Alison Kinnaird M.B.E is a glass sculptor , Celtic musician , teacher and writer born in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1949.
Kinnaird earned a MA in Celtic studies and archaeology at the University of Edinburgh and studied glass engraving with Harold Gordon. Kinnaird uses lead and optical crystal. Her works are in many galleries and private collections. The techniques used by Kinnaird include copper-wheel engraving, cutting, sandblasting, acid etching and casting.
Kinnaird is also a musician. She plays, teaches and lectures on the small Scottish harp also known as the clarsach. She was one of the first acts signed to Temple Records during the 1970s and she has had eight albums released through the label. She worked with the Scottish music group Battlefield Band on their albums Music in Trust Vol I (1987) and Music in Trust Vol II (1988).
Kinnaird has written many books about traditional music and the small Scottish harp. Her first book on the subject was published in 1990 and is a collection of 24 harp tunes that she arranged. Tree of Strings (1992), written in collaboration with Keith Sanger, documents the history of the harp in Scotland and is the first book of its kind. The Lothian Collection (1995) has 25 harp tunes from the big houses and great families from East, West and Midlothian all arranged by Kinnaird. The Small Harp Tutor (1996) is a book about learning to play the small harp which covers the history of the instrument, maintaining the instrument, arranging tunes and gives useful finger exercises. The book is accompanied by a 60-minute CD which guides the learner from novice to more accomplished player. Kinnaird's most recent book is The North East Collection which features tunes mainly from the 18th and 19th century arranged by herself.
In 1997, Kinnaird was awarded the M.B.E for her contribution and long standing service to art and music. In 2011 National Life Stories interviewed Kinnaird for their 'Craft Lives' archive. The interviews took place over three days and document her life from childhood to becoming a successful artist and musician. She has been recognised for her contributions to Scottish folk music and was inducted into the Scots Trad Music Awards – Hall of Fame in 2010.
2010: Scots Trad Music Awards 2004: Glass Sellers Award 2002: Creative Scotland Award 2001: Adrian Sassoon Award 1998: CC Chelsea First Exhibitors Award 1998: Inches Carr Crafts Bursary 1997: MBE for services to art and music 1987: Glass-Sellers Award 1980: SDA/CCC Crafts Fellowship 2003–2004: Member of the award panel for Creative Scotland Award 1993–1996* Scottish Arts Council Crafts Committee Fellow of the Guild of Glass Engravers BBC Broadcasting Council for Scotland Contemporary Glass Society Glass Art Society Scottish Glass Society British Glass Biennale, Stourbridge Northlands Creative Glass, Scotland Corning Glass Studio , Corning NY, USAFrauenau, Germany Academy of Art and Design, Wroclaw, Poland Urban Glass, Brooklyn, NY 1970–1971: Edinburgh College of Art – informal classes 1969: Workshop training with Harold Gordon 1968–1971 Edinburgh University M A in Celtic Studies and Archaeology 2008 20th Century British Glass, Charles Hajdamach, Antiques Collectors Club Ltd 2006 25 Years of New Glass Review, Corning Museum 2003 Jennifer Hawkins Opie, Contemporary International Glass, V & A Pub 2002 Dan Klein, ARTISTS IN GLASS, Late Twentieth Century Masters in Glass, Mitchell Beazley 1999 Marilyn & Tom Goodearl, ENGRAVED GLASS, Antique Collectors Club 1996 Peter Layton, GLASS ART, Black/Washington 1984 Brian Blench, CRAFTWORK SCOTLAND, Scottish Development Agency 2011 Johansfors, Kristallmuseum, Sweden 2011 British Studio Glass, Coburg 2011 A Passion for Glass, Dan Klein Collection, Royal Museum of Scotland 2011 Scottish Arts Club, Edinburgh 2011 Inches Carr Trust Exhibition, Dovecot Studios, Edinburgh 2010 Contemporary Applied Arts, London 2010 British Glass Biennale, invited artist 2010 Guild of Glass Engravers, Fellows Exhibition, Fitzwilliam Museum , Cambridge 2009 Invited Curator, Blackwell House, Cumbria 2009 Ruthin Craft Centre, Wales 2009 Migrat, Scottish Glass Society 2009 Urban Glass, NY, USA 2008 Art London 2008 SOFA, NY 2007 Solo Exhibition, Scottish Gallery, Edinburgh 2007 Invited Artist, Visual Arts Scotland , Royal Scottish Academy 2006 British Glass Biennale, Stourbridge 2006 Glasmuseet Ebeltoft , Denmark 2006 Coburg Glaspreis Exhibition 2006 SOFA Chicago, Zest Gallery 2005 21st Century British Glass, London 2004 Psalmsong, V&A London Museum, London 2004 Edinburgh Festival, Scottish Gallery 2004 British Glass Biennale, Stourbridge 2002 Nine by Nine, Glass Art Gallery, London 2002 Clearly Inspired, Cork St, London 2002 Aldeburgh Festival 2002 Art for Europe, Brussels 2001 National Trust for Scotland, Hill House, Helensburgh 2001 Cowdy Gallery, Gloucestershire 2001 Art Glass Gallery, Santa Fe 2000 Scottish Gallery, Edinburgh 2000 Scottish Glass, Dundee & Edinburgh 1999 Kaminesky Senov, Czech Republic 1999 National Glass Centre , Sunderland 1999 City