Glenfiddich: A Work of Art

Glenfiddich is a globally recognised whisky maker. Established by William Grant in 1876, with the first spirit running off the stills in 1887, today the company is still run by his descendants and was the first whisky to truly market itself as a single malt.

Glenfiddich now accounts for about 30% of all single malt sales worldwide and is a colossus of the whisky world. What some may not know, however, is that Glenfiddich doesn’t just create the most-awarded whisky, but on their grounds they have artists creating unique pieces of work, inspired by Glenfiddich’s historic spirit production and beautiful setting in the Valley of the Deer.

Established in 2002, Glenfiddich developed its renowned Artists in Residence Programme and each year select a number of breakthrough and award-winning artists to attend their summer programme and to reside at Glenfiddich. During their stay, the artists will produce original artwork inspired by the iconic whisky maker to later be showcased in exhibitions held throughout the summer.

Artwork created by former residents of the programme are dotted about the distillery and many can be seen throughout any tour at Glenfiddich. One piece in particular to look out for is one called ‘The Angel’s Share’ which is a tribute to the whisky lost each year due to evaporation. The unique work of art is in the form of a special set of angel wings featuring oak cask shavings for feathers which welcome guests on arrival.

Tune into this week’s podcast episode where we will feature Artists in Residence coordinator Andy Fairgrieve and Canadian artist Lee Henderson, taking part in this years programme, discuss his upcoming works inspired by spirits and the multiple connotations of the word. You can subscribe and download this week’s podcast here.

Be sure to plan a visit to at least one of the three available Glenfiddich Artists in Residence Exhibitions this summer to view new work created by this summer’s resident artists. Exhibitions will open on 28th July, 25th August, and 22nd September at 6:30pm. Visit the Glenfiddich Artists in Residence webpage for additional details on exhibition dates and gallery open times.