News - What's On

Lauded Scottish Gaelic poet Donnchadh Bàn Mac an t-Saoir (anglicised as Duncan Ban Macintyre) has had an inscribed flagstone unveiled yesterday at Makars’ Court in Edinburgh.

Duncan Ban now joins the illustrious company of Sir Walter Scott, Rabbie Burns, Robert Louis Stevenson and others at Makars’ Court where Scotland’s literary greats have been enshrined since 1988. He is widely acknowledged to have formed a key part of the golden age of Gaelic poetry in the 18th century.

Donnchadh Bàn Mac an t-Saoir (Duncan Ban Macintyre) is one of the most famous and best-loved of all Gaelic poets. Although he was not literate, he had a kaleidoscopic vocabulary and extraordinary verbal dexterity.

His songs describe the natural environment of the Gàidhealtachd, especially the deer and other wildlife, in vivid and minute detail. His works also express dismay at the economic and social changes that came over the Gàidhealtachd in his time, as expressed in the song from which the proposed extract is taken, ‘Cumha Coire a’ Cheathaich’ (Lament for Misty Corrie).

Born in Glen Orchy in Argyll in 1724, he served, somewhat reluctantly, on the Hanoverian side during the 1745 Jacobite rising but left in 1746 for employment as a gamekeeper on the Argyll-Perthshire border.

He relocated in 1766 to serve until 1793 in the Edinburgh City Guard, the city’s police force. He died in 1812 is buried in Greyfriars Kirkyard, where he is commemorated by a fine sandstone obelisk.

Our vision is to mainstream the range of services for all autistic visitors, their families and carers, across all ages in the City of Edinburgh. We have launched our first sensory backpack at Lauriston Castle for families to borrow and use during their visit.  The pack contains:

Ear Defenders
A range of Fidget Toys
Notepad and Drawing Pencil
Emotion Cards

We will be developing these backpacks in all our remaining venues in the coming weeks/months.

Please ring Lauriston Castle on 0131 336 2060 in advance of your visit to book out the backpack.  

The Scottish Furniture Makers Association (SFMA) and Visual Arts Scotland (VAS) in partnership present Adjust / Adapt, a major new group exhibition showcasing and celebrating the transformative power of creativity and craft to transcend challenging times.

Reflecting the show’s core thematic narrative, due to the ongoing Covid-19 restrictions the exhibition moves to a digital space with the planned physical show at the City Art Centre no longer taking place. Running from 27th March – 24th April 2021, the exciting new members exhibition is now presented online via The Scottish Furniture Makers Association and the City Art Centre websites, showcasing work by makers, designers and artists working across Scotland with a creative response to how domestic interiors are being adapted in light of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and climate emergency.

The curated digital exhibition explores how our homes and outdoor spaces are working harder for occupants as multigenerational sanctuaries, workspaces, classrooms, fitness and entertainment settings. The major exhibition also marks the 20th Anniversary of The SFMA’s founding and features selected work from 25 SFMA members including Isabelle Moore (winner of the inaugural, SFMA Annual Furniture Awards, both for Design Innovation and for Craft Excellence. Moore was also presented with the Craft Scotland Annual Prize). Daniel Lacey, Chris Scotland, Duke Christie, Angus Ross and Gavin Robertson – with VAS member participants to be announced in February 2021.             

The extensive show includes a hugely diverse range of bespoke pieces, from ‘isolation chairs’ to ‘love desks’ and from drinks cabinets to room dividers with each expertly crafted piece seeking to enhance and possibly distract from the external and internal pressures felt as a result of the ongoing pandemic. Many of the works also focus heavily on the need for a shift to sustainable materials in an effort to tackle the growing global climate crisis, with many pieces crafted using local, sustainably sourced materials.  

Adjust/Adapt is accompanied by a series of online events featuring a range of industry representatives which each set out to explore, engage and empower on key issues facing the creative industry including: Covid recovery, early-stage career development and sales. Full details on the events will be available via the City Art Centre website. 

Full list of participating SFMA members: "Tom Addy, Duke Christie, Nicholas Denney, Rob Elliot, Stephen Finch, Simon Harlow, Alice Holttum, Daniel Lacey, Kirsty MacDonald, Max McCance, Adrian McCurdy, Eoghann Menzies, Isabelle Moore, Janie Morris, Anna Nichols, Ronnie Payne, Angus Richardson, Angus Ross, Jonathan Rose, Gavin Robertson, Chris Scotland, Jack Sheahan, Alasdair Wallace, Simon Whatley and Mike Whittall.

Isabelle Moore said; “The Scottish Furniture Makers Association exhibit is a great opportunity to show work with my peers, celebrating traditional skills, contemporary design and sustainable furniture making. The exposure from the exhibition will build new and nurture existing relationships to generate opportunities for sales, commissions and collaborative projects. SFMA membership offers an invaluable network of resources, contacts and opportunities to its membership, in addition to the annual showcase of members work.”

Mike Whittall, Scottish Furniture Makers Association Chair said; "The last year has been challenging for all artists and makers so we are delighted to be staging this exhibition both to showcase the excellent pieces our members produce and also to celebrate our 20th anniversary as an Association. One big social positive from the last 12 months has been the building of new and strong alliances such as our partnership for this show with Visual Arts Scotland whose members will also be exhibiting their work. In addition, the enforced switch to a virtual platform has actually opened up new and innovative ways for us to present the exhibition and will I believe provide a very welcome positive response to the pandemic.”

