others."

To find out more about OuterSpaces visit https://outerspaces.org/

If you are a Commercial landlord looking for support, please contact Bowman Rebecchi.

This article appeared in the Greenock Telegraph.