The exhibition showcases new pieces of furniture and works of art and craft specially commissioned for Ash Rise. All the pieces are either made using timber from ash trees or have in some way been inspired by the trees themselves or the environment in which they grew. The ash trees for this project were sourced from Killearn Home Farm in Stirlingshire and were all felled as a result of being affected by the dieback disease. 

The exhibition will tour to three spectacular venues enabling Ash Rise to reach audiences right across Scotland and also online via an online guided tour - further details available soon.  The dates of the tour are as follows:

John Hope Gateway, RBGE               13 September 2024 – 12 January 2025

Gracefield Arts Centre, Dumfries                 18 January 2025 – 22 March 2025

Inverness Museum and Art Gallery               29 March 2025 – 17 May 2025  

Click on the names above to learn more about the venues and how to get there 

Each piece in the Ash Rise exhibition has been thoughtfully and meticulously crafted to reflect the beauty and characteristics of ash as a material.  Each maker responded to the brief in their own individual way, showing a richness and depth of skills and creativity.  

Click here to view the full portfolio of work.

in 2022, the SFMA brought together 20 makers from across Scotland through a callout and selection process to shape and craft the Ash Rise timber into new pieces of work.  The brief was to produce a challenging, innovative design which would best show off their skills and the outstanding qualities of ash timber. Some elected to incorporate the wood directly in their piece whereas others have created work inspired by the trees and the environment where they grew.

Click here to learn more about the makers and the work they create.

In 2022, agreement was reached with Killearn Home Farm for a number of trees affected by ash dieback to be extracted for Ash Rise. They were located near to overhead utilities lines which could have been damaged by falling limbs had they been left standing.  Local tree surgeons felled the trees which were then taken to the sawmill at Scottish Wood, near Dunfermline, to be sawn into boards.

In keeping with long held traditions, the boards were stacked ‘in stick’ - each board separated with small batons to allow airflow - and seasoned in the open air to ‘relax’ and dry the wood. After approximately nine months, the boards were dried further in a kiln to reduce their moisture content to around 10%, which is a suitable level for furniture making

Click here to see the timber processing in pictures.

There are an estimated 11 million mature ash trees in Scotland.  The ash is an important tree which supports a huge variety of wildlife, flora and fauna.  Click here to read more about ash trees.

The Scottish ash population is under attack from a disease known as ash dieback. Click here to read more about the ash dieback disease and the latest guidance from Scottish Forestry for custodians of ash trees.

From the outset, it was integral to Ash Rise that there should be an outreach programme of learning activities to engage and enthuse young people by giving them ‘hands-on’ experience of woodland and ash trees. Ash Rise partnered with Outdoor & Woodland Learning Scotland to deliver this programme.  Feedback from the groups is that the experience they had was fun and sparked their imagination.

Click here to read more about OWL Scotland and the Ash Rise activity days. 

The Ash Rise tour has been designed to run in the most sustainable way possible. The tour was scheduled to run back to back and so minimising the need for transportation of the work, often the most impactful aspect on the environment of a touring exhibition. The display plinths are made from ecoboard which is 100% recyclable and adhesives which are biodegradable. All the printed matter is made using recycled material such as Xanita board or paper which avoids the use of less sustainable materials such as plastics and will keep residual waste to a minimum when the tour ends. Travel too has been kept to a minimum by the use of online meeting platforms and public transport wherever practically possible.

Ash Rise has in so many ways been a voyage of discovery for us all. One such discovery has been that ash shavings make an ideal medium for growing edible mushrooms! As a side collaboration, we worked with Marco from Rhyze Mushrooms Coop who took a few bags of shavings from the Killearn ash from Tom Cooper and successfully grew a bumper crop of mushrooms. These are provided by Rhyze to foodbanks and restaurants so completing another full circle.  Click here to see the images gallery.

Marco is also part of the Funghi Forms exhibition which is on show at RBGE until 8 December 2024. Click here for more info.

Since 2001, the SFMA has been promoting and supporting independent furniture designers and makers across Scotland, celebrating their art, craft and creativity. SFMA is run by the members as a non-profit making body.  Click here to read more about how we work and how you can join us.