Simon Whatley, Scottish Furniture Makers Association, Exhibition Curator, said; “Scotland is home to many world class artists, designers and makers. The Scottish Furniture Makers Association is a members-led organisation of 70+ stretching from the Scottish Borders to Orkney & Shetland that has worked to promote and represent the interests of those in the sector for the past two decades.

The quality and diversity of work that will be showcased digitally via City Art Centre and SFMA websites, speaks volumes about the immense creativity within the contemporary Applied Arts scene in Scotland. The show will demonstrate the profound benefits gained by choosing to commission a local designer-maker to create a unique piece of furniture for one’s home and/or place-of-work.” 

Sarah Calmus, Visual Arts Scotland President said; “Visual Arts Scotland is delighted to be working in partnership with SFMA to produce an online exhibition that explores how our spaces have altered to meet our changing needs in these tumultuous times. We are energised by the prospect of inviting the world to view our Scotland based creatives, showcasing a huge array of innovative creatives and makers in this exciting group exhibition.”

Adjust / Adapt opens on Saturday 27th March and has been extended until Sunday 9 May 2021 via www.scottishfurnituremakers.org.uk

Fascinated by foliage and the Far East, Edward Atkinson Hornel (1864-1933) paints paradise with photographic precision – but the camera never lies. 

- a review by Jelena Sofronijevic 

From Camera to Canvas is one of the first exhibitions to stage Hornel’s oil paintings in dialogue with their original photographic studies. Stark contrasts reflect the enduring gulfs between Western gazes on East Asia, and often unpalatable realities.

One of the Glasgow Boys, Hornel fused French modernism with Celtic and Asian themes. Alongside George Henry, he first visited Japan in the mid-1890s. The pair returned card-carrying members of the Photographic Society of Japan, suitcases stuffed with slender, vertical Yokohama shashin, or commercial tourist photographs. Henry stayed home, as Hornel pursued new subjects in the thick greenery of Sri Lanka and Myanmar (then colonies of Ceylon and Burma).

Hornel collected poses as an entomologist does insects, perfectly preserved behind glass and print. Seizing his superior sexual, colonial, and artistic status, he photographed young, submissive women in varying states of undress, often subjecting them to physical manipulation. His human models became nothing more than interchangeable hands, feet, and faces, to be patched together through paint.

Hornel’s home of Broughton House in Kirkcudbright maintains over 1700 such photographs (and a Japanese garden). This collaboration between the National Trust for Scotland and the City Art Centre features only a handful. But even this condensed photographic ‘library of limbs’ makes for an eerily comprehensive slideshow.

From Camera to Canvas opens at a time of cultural reckoning, as a recent report finds that one-third of National Trust properties have direct colonial connections. The organisation has committed to more fully representing these histories, sparking backlash from those fearing ‘woke’ revisionism.

But this exhibition is a model for exhibiting the past. Placing these photographs and paintings next to - or on top of - each other exposes layers of complex representations. With little textual guidance, the viewer must navigate reality and depiction, and their own assumptions, for themselves.

Hornel blends (or rather, fades) women and non-white subjects into their backgrounds. Blink, and you’ll mistake the innocent faces of In the Orchard (1898) for scattered daisies, the brown bodies of his Ceylonese Tea Pickers (1907-1909) for forest trunks, or the ivory hats of the Three Japanese Peasants (1921-1925) for snow-capped Mount Fujis. Often, it is impossible to tell where the background ends and foreground begins.

Lost within their natural settings, Hornel’s subjects are diminished to an animal status. Artificial colouring and thick, bold brushwork reflect his perception of their exotic or provincial essence. His paintings retain the prejudices of ‘physical type’ photography, categorising colonial subjects into simplistic groups.

Mediating photography through oil, Hornel simultaneously translates his subjects for Western palates. His works thus expose the limited space available for non-Western cultures in contemporary British imaginations. A Japanese Woman Playing A Shamisen (1921-1925) and Ceylonese Tea Pickers are pepped-up porcelains, smiling ornaments wrapped in fiery ruby robes. Adjacent, their reference photographs reveal the reality. The original Japanese Woman wears a solemn expression, and modest, practical green garments. 

Indeed, artists of colonial and foreign subjects often doubled as deft interpreters for domestic audiences. And Hornel’s early use of thick impasto – decorative patterns and strong colour – may tempt us to lump him under japonaiserie.

But even Van Gogh, who studied with Hornel’s own teacher, never left Europe or directly experienced ‘otherness’. From Japan in 1893, Henry disappointedly wrote ‘at home one gets a mistaken idea as to the dress of the Japs. Really they dress very plain and in very quiet colour’. Perhaps Hornel owes more to fellow traveller Gauguin, who swaddled his Tahitian teens in lurid dress, not their traditional calico.

Unlike his post-Impressionist forebears, Hornel’s photographic command of oil is what makes his work distinct – and dangerous. Observed alone, his realistic depictions might fool you into their fantasy.

