Holdfast: Exploring hope beneath the waves of Argyll's coast
Kilmartin Museum presents Holdfast, an immersive group exhibition by six artists whose shared passion for the sea began during the 2024 Argyll Hope Spot artist residency. Spanning two galleries of the museum’s special exhibition space, the artists invite audiences to journey beneath the waves through suspended artworks, soundscapes, projection, mosaics, and illustration.
The participating artists, Emma Baker, Rosemary Cunningham, Liz Willoughby, Viola Madau, Tamsin Cunningham, and Jamie Wardrop first met during a unique marine focused residency on Scotland’s west coast, supported by Hope Spot Argyll. This rare opportunity combined snorkelling, underwater drawing, and one-to-one sessions with local marine experts, offering first hand insight into the region’s rich biodiversity.
The exhibition title refers to the holdfast, the root-like structure that anchors seaweed to the seabed. Beyond its biological role, the holdfast is a powerful symbol of resilience and connection, reminding us that both people and the natural world must hold fast together through the storms ahead, both real and existential.
Drawn together by a shared passion for the sea, the six artists have transformed their underwater experiences into a collaborative body of work born from the deep bond they formed in the water. Reflecting on the diversity and fragility of Argyll’s marine habitats, and working across suspended sculpture, illustration, mosaic, animation, projection, and sound, they have created an exhibition that invites visitors to step beneath the waves, discover the interconnected life of these underwater worlds, and consider what it will take to protect them.
The Argyll Coast and Islands Hope Spot is part of an international network of special marine areas recognised by Mission Blue, which includes the Galapagos Islands and the Great Barrier Reef. This designation celebrates and supports the life above and below the waves, creating a global wave of community led ocean conservation.
Entry to the exhibition is through purchase of a standard museum ticket.
All 2025 tickets are valid for unlimited visits for one year from the purchase date for both the museum and exhibitions.
Opening times vary with the seasonal opening times of the museum.
Inveraray, Knapdale, Kilmartin and Crinan
93 dates between 01 Sep 2025 and 14 Dec 2025
£6.00 - £34.00
Performances
01 Sep 2025 10:00 AM - Kilmartin Museum , Kilmartin
02 Sep 2025 10:00 AM - Kilmartin Museum , Kilmartin
03 Sep 2025 10:00 AM - Kilmartin Museum , Kilmartin
04 Sep 2025 10:00 AM - Kilmartin Museum , Kilmartin
05 Sep 2025 10:00 AM - Kilmartin Museum , Kilmartin
06 Sep 2025 10:00 AM - Kilmartin Museum , Kilmartin
07 Sep 2025 10:00 AM - Kilmartin Museum , Kilmartin
08 Sep 2025 10:00 AM - Kilmartin Museum , Kilmartin
09 Sep 2025 10:00 AM - Kilmartin Museum , Kilmartin
10 Sep 2025 10:00 AM - Kilmartin Museum , Kilmartin
11 Sep 2025 10:00 AM - Kilmartin Museum , Kilmartin
12 Sep 2025 10:00 AM - Kilmartin Museum , Kilmartin
13 Sep 2025 10:00 AM - Kilmartin Museum , Kilmartin
14 Sep 2025 10:00 AM - Kilmartin Museum , Kilmartin
15 Sep 2025 10:00 AM - Kilmartin Museum , Kilmartin
16 Sep 2025 10:00 AM - Kilmartin Museum , Kilmartin
17 Sep 2025 10:00 AM - Kilmartin Museum , Kilmartin
18 Sep 2025 10:00 AM - Kilmartin Museum , Kilmartin
19 Sep 2025 10:00 AM - Kilmartin Museum , Kilmartin
20 Sep 2025 10:00 AM - Kilmartin Museum , Kilmartin
21 Sep 2025 10:00 AM - Kilmartin Museum , Kilmartin
22 Sep 2025 10:00 AM - Kilmartin Museum , Kilmartin
23 Sep 2025 10:00 AM - Kilmartin Museum , Kilmartin
24 Sep 2025 10:00 AM - Kilmartin Museum , Kilmartin
