Community shapes future public art for new-look Artizan Centre

Published 02 October 2025

Residents are being given the chance to have their say on artwork to be displayed at the new-look Artizan Centre.

Artist Alex Allan has been commissioned to design a piece of public artwork and has been engaging with local people over the summer during a series of workshops to gather ideas which reflect the community and give participants firsthand insight into his research process. 

The first workshop, held in late June, brought pupils from Dumbarton Academy to the foreshore beside the Rock Bowling Club. Working with materials washed ashore or discarded, they created sculptures under Alex’s guidance, focusing on reclaimed and recycled materials.  

Pupils also met volunteers from the Dumbarton Castle Society, who shared the town’s rich history and reinforced a sense of pride and ownership over the future artwork. 

Other community sessions included an origami paper-boat building workshop at the Scottish Maritime Museum for younger children and parents and a ‘Railway to Rock’ walk exploring photography and drawing as research tools. 

The ideas will be consolidated during a session on Friday 10 October from 12.30pm until 2.30pm within the Youth Lounge at the Concord Centre in Dumbarton which all previous participants and everyone from the community are welcome to attend.  

During the session, there will be a variety of pieces relevant to the artwork project including the artist’s research photographs to view and interact with. People will also be able to experiment and build sculptures using items gathered from the foreshore and use photographs taken on the photography walk to create collage work. 

This will then help Alex to develop the artwork with a focus on the community’s ideas and inspiration. He also intends to produce a book documenting the public engagement process and workshop research with an ambition that this will be kept in the new public library at Glencairn House, celebrating the community’s role in creating the artwork. 

Councillor David McBride, Convener of Infrastructure, Regeneration and Economic Development, said: “Seeing our young people transform objects which they discovered on the foreshore into art is inspiring. These workshops have not only fuelled creativity but have forged a lasting connection between the community, pride in their surroundings and the Artizan Centre’s new mural.” 

Councillor Lawrence O’Neill, Vice Convener of Infrastructure, Regeneration and Economic Development, said: “These upcoming sessions will give the wider community a chance to get involved and have their say. It will be really exciting to finally see the artwork displayed at the new-look Artizan Centre, right in the heart of Dumbarton.”