He fuses subject and setting, to create a non-specific, exotic ‘other’. Take Water Carriers on the Banks of the Irrawaddy (1923), Hornel’s typical representation of Myanmar. But the titular river is fabricated from images collected in Sri Lanka and Japan. The vertical layout is reminiscent of Hornel’s treasured shashin. And one Water Carrier is a Japanese model, her skin simply painted brown.

His Three Japanese Peasants dance beneath (uncharacteristically dark) mountains. But they may just as easily blend into a Breton boogie, or a dank corner in Van Gogh’s The Potato Eaters. And these three individuals are actually the same model differently posed. Again, Hornel assumes his subjects are nothing but cultural cut-and-pastes – like limbs, interchangeable and dispensable.

This exhibition literally layers competing narratives, showing the real complexities behind Hornel’s perfectly blurred utopias. Read today, they offer a lens not on ‘exotic’ cultures, but how cultures were – and continue to be – exotified in art.

E. A. Hornel: From Camera to Canvas is at the City Art Centre until 14 March 2021 - City Art Centre is temporarily closed due to the ongoing pandemic.  

For more on From Camera to Canvas, listen to curator Ben Reiss on E. A. Hornel’s Ceylonese Tea Pickers, in the latest episode of EMPIRE LINES.

Jelena Sofronijevic (@jelsofron) is an audio producer and freelance journalist, who makes content at the intersections of intercultural political history and the arts. They are the producer of EMPIRE LINES, a podcast which uncovers the unexpected flows of Empires through artworks. Published by the Political Studies Association, their undergraduate dissertation uses contemporary political satires to uniquely unpack Tito’s socialist Yugoslavia. They also presented an episode of BBC Radio 4’s Four Thought (September 2020) on modern Yugoslav diasporic identity, later selected for BBC Radio 4’s Pick of the Week and featured on BBC Radio Shropshire. Their other projects include The Arts Show, INDIAscussion, and Liberating Sustainability.

From Monday 14 December, enter our festive raffle to win a Hornby Replica Flying Scotsman Trainset, valued at £185!

Prize includes: five carriage train, track with motorised control and a custom mat. Perfect for any train enthusiasts.

Entry tickets just £3

Terms and conditions:

• raffle entry only available from the City Art Centre giftshop
• the City Art Centre reserves the right to cancel the draw due to unforeseen circumstances
• unless Tier 4 Covid restrictions are extended, the prize winner will be picked at random in the draw on Sunday 31 January (12pm) and notified within 24 hours. All entrants must provide valid contact details at the time of purchase
• the lucky winner will be able to collect their prize from the City Art Centre at their convenience.

The City Art Centre, Edinburgh’s own public venue dedicated to championing historic and contemporary Scottish visual arts and crafts, announces exhibition highlights for 2021. All exhibitions are free to attend, but timed slots must be booked in advance via edinburghmuseums.org.uk. Booking will open soon. 

Further information on the individual exhibitions, including a public events programme will be announced in 2021.

Adjust / Adapt

27 March 2021 – 24 April 2021

Free Admission

The Scottish Furniture Makers Association (SFMA) and Visual Art Scotland (VAS) in partnership present, Adjust / Adapt. The exciting new members exhibition at the prestigious City Art Centre, showcases work by Makers, Designers and Artists working in Scotland with a creative response to how domestic interiors are being adapted in light of the Covid pandemic and climate emergency. The exhibition explores how our homes and outdoor spaces are working harder for occupants; as multigenerational sanctuaries, workspaces, classrooms, fitness and entertainment settings. The major new exhibition also marks the 20th Anniversary of SFMA’s founding.

Charles H. Mackie: Colour and Light 

15 May 2021 – 10 October 2021 

Free Admission 

The Scottish painter and printmaker Charles Hodge Mackie (1862-1920) was one of the most versatile artists of his generation. Drawing inspiration from French Symbolism, the Celtic Revival movement and the landscapes of his European travels, he produced oil paintings, watercolours, murals, woodblock prints, book illustrations and sculpture. This major retrospective showcases the breadth of his creative vision and talents. Featuring over 50 artworks from public and private collections, it will be the most comprehensive survey of Mackie’s work in over a century. Charles H. Mackie: Colour and Light is presented as part of Edinburgh Art Festival 2021.  

Marine: Ian Hamilton Finlay

22 May 2021 - 3 October 2021

Free Admission

Ian Hamilton Finlay (1925-2006) was an internationally renowned Scottish artist and Britain’s most significant concrete poet of the 20th century. This major exhibition focuses on the maritime theme in Finlay’s work. It was a central element of his art, and one to which he returned throughout his life.

Drawn from the artist’s estate and the City Art Centre’s collection, and including loans from the National Galleries of Scotland, this exhibition showcases artworks from across several decades, ranging from stone, wood and neon sculptures to tapestry. The show also features prints, postcards and booklets from Finlay’s Wild Hawthorn Press.

Exhibition in partnership with the Estate of Ian Hamilton Finlay and presented as part of Scotland’s Year of Coasts and Waters 20/21 and Edinburgh Art Festival 2021.

