Shimmering

There is a new exhibition just opened at the Inverness Museum & Art Gallery, entitled Shimmering, bringing together the work of artists Anne Bevan RSA and Mary Bourne RSA FRSS. Through sculpture, stone and research-led practice, this exhibition seeks to explore environmental change, biodiversity loss and renewable energy, while remaining deeply rooted in the wild coastal landscapes of northern Scotland.

When we think about how the sea and the land intersect there is a really fascinating relationship there. The tide leaves traces. In smooth pebbles shaped by centuries of movement, in seabirds riding the wind above the Moray Firth, and in the communities that have lived alongside Scotland’s coasts for generations.

North Scotland’s coasts can often feel timeless, but through the movement of the sea this coastline has always been slowly changing. Now climate pressures, habitat loss and the transition to renewable energy are reshaping marine environments and coastal communities in ways that are increasingly more visible.

This tension between permanence and transformation lies at the heart of this exhibition.

Shimmering.

Orkney-based Anne Bevan’s work is rooted in the landscapes and communities of the far north. Drawing inspiration from marine energy research, geology and maritime culture, she explores the powerful forces that shape coastlines and the lives connected to them. For this exhibition, Bevan brings together earlier works with ideas developed through recent renewable energy residencies, creating a peices that reflects both the opportunities and challenges of a changing environment.

Alongside this, Moray artist Mary Bourne presents new work inspired by the legacy of her father, the acclaimed ornithologist and conservationist Dr WRP Bourne. Working with natural materials including quartz and Scottish basalt, Bourne reflects on biodiversity loss, conservation, grief and the vulnerability of living systems. Her sculptures explore contrasts between light and shadow, presence and absence, inviting visitors to consider both the beauty of the natural world and what may be at risk if species and habitats continue to decline.

Together, their works sit in conversation with one another like tide and shoreline. Stone meets water, memory meets observation, and personal stories connect with global challenges. Rooted in the landscapes of northern Scotland.

Anyone who has paused to watch gannets plunge into the sea, followed tracks through sand dunes, or stood on a beach listening to the wind and tide will find echoes of those experiences here. The exhibition invites us to look again at the landscapes we know and love, and to consider what they might tell us about change, loss and renewal.

Part of the RSA200 Celebrating Together programme, Shimmering highlights the work of artists living and working in rural Scotland and demonstrates how contemporary art can open up conversations about biodiversity, renewable energy and climate change. Through sea, stone and story, the exhibition highlights both the beauty and the vulnerability of Scotland’s coastal ecosystems, inviting visitors to reflect on what may be lost and what can still be protected.

Shimmering
Anne Bevan RSA & Mary Bourne RSA FRSS

22 August to 17 October 2026

Inverness Museum & Art Gallery
Castle Wynd
Inverness
IV2 7JW