Cromarty Arts Trust this summer welcomes its first international artist in residence. Sergej Andreevski, a painter from Macedonia has arrived with his family to spend a few weeks in the peaceful and inspiring setting of the Cromarty Stables.

Sergej was born in Skopje Macedonia, and graduated from the faculty of fine arts in the city in 1985. He has had scholarships and residencies in Italy, Germany, Japan, France, Denmark and USA and has had exhibitions around the world and won many awards. This is Sergej’s first UK visit and as such is a great honour for the Highlands.

“This is the first time we have had an international artist and it is a very exciting to have someone of the calibre of Sergej “ said Lindy Cameron, Cromarty Arts Trustee “We are grateful to Visting Arts for their contribution towards the cost of Sergej’s trip. The residencies take place every summer and over the years we have played host to many different artists and musicians. The spin-offs for the local community and the group of artists who rent studio space in the ground floor of the stables are great. It is also fantastic to be able to welcome Sergej’s wife Irena and children – Irena is very involved in community development in Macedonia and we have much to learn and share from each other. Cromarty is legendary in terms of its friendly welcome, so I’m sure the Andreevskis will feel at home. We’ll have to brush up on our Macedonian greetings though!”.

In the meantime Cromarty is gearing up for sampling a little bit of Balkan flavour in more ways than one: on Saturday 16th July Irena is going to demonstrate Macedonian cuisine to any interested members of the public, culminating in a mini banquet. Then the following week, Sergej is holding an exhibition of his work at the Stables in Cromarty from 22nd – 24th July, beginning at 7.30 on the Friday night when he will create a huge painting live and talk about his work.

Further residencies this year include Strathpeffer’s own Cara Crawford; now based near Glasgow her work sells nationally and internationally but she looks upon this residency as very much a “homecoming”. Richard Kindersley the stone letter carver who created the beautiful commemoration stone to Hugh Miller on the Links in Cromarty is coming in August to run a stone letter carving workshop and some of Mr McFall’s Chamber Orchestra are coming in September for a week’s residency. Lindy Cameron said “Musicians are a recent addition to the residency programme, beginning last summer with Aidan O’Rourke and Alyth McCormack which was really successful and we look forward to many more musicians in residences in Cromarty in the years to come.”

In other ways too the Cromarty Arts Trust have had a busy year – John Nightingale, chair of the Trust explained “We have recently completed our website, finished the conversion of an old townhouse in Cromarty to provide accommodation for students from Aberdeen University Lighthouse field station and other visiting artists or writers which is full for the summer already, and we have just held a gathering for all Highland Art Teachers, where they had the opportunity to meet and learn from representatives from the four major Scottish Art Schools, with a view to clarifying portfolio needs for potential students, and to give the teachers a learning experience of quality.

This gathering was so successful for all concerned that the trust hope it is something they can repeat year after year.”