Islander, The Paintings of Donald Smith

29 May 2021 – 26 September 2021

Free Admission

Born in rural Lewis in 1926, Donald John Smith was, as Gray’s School of Art Principal Ian Fleming wrote in 1958 – ‘the outstanding student of his year … unquestionably a man of great ability as an artist’.  His painting acknowledged movements in Europe and America but remained resolutely local in its subject matter. From his studio on the west side of Lewis where he worked from 1974 to his death in 2014, his intense, lyrical images of island fishermen and women celebrate their indomitable human spirit. The first major exhibition of his work, this landmark display has been created in partnership with An Lanntair, Stornoway and is part of Edinburgh Art Festival 2021.

Incoming: New Acquisitions at the City Art Centre 

19 September 2021 – May 2023 

Free Admission 

The City Art Centre’s collection of fine art is recognised as nationally significant. Containing almost 5,000 individual artworks, it traces the history of visual arts in Scotland from the 17th century to present day. The collection continues to grow every year through purchases, donations and bequests – acquisitions that fill historical gaps and introduce contemporary talents. Incoming: New Acquisitions at the City Art Centre presents a selection of paintings, drawings, prints, photographs and sculpture acquired within the last ten years. Featured artists will include Kate Downie, Rachel Maclean, Alison Watt, David Eustace, Peter Howson, Anthony Hatwell and Ian Hamilton Finlay. 

Reflections, The Light and Life of John Henry Lorimer (1856-1936)

6 November 2021 - 20 March 2022. 

Free Admission

This, the first retrospective of his work, will explore Lorimer’s art through five key themes: light, identity, family, femininity and home. Interior scenes of elegant Edwardian family life together with light-filled landscapes are the hallmark of this technically gifted, but somewhat forgotten, artist. In 1878 the Lorimer family acquired the lease of Kellie Castle in Fife, and the castle and its grounds became the subject of many of Lorimer’s paintings. The exhibition includes works from public and private collections, the majority of which have not been on public display before.  

Tapestry: Changing Concepts (working title)

13 November 2021 - 13 March 2022

Free Admission

An exhibition of work by contemporary artists associated with the former tapestry department at Edinburgh College of Art. The exhibition will explore the artistic and technical applications of the woven form in its widest context. Artists include: Jo Barker, Archie Brennan, Sara Brennan, Amanda Gizzi, Stephen Hunter, Fiona Hutchison, William Jefferies, Jo McDonald, Ann Naustdal, Matteo Rosa, Cristina Sobrino, Joanne Soroka and Lesley Stothers amongst others.

Exhibition in partnership with STAR* (Scottish Tapestry Artists Regrouped).

In keeping with Government advice in order to protect and maintain the safety of our visitors and staff, the City Art Centre maintains a range of safety measures and procedures throughout the venue, including a one-way system, screens at reception, hand sanitiser stations, extra barriers and signage and staff will of course be wearing face coverings while offering visitors a very warm, socially distanced welcome.

Visitors are asked to wear face coverings and to pre-book free tickets for allocated time slots in advance via edinburghmuseums.org.uk. Booking for these exhibitions will open soon. 

Edinburgh Art Festival announce full details of this year’s Platform exhibition, the festival’s annual showcase supporting artists in the early stages of their careers to make and present new work. The festival is delighted to once again partner with City Art Centre to present Platform: 2020 from 31 October to 29 November.

Selected from an open call by artist Ruth Ewan, and curator, Sophia Hao (Cooper Gallery, Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design), four artists based in Scotland – Rabindranath A Bhose, Mark Bleakley, Rhona Jack and Susannah Stark – have been supported to create new work which will be presented in a group show at City Art Centre.

Edinburgh Art Festival, along with its sibling August Festivals, made the difficult decision earlier this year to cancel their 2020 edition due to the ongoing pandemic. Despite the many challenges faced across the cultural sector, the festival is very pleased to continue to support artists during this difficult time by presenting the delayed 2020 edition of their Platform series, which usually forms a key element of each Edinburgh Art Festival programme, showcasing new work for four artists in the early stages of their careers.

Each of the artists has been working over recent months to develop new work for their presentation in Platform: 2020. The exhibition brings together four new bodies of work that include sound installations, textile and sculptural works, print-making, film, performance, and text-based works. Across each of the artists’ individual practice, a number of themes and approaches are particularly resonant for our present times including: the aesthetics of the collective, the intense vitality of ‘being together’ in space; strategies for survival; and the importance of the sense of touch.

Rabindranath A Bhose draws on queer modes of living and relating as expansive strategies for survival, and will create a new large-scale vinyl drawing for the exhibition space. Composed of signs, and words, the drawing references autobiographical and mythological elements. The drawing will be closely related to a text written during the recent lockdown which will be presented both in print form and in audio form read by the artist’s lover.

Artist and choreographer Mark Bleakley is developing a new work using movement, print and video to develop a playful exploration of the poetics of weight and gravity and their relation to collectivity; asking how these are used by, with or against live bodies, and emphasising the vitality of being in a space together, and how this is manifest. The process of this new work draws upon film documentation from a movement workshop devised with collaborators, and a range of found footage relating to ideas of grounding, groundlessness, and inertia.

Rhona Jack is developing a series of large-scale textile based sculptural works, taking the form of stitched hangings, woven rugs and elements of soft sculpture. Reconstructed and crafted from a patchwork of recycled scrap fabrics and items of clothing, the work draws attention to our relationship to textile production, consumption and waste; presenting consumerism in opposition to the personal narratives that we put upon clothes made in their millions.