Arts Centre, Edinburgh 1998 Contemporary Applied Arts, London 1997 Crawford Arts Centre, St. Andrews 1997 Peebles Arts Festival, Peebles 1997 Scottish Gallery, Edinburgh 1996 British Glass, Prague 1996 Contemporary Arts Centre, Utrecht 1995 Glass, Cecilia Coleman Gallery, London 1993 Guild of Glass Engravers National Exhibition, Walford Mill, Wimborne 1992 Group Exhibition, Gallery Downstairs, Burnley 1991 Light Forms, Syon House, London, organised by Guild of Glass Engravers 1991 Human Interest, Gainsborough House, Sudbury 1991 European Glass Exhibition, European Centre for Traditional & Regional Cultures, Llangollen 1990 European Glass Exhibition, European Centre for Traditional & Regional Cultures, Llangollen 1990 Festival of Contemporary Glass, Opus No. 1, London 1988 Solo exhibition, Coleridge, London 1987 Group exhibition, Galerie de Vier Linden, Asperen, The Netherlands 1986 Group exhibition, Edinburgh Festival, Edinburgh 1986 Crafts Exhibition, The Minories, Colchester 1986 British Artists in Glass, Libertys, London 1985 Scottish Crafts Collection, organised by Scottish Development Agency (tour) 1984 Guild of Glass Engravers Annual Exhibition, Leighton House, London 1984 British Artists in Glass, Northern Centre for Contemporary Art, Sunderland 1984 Group exhibition, Habatat Gallery, Detroit, USA 1983 Timepieces, Rufford Crafts Centre, Newark 1983 British Studio Glass, (catalogue, tour), Ceolfrith Gallery, Sunderland 1981 Edinburgh Festival Exhibition, 369 Gallery, Edinburgh 1980 Engraved Crystal by Alison Kinnaird, Corran Hall, Oban 1979 The Bowl, British Crafts Centre, organised by World Crafts Council, London 1979 Engraved Crystal by Alison Kinnaird, 369 Gallery, Edinburgh 1979 Contemporary Scottish Glass, St Enoch Exhibition Centre, Glasgow 1977 Engraved Crystal by Alison Kinnaird, 369 Gallery, Edinburgh 1977 Salzburg Festival, Art Gallery, Salzburg, Austria 1976 Guild of Glass Engravers, Glaziers Hall, London 1975 Contemporary Scottish Artists, Exhibitions Centre, Edinburgh 2006 Butterfly Panels, Marchmont St Giles Church, Edinburgh 2003 Portrait for National Portrait Gallery of Scotland 2003 Window, Dornoch Cathedral 2002 Britten-Pears Library, Aldeburgh 2001 Merchant Company of Edinburgh 2000 Millennium Commission, Broadfield House Glass Museum 1998 Alumnus of the Year Award, commissioned by Edinburgh University 1997 Gift for Sir Charles Mackerras, commissioned by Scottish Chamber Orchestra 1995 Bookends, commissioned by Royal Bank of Scotland 1993 British Film Institute Awards 1992 Door panels, commissioned by Lord Bute of Mount Stuart 1991 Alumnus of the Year Award, commissioned by Edinburgh University 1990 Gift for the Crown Prince of Japan, commissioned by Royal Bank of Scotland 1990 Gift for the Queen Mother, commissioned by Royal College of Physicians 1989 Screen of 10 panels, commissioned by Lord Bute of Mount Stuart 1985 Retirement gift for Lord Bute, commissioned by Scottish National Trust 1985 25th anniversary 1985 SDA/RIAS Architects Awards 1983 Duke of Edinburgh Design Award, commissioned by Alan Doe of Westland Helicopters 1983 Times Crossword trophy, commissioned by Times/Collins dictionaries 1983 Mr Speaker Sir trophy, commissioned by BBC 1982 Superscot trophy, commissioned by the BBC 1980 Engraved crystal chunk presented to the Queen Mother, commissioned by The Black Watch regiment 1980 Wedding bowl for the Prince of Wales, commissioned by The Scotsman newspaper 1980 Engraved Chunk, commissioned by the BBC 1980 Engraved crystal cross for St Nicholas Church, Dalkeith 1979 The Wealth of Nations presented to the Institute of Bankers in England, commissioned by Institute of Bankers in Scotland 1978 Decanter presented to the Prince of Wales, commissioned by Glasgow Museum 1976 Goblet presented to the Queen Mother, commissioned by Stockbridge House 2005 Psalmsong, Scottish Parliament , Edinburgh 2005 Streetwise I, Tutsek Foundation, Munich 2004 Streetwise II, Dundee Museum & Art Gallery 2003 Roy Dennis, Scottish National Portrait Gallery , Edinburgh 2001 Evolve, Broadfield House Glass Museum 2001 White Lies, Crafts Council Collection 2001 Eclipse, Cowdy Gallery 2000 Narrow Sampler, Dundee Art Gallery, Dundee 1995 Triptych, Victoria and Albert Museum , London 1989 Man into Seal, Corning Museum of Glass , New York City 1988 Ring of Crystal, Ring of Stone, Leicestershire Museum and Art Gallery, Leicester 1987 Disc – Leap, Ulster Museum , Belfast 1986 Doors on the Past, Royal Museum of Scotland 1986 Disc – She is Summer, Kelvingrove Museum and Art Gallery , Glasgow 1985 Bowl – Earth Mother, City Art Centre, Edinburgh, Scotland 1980 Doors – engraved block, Scottish Development Agency – Scottish Crafts Collection, Edinburgh 2005: The Silver String 1994: Mac-talla – Mairidh Gaol Is Ceol 1992: The Harper's Land (with Ann Heymann) 1990: The Quiet Tradition (with Christine Primrose) 1988: The Scottish Harp 1988: Music in Trust Vol. 2 (with Battlefield Band) 1986: Music in Trust Vol. 1 (with Battlefield Band) 1979: The Harp Key – Crann Nan Teud (Temple US Records ) 
