ABOUT THE PROJECT: THE MARCHMONT SILVERSMITHING WORKSHOP
PROJECT DEVELOPMENT
The Marchmont Silversmithing Workshop sits on the Marchmont Estate in Duns, Scotland. Previously an unused Kennels building, with the vision of the late Hugo Burge, the SGT worked with Hugo and the Marchmont Makers Foundation to design a purpose-built Silversmithing workshop on the estate.
Marchmont Makers Foundation is an independent charity run on Marchmont Estate that supports creativity in the arts within the Scottish Borders and beyond. In particular, they support artists to become financially sustainable and projects that inspire art in the community, schools and the next generation. Carrying on Hugo Burge’s dream of creating a "Home for Makers and Creators," Marchmont Makers Foundation's Creative Spaces initiative — artist studios, residency retreat spaces and performance venues — is about celebrating, exploring, and being inspired by creativity. The Creative Spaces and Foundation are run separately from the House, but they are located nearby on the Estate.
ABOUT GRAHAM STEWART
In 2020, The Scottish Goldsmiths Trust was generously gifted the entire contents of late Master Silversmith Graham Stewart’s workshop, including the tools, machinery and books he collected throughout his career and used on a daily basis. It was Graham’s wish, and the wish of his family, that these continue to be used to support early career silversmiths in Scotland.
Graham Stewart was a designer, gold and silversmith who ran his workshop and gallery in Dunblane, Scotland from 1978 to 2020. Working along with his small team of skilled and long established craftsmen, he produced innovative, clean-lined, sculptural pieces of silver from high profile commemorative presentation pieces to fine quality functional silver. The silver was produced using traditional techniques such as raising, spinning, cold forging, planishing, and chasing. Graham specialised in fine hand-cut engraving. He also designed and made a small range of fine jewellery.
AT HOME WITH SILVER
In March of 2023, The Scottish Goldsmiths Trust, in partnership with Marchmont Makers Foundation, hosted the At Home with Silver weekend at Marchmont House to celebrate the opening of The Marchmont Silversmithing Workshop.
We are pleased to share the post-event report on our March At Home with Silver weekend, celebrating the opening of the Marchmont Silversmithing Workshop. The weekend sought to bring visitors together to spark conversation and collaboration and discuss growing the market for our silversmiths, alongside beginning to address how we can work more sustainably. In the four months since the opening, the Silversmithing Tenants have settled into the workshop and become a welcomed part of the Marchmont community. For more on the At Home with Silver Weekend, visit the link below.