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Cally Nurse, Artist, Researcher & Activist based in Fife Scotland. 
​Photo below in New Zealand!

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 After a career in journalism, public relations and fundraising, in 2018 I decided to take on a new challenge doing something I'd always loved as a child : making stuff.

The Access to Art & Design course at York College started my creative juices flowing. I loved it so much I took a big leap to a Masters Degree in Fine Art & Humanities at Duncan of Jordanstone Art College, Dundee Uni, completed in October 2021 with Distinction. Read Horrible Creatures - essay published in 2021.

2026
Feb-March Treasures of the Deep, St Andrews Botanic Garden Exhibition 

2-3-4 May Open Studios North Fife - one of 74 artist studios opening for three days over the Spring Bank Holiday. Free entry and a chance to chat to a wide variety of makers and artists.

​29-31 August Anstruther Harbour Festival, Anstruther, Fife

2025
3-4-5 May - Open Studios North Fife celebrates 20 Years.
Over 80 artists open their studios. All welcome.

2024
Sat/Sun 16/17 November - The Steeple Art Market, noon-4pm. 
Studios open and 15 local makers with beautiful work to show. Demo from blacksmith Jim Shears. Coffee, Tea and Cake.
Sunday 3 November - Paper Making Workshop The Steeple Studios Newburgh, 10am-1pm £40
Saturday 26 October  - Craft Workshop, Newburgh 11am-1pm. £25
August - Entanglement Exhibition Scottish Fisheries Museum Anstruther 
July-August Tidal Encounters Exhibition Adam Smith Theatre Kirkcaldy
May - Open Studios North Fife
April-June KELP! Installation in Gallery 495, Cellardyke Harbour
January-March - Solo show ENTANGLEMENT  17 Jan-4 March in Perth.

2023
November 

Tree Woman -  in the Connect & Grow show at Cass Art Glasgow themed on the SSA's first mentoring programme funded by Creative Scotland.
November  
Open weekend at the Steeple Studios Newburgh. 
July 
Presentation to Largo Bay community as part of a series of talks about seaweed and our coast for a potential project: Fife Seaweed Farm
June 
Seaweed assemblage on show at Summerhall Edinburgh for the John Byrne Award Exhibition
April  
Open Studios North Fife - first time and awarded Emerging Artist Bursary.
Took on a new voluntary role as Co-Vice President of the Society of Scottish Artists

March 
Awarded VACMA bursary for one to one mentoring with Fife artist Kirsty Whiten
March-May 2023 Two pieces selected for Kirkcudbright Galleries, 

January 
Assemblage is shortlisted for John Byrne January Award - Unlikely Kin. 

December 2022
Edinburgh Christmas Art Fair, Assembly Rooms. 

November 2022
Art & Design Market , Steeple Studios, Newburgh Sold first seaweed sculpture and took commissions and orders for more!

November 2022
Awarded bursary for best emerging artist in Open Studios North Fife which takes place end of April 2023.

October 2022
Two seaweed pieces accepted for the Meffan Winter Exhibition in Forfar Museum and Gallery.

July 2022
Accepted for the Edinburgh Gift Fair in December. Will be taking my seaweed creations out to the wider world at last. Will be interesting to gauge the responses!  Most people are intrigued but not necessarily converted to fully-fledged algophiles (seaweed lovers!)

April 2022
Selected to take part in SUBMERGE, a two week online residency run by Ayatana's Biophilium - the Science School for Artists based in Ottawa. The residency theme is Aquatic Ecology and discussions include Algae, Microplastics and Octopus Intelligence. 

March 2022
One of 20 artists to take part in the Creative Scotland Crowdmatch Competition to help me to secure and equip a studio space - essential for making bigger creations using seaweed and metal etc. Raised over the £5000 target thanks to the generosity of friends and family which was matched by Creative Scotland.

February 2022
Runner-up in the Venture Challenge for my business proposal to set up a seaweed design studio using seaweed both as inspiration and as a material.  The business name is TANG - a Scots word for seaweed and the prize money will be used to develop the brand, logo, website, market research and prototype development.

January 2022 Invited to speak about my Sea Intra-Action works by Carbon - Voices - Borders at the launch of their exhibition.

January 2022 One of 11 artists in Scotland awarded a bursary by Luminate, the creative ageing organisation, to develop skills in metal work and electroforming.

December 2021 Winner of the New Ideas prize in the Enterprise Challenge run by the Centre of Entrepreneurship University of Dundee, for ALGA, the innovative seaweed sculpture business.

August 2021 MFA Distinction, Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design, Dundee University. See the documentation in magazine format here heyzine.com/flip-book/43deec0cca.html

June 2021 SeaWorks I, II, III Selected for an online show organised by The Holy Art.

May 2021 Horrible Creatures - my essay about the Velvet Swimming Crab published on philosophy forum: scot-cont-phil.org/home-page/mind-the-matter/

April 2021 One of my mini Torn Collages on show April-June 2021 in Fronteer Art Gallery, Sheffield.

November 2020 Wild & Precious, an acrylic painting, appeared in a virtual exhibition called Stay Connected and curated by Lois Emma Harkin  from Norwich University 

October 2020 'Hope' , acrylic painting was selected for a pop-up exhibition themed on Colour and held at Bloomer Gallery, Aldgate, London.


Key influences: philosophers Whitehead, Bergson, Haraway, Barad and Saito.
Painters: Cecily Brown, Maggi Hambling, Peter Lanyon and Joan Eardley. 
Installation Artists: Andy Goldsworthy, Richard Serra, Gutai Group.


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  • Seaweed
  • NEWS
  • Workshops 2026
  • TANG
  • Paintings
  • Contact
  • The Artist