25 Sep 2025 10:00 AM - Kilmartin Museum , Kilmartin
26 Sep 2025 10:00 AM - Kilmartin Museum , Kilmartin
27 Sep 2025 10:00 AM - Kilmartin Museum , Kilmartin
28 Sep 2025 10:00 AM - Kilmartin Museum , Kilmartin
29 Sep 2025 10:00 AM - Kilmartin Museum , Kilmartin
30 Sep 2025 10:00 AM - Kilmartin Museum , Kilmartin
01 Oct 2025 10:00 AM - Kilmartin Museum , Kilmartin
02 Oct 2025 10:00 AM - Kilmartin Museum , Kilmartin
03 Oct 2025 10:00 AM - Kilmartin Museum , Kilmartin
04 Oct 2025 10:00 AM - Kilmartin Museum , Kilmartin
05 Oct 2025 10:00 AM - Kilmartin Museum , Kilmartin
06 Oct 2025 10:00 AM - Kilmartin Museum , Kilmartin
07 Oct 2025 10:00 AM - Kilmartin Museum , Kilmartin
08 Oct 2025 10:00 AM - Kilmartin Museum , Kilmartin
09 Oct 2025 10:00 AM - Kilmartin Museum , Kilmartin
10 Oct 2025 10:00 AM - Kilmartin Museum , Kilmartin
11 Oct 2025 10:00 AM - Kilmartin Museum , Kilmartin
12 Oct 2025 10:00 AM - Kilmartin Museum , Kilmartin
13 Oct 2025 10:00 AM - Kilmartin Museum , Kilmartin
14 Oct 2025 10:00 AM - Kilmartin Museum , Kilmartin
15 Oct 2025 10:00 AM - Kilmartin Museum , Kilmartin
16 Oct 2025 10:00 AM - Kilmartin Museum , Kilmartin
17 Oct 2025 10:00 AM - Kilmartin Museum , Kilmartin
18 Oct 2025 10:00 AM - Kilmartin Museum , Kilmartin
19 Oct 2025 10:00 AM - Kilmartin Museum , Kilmartin
20 Oct 2025 10:00 AM - Kilmartin Museum , Kilmartin
21 Oct 2025 10:00 AM - Kilmartin Museum , Kilmartin
22 Oct 2025 10:00 AM - Kilmartin Museum , Kilmartin
23 Oct 2025 10:00 AM - Kilmartin Museum , Kilmartin
24 Oct 2025 10:00 AM - Kilmartin Museum , Kilmartin
25 Oct 2025 10:00 AM - Kilmartin Museum , Kilmartin
26 Oct 2025 10:00 AM - Kilmartin Museum , Kilmartin
27 Oct 2025 10:00 AM - Kilmartin Museum , Kilmartin
28 Oct 2025 10:00 AM - Kilmartin Museum , Kilmartin
29 Oct 2025 10:00 AM - Kilmartin Museum , Kilmartin
30 Oct 2025 10:00 AM - Kilmartin Museum , Kilmartin
31 Oct 2025 10:00 AM - Kilmartin Museum , Kilmartin
01 Nov 2025 11:00 AM - Kilmartin Museum , Kilmartin
02 Nov 2025 11:00 AM - Kilmartin Museum , Kilmartin
05 Nov 2025 11:00 AM - Kilmartin Museum , Kilmartin
06 Nov 2025 11:00 AM - Kilmartin Museum , Kilmartin
07 Nov 2025 11:00 AM - Kilmartin Museum , Kilmartin
08 Nov 2025 11:00 AM - Kilmartin Museum , Kilmartin
09 Nov 2025 11:00 AM - Kilmartin Museum , Kilmartin
12 Nov 2025 11:00 AM - Kilmartin Museum , Kilmartin
13 Nov 2025 11:00 AM - Kilmartin Museum , Kilmartin
14 Nov 2025 11:00 AM - Kilmartin Museum , Kilmartin
15 Nov 2025 11:00 AM - Kilmartin Museum , Kilmartin
16 Nov 2025 11:00 AM - Kilmartin Museum , Kilmartin
19 Nov 2025 11:00 AM - Kilmartin Museum , Kilmartin
20 Nov 2025 11:00 AM - Kilmartin Museum , Kilmartin
21 Nov 2025 11:00 AM - Kilmartin Museum , Kilmartin
22 Nov 2025 11:00 AM - Kilmartin Museum , Kilmartin
23 Nov 2025 11:00 AM - Kilmartin Museum , Kilmartin
26 Nov 2025 11:00 AM - Kilmartin Museum , Kilmartin
27 Nov 2025 11:00 AM - Kilmartin Museum , Kilmartin
28 Nov 2025 11:00 AM - Kilmartin Museum , Kilmartin
29 Nov 2025 11:00 AM - Kilmartin Museum , Kilmartin
30 Nov 2025 11:00 AM - Kilmartin Museum , Kilmartin
03 Dec 2025 11:00 AM - Kilmartin Museum , Kilmartin
04 Dec 2025 11:00 AM - Kilmartin Museum , Kilmartin
05 Dec 2025 11:00 AM - Kilmartin Museum , Kilmartin
06 Dec 2025 11:00 AM - Kilmartin Museum , Kilmartin
07 Dec 2025 11:00 AM - Kilmartin Museum , Kilmartin
10 Dec 2025 11:00 AM - Kilmartin Museum , Kilmartin
11 Dec 2025 11:00 AM - Kilmartin Museum , Kilmartin
12 Dec 2025 11:00 AM - Kilmartin Museum , Kilmartin
13 Dec 2025 11:00 AM - Kilmartin Museum , Kilmartin
14 Dec 2025 11:00 AM - Kilmartin Museum , Kilmartin
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