Portage:
1. The carrying or transporting of something.
2. A charge made for carrying or transporting something; porterage.
3. Nautical
a. The carrying of boats and supplies overland between two waterways or around an obstacle to navigation.
b. A track or route used for such carrying.
c. A porthole.
d. A sailor’s wages when in port.
e. The amount of a sailor’s wages for a voyage.
Portage project information:
During 2008, Shetland Arts was awarded funding from the Scottish Arts Council to research and develop ideas for the exhibition of contemporary craft in Shetland. Two years of research and development by the Portage team (Clair Aldington, Hazel Hughson and Mary Smith), have resulted in the curation of three exhibitions during 2010 at Shetland Arts’ Bonhoga Gallery, funded by the Scottish Arts Council and Shetland Arts with invaluable support from Newcastle University, Dundee University, Nottingham Trent University, Shetland College, and Jamieson’s Spinning Ltd. Portage: Crossing Points is the first of the three exhibitions which aim to explore the concept of portage in terms of transporting and exhibiting artwork in a remote island location, as well as exploring communication over distance.
The three exhibitions in the Portage series are:
Portage: Crossing Points (29 May – 27 June 2010), curated by Clair Aldington
digital jewellery and interactive craft objects, exploring communication and relationships
Portage: Finger Symbols (7 August – 5 September 2010), curated by Mary Smith
contemporary jewellery for the hands, exploring rings as symbolic objects in our lives
Portage: Textiles: Extremes of Scale (9 October – 14 November 2010), curated by Hazel Hughson
contemporary textiles and installation from UK, Northern Europe and Scandinavia
