Now in its seventh year, the Graduate Exhibition Award supports emerging artists from Grampian, Moray, Orkney and Shetland. Funded by Creative Scotland, the award gives two recent graduates the opportunity to develop their work and exhibit it within The Suttie Arts Space.

The Award was first launched in 2019. Following a temporary pause in 2021 due to COVID-19 restrictions on hospital sites, the programme resumed in 2022 and continues to support new artistic talent across the region.

The Award helps graduates take the next step in their creative careers by providing valuable exhibition experience, professional development opportunities and a platform to showcase their work to a wider audience. It also helps retain artistic talent within the NHS Grampian catchment area, encouraging graduates to build their careers locally rather than leaving the region to seek opportunities elsewhere.

By supporting local artists, the Award strengthens the cultural life of Grampian and Moray while bringing high-quality contemporary art into healthcare environments. The exhibitions help create welcoming and engaging spaces for patients, visitors and staff, demonstrating the positive role that creativity can play in health and wellbeing.

This year’s recipients are Ciara Hull from Gray’s School of Art and Alex Muir from UHI Orkney. Both artists will develop work for exhibition scheduled to take place in July 2027. Their participation continues the Award’s commitment to supporting the next generation of artists to work within an acute hospital setting and celebrating the creative talent emerging from institutions across the north of Scotland.

Previous recipients of the Award are;

2025 Emily McLathie and Annie Scott ‘Silent, Soft, Birds and Breeze’   (currently on show)

2024 Emily Mitchell and Jen Upson ‘In This Place‘

2023 Esther Helfer and Moira Downie ‘Between Two Elements‘

2022 Dexter Turrif-Davis and Sue Little ‘Articulate‘

2020 Rachel Mclure and Iris Walker- Reid ‘Subterranean Stream‘

2019 Meg Miller and Kim Welch ‘Sounding Boards and Landing Boards‘