Falkirk Arts Network: Top arts awards for former Provost Pat Reid and artist Calum Stevenson

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On Friday evening, Falkirk Arts Network (FAN) – formerly the Arts and Civic Council – presented the magnificent trophy to Pat Reid, while the Young Personality of the Year award went to Bonnybridge artist Calum Stevenson.

Calum was the youngest ever winner of Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year in 2021 – and the first Scot to have won the televised competition. As a result, he was commissioned to paint a portrait of the musician Nicola Benedetti, which is now on display in the National Portrait Gallery in Edinburgh.

Pat Reid was the Provost of Falkirk for ten years, from 2007 until 2017 and was instrumental in restoring the town’s war memorial, which involved researching the names of all those who were killed in conflict and fundraising for materials and labour.

Pat Reid is presented with Personality of the Year, and Calum Stevenson with Young Personality by Kathryn Grainger chair of Falkirk Arts Network.

The President of FAN, Kathryn Grainger, said: “When Pat was Provost, he did the town proud and was a much respected Provost. The war memorial in Dollar Park has been beautifully restored and refurbished and that’s partly down to Pat and a few other who spent a lot of time and energy to get that done.”

While Pat stepped down as a councillor in 2021, he did not retire from public life. He became treasurer of FAN and is also very involved as a board member of Forth Valley Sensory Centre and a member of Friends of Dollar Park.

“Pat’s wisdom and experience are very much appreciated by all of us,” Kathryn said.

Accepting the award, Pat joked that it was certainly not for his dramatic talents but said: “It’s been a pleasure to give back to Falkirk what I’ve got from Falkirk.”

Kathryn also urged members to take the chance to see 25-year-old Calum Stevenson’s portrait of Nicola Benedetti in the National Portrait Gallery.

“If you haven’t seen this portrait, you have got to look it up – it’s absolutely astonishing, it just captures her completely,” she said.

Calum graduated from Duncan of Jordanstone with BA (Hons) in Fine Arts then did a Masters at Glasgow School of Art in 2020.

He thanked members of FAN and said it was “really nice to have been recognised for what he has been doing in the past year”.