MICHAEL CORR
Introducing a New Resident to Cumnock
Gill Sherry
Those lucky enough to attend the ‘Meet the Artist’ event at The Baird Institute in Cumnock on 2nd August will have some idea of what artist, Michael Corr, has in mind for the town’s new mural.
Commissioned by Cumnock Community Council, the mural will appear on the gable end of the recently repaired Category C listed building in Glaisnock Street.
Local residents and businesses are full of enthusiasm for the project, as is Michael himself.
“There was an open call last year,” he tells me, “so I submitted some ideas. I thought perhaps Keir Hardie would be nice, or Lorraine McIntosh… or focusing on Cumnock’s industries – coal mining, farming, weaving, snuff box making, pottery…”
Originally from Campbeltown but now living in Alloa, Michael spent a lot of time researching Cumnock’s history.
“I like to do research and make things as relevant as possible. The lady in the library was really helpful… all those old documents and cool, discoloured photographs. There was loads of information and it really stuck out that industry was such a big part of the community, so I decided to make it personal to Cumnock and go for the industries.”
Michael also enjoyed hearing people talk about their memories when they gathered at The Baird Institute.
“A group of folk had come over from Cowdenbeath. They had worked in the mines. One guy had written a poem which was in the ‘Before and After Coal’ exhibition. It was a great place to talk about the mural. I love hearing stories and what people actually think.”
Although work on the mural will not start until next year (it is estimated to begin in springtime), it is already causing a buzz in the town. And rightly so. Michael is the artist responsible for the Robert Burns Mural in Kilmarnock which is still receiving praise over a year after it was unveiled.
“It’s been brilliant. I still get messages… so I’m really happy about that.”
What I’m curious to learn, though, is how, having graduated from Dundee University in Graphic Design, he came to become a muralist.
“The year I graduated, I was on a crossroads. I’d worked in a couple of placements, but it wasn’t really what I was wanting to do. I was a postie from 2011 up until 2018.”
Delivering mail may not have been his ideal job but it did allow him the time to think about what he wanted to do, and to work on his art in the evenings. Eventually, he found the confidence to make the leap.
“It was a slow but sure process. I was working on these massive pencil drawings, and I was really lucky to get into a couple of quite prestigious exhibitions in Glasgow. But I couldn’t really do those massive drawings in my one-bedroom flat. So I found a studio space with Wasps (Workshop & Artists Studio Provision Scotland Ltd) … and really got into painting.”
He switched from pencil drawings to huge paintings on canvas, most of which were sold to private clients. Then, in 2018, he had the opportunity to paint an indoor mural in T-bar in Ayr.
“I was reluctant because it meant I was no longer painting in solitary in my studio. I was out in the open, so it was just totally alien… the idea of being watched. But I just decided to go for it, and it was fine. I think it’s still there!”
After that, he painted an outdoor mural in Glasgow – a tribute to Scott Hutchison, the lead singer of Frightened Rabbit who had recently passed away.
“That was quite a special mural. I felt compelled to do it. It really resonated with a lot of people, especially Scott Hutchison’s family and friends. I think they really appreciated it, and it was received really well.”
Since then, he’s back to Ayrshire twice, once to paint The Robert Burns Mural, and once to paint three interior murals in Prestwick for Buzzworks.
Does he feel the same amount of pride, I wonder, from a huge mural as he does from his smaller paintings?
“I think it’s the same,” he says, after a moment of thought. “I go through it with whatever I’m doing… you’ll have good times and also times which can be quite difficult. More than anything it’s just relief. It’s the same for anything. No matter what the size is, I’ll put the same effort it.”
There are still some formalities to get through before work can start on the mural in Cumnock. All being well, it will take three to four weeks to complete and, weather permitting, it should be revealed in March or April 2026.
Having become comfortable with people watching him work, he’s looking forward to getting started and interacting with the locals.
“It’s important to speak to people. People will be honest and tell you what they think. More often than not, it’s positive!”
I suppose, like all works of art, it’s subjective.
“That’s why it’s important to do something that the community can relate to,” he concludes. “It’s in Cumnock town centre. It’s a new resident almost, a new part of the town.”
I hadn’t thought of it like that before, but he’s absolutely right. And I think everyone is looking forward to meeting the town’s long-awaited new resident.