Susannah Stark’s work consists of an audio soundscape featuring field recordings and song fragments sung by the artist that draw on histories of habitation in Scotland, interwoven with several 'moving collages' made from touristic postcards and property adverts which emanate coloured light, suggesting different ways of 'seeing' and highlighting emotional frequencies within the images. In addition are a series of floor-based sculptures assembled from various natural and synthetic found objects sourced with help from the artist's mum, that are suggestive of meditating bodies.

Platform: 2020 is made possible thanks to the PLACE Programme, a partnership between Edinburgh Festivals, Scottish Government, City of Edinburgh Council and Creative Scotland, with additional support from the Cruden Foundation.

In spite of the current challenges, many visual art organisations, galleries, studios and production spaces remain open across Edinburgh and continue to present exhibitions and events. For further details on the amazing programming taking place across the city in the months ahead, click here.

Edinburgh Art Festival returns next year from 29 Jul to 29 Aug 2021 - as always working closely with the festival’s partner galleries, and alongside the extended network of August festivals, to celebrate the work of artists with audiences and communities across the city.

Sorcha Carey, Director, Edinburgh Art Festival said:

During what has been an exceptionally challenging time for cultural organisations across the country, and for individual artists and freelance workers in particular, we are so pleased to be able to support 4 artists based in Scotland to make and present new work. We look forward to sharing an exciting next generation of artists with audiences – and as artists and colleagues across the visual art sector continue to face considerable uncertainty, we encourage anyone who feels passionate about art and its importance to our society, to do what they can to support artists and galleries in their local community.

Ruth Ewan, Selector, Artist said:

It was exciting to be introduced to a new generation of artists in Scotland through the Platform selection process and I really look forward to seeing the new work Rabindranath, Mark, Rhona and Susannah have produced. Each artist in the exhibition has a clear and unique voice and it is vital we continue to support, nurture and value artists at this early stage in their careers, especially at this highly precarious time.

Sophia Hao, Selector, Curator of Cooper Gallery, Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design said:

"Platform is a vital supporting structure in Scotland for early career artists to develop and realise new and risking taking works in a caring and stimulating environment. 

It has been an invigorating and inspiring experience to be part of the selection panel of Platform 2020 alongside Ruth and the festival team. Each of the artists offers us signposts to a collective, ethical and sustainable future, in which an ethos and praxis of being together is the means of being with the world, in all its splendour and uncertainties." 

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In keeping with Government advice in order to protect and maintain the safety of visitors and staff, the City Art Centre has introduced a range of new safety measures and procedures throughout the venue, including a one way system, installation of screens at reception, hand sanitiser stations, extra barriers and signage and staff will of course be wearing face coverings while offering visitors a very warm, socially distanced welcome.

Visitors are asked to wear face coverings and to pre-book free tickets for allocated time slots in advance here. 

This autumn the City Art Centre and the National Trust for Scotland present, E. A. Hornel: From Camera to Canvas. Running from 7 November 2020 – 14 March 2021 at Edinburgh’s City Art Centre, it is the first major exhibition of the work of Scottish artist Edward Atkinson Hornel (1864–1933) for over 35 years, and will re-evaluate his paintings in light of his extensive photographic collection.

This extensive collection is housed at Broughton House in Kirkcudbright (Hornel's home 1901–33), which is cared for by the National Trust for Scotland. It includes c.1,700 photographs used by Hornel to create his paintings. He collected these from friends and contacts, purchased them commercially and took or posed them himself, both at home in Scotland and while travelling in Japan, Sri Lanka and Myanmar.

These photographs were crucial to the development of Hornel's artistic technique. E. A. Hornel: From Camera to Canvas shows that from 1890, the influence of photography can be seen in almost every facet of the artist’s painting. It provided him with access to people, places and networks. It helped him build a visual library from which he could refresh his memory and take inspiration. Hornel not only chose his subject matter based on his photographs, but copied figures, poses and imagery directly from photograph to painting.

Stylistically, too, photography was significant. The vertical composition of the Yokohama shashin prints that Hornel collected is mirrored in the composition of a number of his paintings. He would paint full scenes and then crop them down, as if taking a snapshot of the most visually appealing area. Against the frenzied, blurred backgrounds of his paintings, the faces and hands stand out, painted with almost photographic veracity.

The exploration of Hornel's photographic collection in From Camera to Canvas also reveals a more challenging hinterland to his paintings. While his photographs of Scottish girls (accompanied by their mothers and chaperoned by his sister, Elizabeth) are discomfiting to a modern eye, some of those he took of girls and young women in Sri Lanka and Japan appear intimate or intrusive.

Also problematic – although hardly atypical for the time – were his attitudes as a westerner abroad experiencing 'the other'. In Sri Lanka, his photographs ignore any nuance of identity among his subjects or, indeed, any sense of individual identity at all. The photographs Hornel collected in Japan reflect his aim to find a land of stereotypical Japanese motifs, without reflecting the rapidly modernising reality. Even the girls in Kirkcudbright were 'othered' by him to fit an innocent, rural ideal.

