SCOTTISH MARITIME MUSEUM INVITES EVERYONE TO
FREE CLOSING CELEBRATION OF ‘THE BEACH TODAY’ EXHIBITION
Family Fun Day & Meet the Artist Event
Scottish Maritime Museum
Harbour Road, Irvine
10am – 4pm Thursday 23 July
The Scottish Maritime Museum invites visitors of all ages to celebrate the final day of the popular exhibition The Beach Today – A Year of Sea, Sky and Stone with a free family fun day and opportunity to meet exhibition artist and photographer Christina Riley.
The Beach Today Closing Partywill take place in the Museum’s Linthouse building on Irvine Harbourside from 10am to 4pm on Thursday 23 July.
From 10am to 2pm, families can drop in for free arts workshops where children can create their own beach and exhibition inspired artworks and decorate Nature Library bookmarks.
At 2pm, Christina will give a short talk about the exhibition, followed by a guided tour and refreshments from 2.30pm to 4pm.
The Beach Today – A Year of Sea, Sky and Stone exhibition celebrates the wonders to be found along Ayrshire’s coastline through photographs and beachcombed items collected by Christina during Lockdown, in Spring 2020.
Walking the seven miles of uninterrupted shoreline from Irvine to Troon each day, Christina became attuned to the natural and manmade objects found in the sand and how they changed each day as the tide continuously washed away and replenished them. With each repeated visit, particular colours, patterns or forms stood out.
Finding delight in the endless curiosities of our oceans soon became a daily ritual. Gathering beachcombed treasures and taking photographs of the shoreline turned into Christina’s visual diary of the hazy, uncertain Lockdown days and a celebration of the endless awe and wonder there is to discover beneath our feet.

Eva Bukowska, Exhibition & Events Officer at the Scottish Maritime Museum, says:“We’re delighted to collaborate with Christina Riley to celebrate the final day of this much-loved exhibition. The Closing Party offers something for all ages, from hands-on creative activities to the chance to hear Christina talk about the inspiration behind her work. We look forward to welcoming everyone along for what promises to be a wonderful day at the Museum.”Christina Riley adds:“As homes across the world closed their doors during Lockdown, many people suddenly found themselves without access to green grass or clean air. As the crisis heightened, my appreciation for what was on my doorstep grew.“I have loved sharing these beaches and the fragments of stories they hold. I hope visitors enjoy The Closing Party as we take one final seaside stroll through the exhibition together.”
Christina also founded The Nature Library in one of the Museum’s tenement flats in April 2024. The exhibition includes a specially curated collection of her Library books exploring the exhibition themes of sea, sky and stone.
Issued on behalf of the Scottish Maritime Museum by
Joanna Harrison, Mobile: 07884 187404












