GAIL MCGARVA
OUR 2025 INVITED ARTIST

Gail McGarva, Boatmaker and storyteller

Gail McGarva is an award winning, artist, boat builder, and storyteller whose work seamlessly intertwines the art of craftsmanship with the rich tradition of narrative. Awarded Heritage Crafts President’s award for endangered crafts, 2024, King Charles III Charitable fund: McGarva has dedicated her life to the creation and preservation of exquisite wooden boats, each of which serves as a canvas for stories echoing the maritime heritage of the area. Her passion for boat building is not just about constructing vessels; it’s about preserving the stories that these boats carry and the connections they forge between people and their environment.

Step Aboard Vera, The Story Boat

As festival-goers explore the harbour, they will be drawn to the boat’s unique design; Vera the lerret boat, has been turned upside down and used to form the roof of the Story Boat. We invite you to step inside this miniature maritime world and experience McGarva's deep connection to the sea and her passion for sharing stories through her art.

The Disappearing Lines Exhibition

Alongside the Story Boat, the Pittenweem Arts Festival 2025 also features McGarva’s Disappearing Lines installation in the Gyle Centre. (You can find it adjacent to the Story Boat in the harbour, see enclosed map). This thought-provoking exhibit, explores themes of transience and connection in our increasingly digital world. As viewers engage with the installation, they will encounter a series of visual and auditory elements that evoke a sense of fleeting moments and memories of ghostly vessels and voyages long gone.

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