E. A. Hornel: From Camera to Canvas features photographs and paintings from Broughton House, as well as paintings from the City Art Centre’s Scottish art collection. The exhibition is part of the Trust's Morton Photography Project – supported by the Morton Charitable Trust – and is included in the Japan-UK Season of Culture 2019-2020.

Ben Reiss, curator for the National Trust for Scotland’s Morton Photography Project said: “We are very lucky, in looking at Hornel’s work, to have such an incredible insight into the pivotal way that he used photography to create his paintings. Our collections at Broughton House are unique and this exhibition gives us an opportunity to share these much more widely. Exhibiting Hornel’s paintings and photographs together will let the public see, perhaps for the first time, Hornel's artistic process and attitudes, as he worked to create the idealised images which sold so well.” 

Councillor Donald Wilson, Edinburgh’s Convener of Culture and Communities said: “From Camera to Canvas will be a fantastic addition to our exhibitions at the recently reopened City Art Centre this Autumn. Combining his works from our Scottish art collection with those held at Broughton House, the exhibition is taking a fresh look at Hornel’s paintings alongside his extensive photographic collection.

“We are proud to host the first major exhibition of EA Hornel’s work for over 35 years, and perhaps bringing his paintings to many visitors for the first time.  

“The City Art Centre is one of the most accessible places in Edinburgh for art lovers and home to Edinburgh’s art collection, and we are delighted to be welcoming visitors back. I'd like to reassure people that we continue to take measures to ensure the safety of visitors and our staff.”

E. A. Hornel: From Camera to Canvas opens on Saturday 7 November 2020, and runs until 14 March 2021. Admission is free, pre-booking essential.

Lauriston Castle marks Digital Doors Open Days 2020 with new virtual tours

To mark Digital Doors Open Days 2020 on the 26th & 27th September, the team at Lauriston Castle have created a series of virtual tours capturing some of their own personal favourite stories and historical tales. The series of six virtual tours presented by Hilary and Norman, two of Lauriston Castle’s dedicated volunteers each explore various aspects and lesser known stories from the Castle, allowing supporters old and new the opportunity to explore and discover Lauriston Castle while the doors are temporary closed. 

Please enjoy each of the six new virtual tours here. You can read further insights from both Hilary and Norman on their own connection with Lauriston Castle below.

Norman

Having moved to Edinburgh for work in 1986, my first involvement with Lauriston Castle was when I helped organise the Gala sports days in the bottom field on the Castle grounds, which I did for several years around.

During this period, I was aware of the Castle but I never actually had taken the tour, I suspect this is probably the case for many Edinburgh residents!

When I retired one of the activities I got involved with was as volunteer guide with The National Trust for Scotland at Kellie Castle in Fife. Alas, living in Edinburgh it proved a bit too far to travel more than once a week, so I began looking for other volunteering opportunities - and Lauriston Castle come up which was ideal.

I was accepted into the first tranche of volunteers and soon followed the training and induction which was informative and enjoyable. I began guiding some 3 years ago in early 2017 and have greatly enjoyed being part of the Lauriston Castle team since then, usually managing 2 or 3 tours a week during the summer and usually 1 day per weekend in the weekend.

The Castle doors are of course temporary closed for now which is why I was pleased to contribute in creating the new series of virtual tours. The Derbyshire Blue John tour came about in response to a request for volunteers to identify their favourite piece in the collections at Lauriston, as it my own personal favourite piece in the Castle. The Short History tour was chosen because it may prove useful to anyone who wishes to visit the gardens and wants an idea of how the house came about. 

Hilary

The first time I visited Lauriston Castle was in the 1980’s on a specially booked tour as a guest of friends. It was a very enjoyable experience to view the lovely rooms where Mr and Mrs Reid and Mrs Reid’s brother Mr Barton had lived in the early 20th century. I felt at that time that I wanted to find out more about how they lived, but a tour is too short to explore all your thoughts and I remember then I was somewhat disappointed to find there were no interesting personal effects such as household bills or letters left to posterity, not even a sewing box!

Years passed and my next encounter with Lauriston Castle was in 2010. Emails sent out at that time about events, asked for volunteers to help with Lauriston’s Living History group, now known as Edinburgh Living History. I thought, perhaps, I could help out with sewing and went along with a few others where we found ourselves persuaded to become part of the history drama group! This continues to this day, sensitively portraying Mr and Mrs Reid and Mr Barton and friends in costume and conversation on the day to day life in the Edwardian era.

As time passed, I was to become a tour guide, enjoying meeting the public as a result of the Lauriston Castle tours increasing. That appealed to me greatly as it delved into the whole history of the land, the owners through the centuries, the tower house, and the sympathetic extensions made over the years to Lauriston Castle. The tower house or country villa as it was in those days was described by Sir William Bereton in 1636 as ‘a gentleman’s house all castle- wise’ and it is, but later around the 19th century in Scotland the tower houses which had survived or perhaps those that had crumbled, came to be called castles because they looked like castles! However, many of them had historical connections as has Lauriston.

Lauriston Castle was fortified when completed in 1593 by Sir Archibald Napier, but has never seen any battle nor has it ever housed any royalty. However, there are always ‘connections’ that can lead to discovering more information and hidden stories, along with learning the interesting practicalities of living in totally different timescales.

