A bus shelter is more than just a place to wait. In Linlithgow, one particular bus shelter stands out.
The creation is by Glasgow based artist Nicola Atkinson who currently has a solo exhibition of new works at the Linlithgow Burgh Halls (23 May to 21 September) called Beautiful Materials (Vessels) which is open daily from 9am until 5pm.
At its heart, the exhibition asks how we look at art and its materials and what are its boundaries? At the exhibition the vessel is a container for ideas, and materials, but perhaps we too are also containers in some ways.
FOUR MARYS BUS SHELTER
There are two significant aspects of this particular bus shelter location, one is that you can see the bus shelter from the gallery windows, connecting the interior with exterior, and extending the boundaries of the exhibition. The other reason is this is the site where chloroform was invented enabling the alleviation of human suffering. For safe indentation this was housed in blue glass vessels.
WHAT IS A BUS SHELTER? (The Winchburgh Connection)
A bus shelter can be a thoughtful place, thinking about the journey ahead, when the bus is coming and beyond. It is a shared space in the world, where a captive audience occurs to experience art. Inspired after Nicola Atkinson’s recent public art works on three bus shelters in Winchburgh, the Linlithgow work features transparent colourful vinyl and drawings.
BUS SHELTER TRANSFORMATION DAY 1
It took me three days in total to install the bus shelter; West Lothian Council transport department cleaned it initially and had kindly replaced two badly damaged panels. My first day was spent cleaning to make sure it was ready for the transparent vinyl. It needed to be very clean and free of dust for best effect and an extra clean. I meet so many people who just stop to thank me for cleaning it.
To make this happen I had a lot of support from Camille Archer, Music and Public Art Officer Community Arts, Lorna Cunningham, Transport Department West Lothian Council, Lesley Brown, the staff at Linlithgow Burgh Halls, Linlithgow Town Management and High Street shops. The people at Linlithgow
DIY store were very helpful with sorting out what tools to buy. The special brushes for windows and the extra strong spray bottles, so that I could reach the roof for the extra clean. Being very patient when I returned for many buckets of hot soapy water.
DAY 2
The second day of installation I worked with Sarah Bissell-Hobbs, an artist and a professional vinyl installer who helped me with the large, more tricky pieces of vinyl. Since a gust of wind could mess up the vinyl and you cannot do this part alone. It was during that day that the people at the Turkish Barber (Zenas) bought us coffee and we made friends with them. They stored our extra supplies and provided us with water also. The Four Marys pub was very helpful as well, storing my larger tools overnight.
DAY 3
The third and last day I worked alone, installing 500 hand cut pieces of vinyl. These were pre-cut and took about a week to make. The bus shelter has the effect of a painterly and a stained glass quality because of the transparent layers of the hand cut pieces. I never noticed the whole street was watching because I was so lost in my work to get it finished. It was only on my return that I met people who told me that they had seen me in the morning on their way to work and looked forward to seeing how much progress I had made upon their return home. (Nicola said she was feeling a bit weary in this photo after a long last day at the bus shelter installation.)
The Artist of the Bus Shelter
Nicola is an internationally acclaimed multi-disciplinary artist and designer whose career has been influenced by time spent on the West Coast of America, in Sweden and living in Glasgow. She has had numerous exhibitions in international venues including Long Beach Museum of Art, California, USA, Tramway and The Lighthouse, Glasgow, Scotland, Centro de Desarrollo de las Artes Visuales, Havana, Cuba, Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, Netherlands, The Museum of Modern Art, New York, USA and the Institute of Contemporary Arts, London, UK.
Nicola Atkinson’s solo exhibition Beautiful Materials (Vessels) is now open at Linlithgow Burgh Halls, running until 21 September 2025. The exhibition is free to visit and open daily from 9am to 5pm, offering visitors the chance to engage with a series of new works that explore the boundaries of materials, containers, and creativity. More information on her social media page or eventbrite.
For more news about Linlithgow see the news section.
Article Published in The Black Bitch Community Magazine Edition 115, July 2025