So, to begin to see Lauriston and its estate as it is today is a beautiful and rewarding experience. A walk in the lovely expansive grounds with its naturally wild areas is like a walk in the countryside. To arrive at the Castle is exciting, it evokes your interest. In springtime especially, the Kyoto Garden is wonderful and to admire the wonderful vista over to Fife and beyond can take your breath away.

There are many events that take place at Lauriston, both inside and outside. Lectures, Murder Mysteries by Edinburgh Living History, seasonal events, costumed tours, family occasions have become the norm. Other popular events take place at Easter, Halloween, and Christmas. The tour inside the castle can absorb your interest in the beautifully arranged rooms, the furniture, the collections, and the objects that are of another era and yet make you feel that Lauriston was, and still is a comfortable home.

There are many volunteers at Lauriston, some like myself who have been involved in many programmes for several years. As groups we enjoy sharing and exchanging at meetings and outside socially as well. The feeling created by the Stewards has always been friendly, helpful and flexible and a pleasure to be some part of that team.

As for the future, I am sure the Lauriston Estate will continue to rely on the positivity of the Lauriston Team and volunteers, along with the supportive local community to maintain and protect its survival. While the Castle’s doors are temporarily closed, I was delighted to help create a series of virtual tours for this year’s Digital Doors Open Day.

To protect the safety of our visitors and staff Lauriston Castle is currently closed but the grounds are open are open to the public between 8am-7pm each day. Mimi’s Bakehouse is also open to the public from Monday-Thursday 10am-4pm and Friday - Sunday 10am-5pm, offering hot drinks, cake, scones, soup and ice cream to sit-in or takeaway. 

The City Art Centre is proud to present, Jock McFadyen Goes to the Pictures a two-floor exhibition of works by contemporary artist Jock McFadyen RA, whose impressive career has spanned over four decades. Timed to mark his 70th birthday, this major exhibition showcases new and existing paintings by McFadyen paired alongside artworks specifically selected by the artist from the City Art Centre’s rich and varied collection.

McFadyen was born in Paisley in 1950 and as a teenager went to Saturday morning classes at Glasgow School of Art. Aged 15, he moved to England and attended Chelsea School of Art in London from 1973 to 1977. His work from the 1980s is mostly associated with figurative painting, often featuring marginalised members of society in Chicago, New York, Berlin, Belfast, London and Edinburgh. However, since the 1990s his paintings have largely focused on man-made landscapes such as dilapidated industrial sites, abandoned buildings and deserted streets.

Opening on 14 November, this exhibition by McFadyen displays his urban and rural landscapes, as well as some of his figurative paintings, next to works from the City Art Centre’s collection of historic and contemporary Scottish art. Over the last year McFadyen has regularly visited the picture stores to carefully select works for the show. His choices range from ‘old favourites’ by renowned Scottish artists such as F. C. B. Cadell and Alan Davie, to ones that have rarely been seen by the public.

Through a series of fascinating pairings, the exhibition encourages viewers to take a closer look. Works that might initially seem unrelated reveal unexpected connections and relationships. Some of these juxtapositions are witty; some are striking or surprising. By showcasing these artworks side by side, the exhibition aims to highlight common visual threads that connect all pictures, confounding the traditional boundaries of period, style and artistic posture.

Jock McFadyen Goes to the Pictures (14 November 2020 - 11 April 2021) is the first in a series of four shows celebrating McFadyen’s work, followed by Jock McFadyen: Tourist without a Guidebook at The Royal Academy of Arts, London (tbc February - 11 April 2021), Jock McFadyen: Lost Boat Party (11 June - 25 September 2021) a collaboration between Dovecot Studios and the Scottish Gallery at the Dovecot Studios, Edinburgh and ending with Jock McFadyen Goes to The Lowry at The Lowry, Salford (dates to be confirmed). The dates for some of these exhibitions overlap and the combination of them provides a compelling survey of one of Britain’s most distinctive artistic voices.

City Art Centre Curator Maeve Toal said: “It has been a real pleasure to collaborate with Jock on the selection of works for the exhibition. It was a difficult task as there were so many great combinations of artworks to choose from. However, by displaying them side-by-side it has provided us with an opportunity to showcase Jock’s paintings and the City Art Centre’s collection in a fresh and exciting context.”

Jock McFadyen commented: “The City Art Centre has always been one of my favourite places, not just for the breadth of its collection, invaluable though it is for an English artist who happens to be Scottish, but also the place is relaxed, intimate and old school.

For this exhibition I am presenting a selection of my own work from the last 42 years in all its randomness and my aim was to seek out visual connections between my own pictures and those we have selected from the City’s collection. Most of my work included in this show was made with scant awareness of Scottish art and I hope a virtue might be stolen from this shortcoming. Many of the artists are familiar names but I have also learned much about the other artists whose work we have included.”

Councillor Donald Wilson, Edinburgh’s Convener of Culture and Communities said: “Jock McFadyen Goes to the Pictures looks set to be another fantastic exhibition at our recently reopened City Art Centre. The exhibition brings together works from the city’s collection and showcases new and existing paintings by Jock McFadyen as we mark his 70th birthday and look back at his impressive career so far.

“The City Art Centre is one of the most accessible places in Edinburgh for art lovers and home to Edinburgh’s art collection, one of the finest in Scotland and we are delighted to be welcoming visitors back. I'd like to reassure people that we continue to take measures to ensure the safety of visitors and our staff.”

Jock McFadyen Goes to the Pictures opens on Saturday 14 November 2020, and runs until 11 April 2021. Admission is free, pre-booking online essential 

Edinburgh’s City Art Centre to reopen with new exhibition to mark 40th Anniversary

Edinburgh’s City Art Centre is to re-open its doors to the public on Saturday 12th September 2020 with a full range of new safety measures in place to ensure the safety of visitors and staff. The gallery reopens with two new exhibitions, City Art Centre at 40: Highlights from the City’s Art Collection marking the City Art Centre’s 40th anniversary and Bright Shadows: Scottish Art in the 1920s. 

Entry to book exhibitions is free but timeslots must be pre-booked online in advance. Please book here. 

Having first opened its doors on 15th August 1980, heralded as combining; ‘Scotland’s largest air-conditioned fine art exhibition space, with specialist environmental and security facilities…a must for the display of world masterpieces’ – the City Art Centre celebrated its 40th anniversary this month (15th August). As the gallery doors reopen and to mark the anniversary, the City Art Centre is mounting a special ‘highlights’ exhibition, City Art Centre at 40: Highlights from the City’s Art Collection from the City’s collection of Scottish art. Widely recognized as being one of the finest in the country, the City’s collection numbers over 5,000 artworks ranging from some of the earliest views of Edinburgh to works by many of Scotland’s leading contemporary artists. Visitors will be able to see artworks by major historical figures such as Allan Ramsay, the pioneer photographers Hill and Adamson, and the Scottish Colourists, as well as contemporaries such as John Byrne, Alison Watt and Adrian Wiszniewski.

Bright Shadows: Scottish Art in the 1920s a new exhibition exploring the work of Scottish artists during the 1920s – an evocative period of social, political and economic change also opens on the 12th September as visitors are welcomed back to the gallery as it reopens.

The forthcoming exhibitions mark the public re-opening of the venue on 12th September. In keeping with Government advice in order to protect and maintain the safety of our visitors and staff, the City Art Centre has introduced a range of new safety measures and procedures throughout the venue, including a one way system, installation of screens at reception, hand sanitiser stations, extra barriers and signage and staff will of course be wearing masks while offering visitors a very warm, socially distanced welcome.

Visitors are asked wear face coverings and to pre-book free tickets for allocated time slots in advance here. 

City Art Centre at 40

Over the past 40 years the City Art Centre has housed over 500 exhibitions, shown priceless treasures from across the world to priceless paintings made by Edinburgh children and welcomed 100,000’s of visitors through its doors and is now a well-established, respected and cherished Scottish cultural resource.

Other activities marking the 40th anniversary in the coming weeks include; The City Art Centre is 40!, a curated a digital exhibition of much-loved and favourite paintings chosen by past members of staff, artists and people closely involved with the City Art Centre over the years presented via Art UK’s ‘Curations’ series. Tessa Asquith-Lamb, one our best-loved local artists, has created two special videos with the City Art Centre’s Public Programmes section to celebrate the milestone, featuring the artist’s favourite painting, 'Tristan and Isolde' by John Duncan. Asquith-Lamb tells us why Tristan and Isolde is so special, and demonstrates a special art activity everyone can do at home while we are not able to visit the gallery in person. 

Having moved from its original home at The Royal High School on Regent Road to make way for the intended Scottish Assembly following Scottish Devolution, the City Art Centre found a new home in a purposefully refurbished five storey warehouse dating back to 1899 on Market Street, which was designed as an extension to The Scotsman building on North Bridge, having once housed the city’s fruit markets. The building was selected not only because of its architectural significance but also for its wrought iron framed structure which made it suitable to carrying the heavy floor loads required to house large volumes of visitors. As part of the significant renovation project, the building’s original stonework and metal frame windows were preserved, while the interior was repurposed to create four new gallery spaces, artist studios and a licenced café, designed to reflect the building’s late Victorian origins alongside minimal natural décor, complimented by a state of the art lighting system to protect the delicate works on show. The City Art Centre was designed to be ‘more than just a gallery’, providing studio and meeting spaces for artists, ‘craftsmen’ and for the people of Edinburgh.

The City Art Centre first opened its doors on 15th August 1980 with two major exhibitions as part of the Edinburgh International Festival – The Legacy presenting historic and contemporary Canadian/Indian art from the Provincial Museum in British Columbia and an exhibition by the Prescote Gallery near Oxford, showing outstanding examples of British Craft. Since that day, the City Art Centre has housed many hundreds of exhibitions and has continued to work with the city’s festivals; including The Edinburgh Festival Fringe, International Festival, Edinburgh Art Festival, The Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival and Edinburgh Science Festival.

From blockbuster exhibitions in the 1980’s and 1990’s which many residents in the city will remember, including The Emperor’s Warriors (1985), Thunderbirds are Go! (1986), Gold of the Pharaohs (1988), Dinosaurs Alive! (1990) and Star Trek: The Exhibition (1995), to hugely significant international art shows including; Abstract Expressionist Paintings from MOMA New York (1981), Michelangelo Drawings (1994) and Alphonse Mucha (2000) as well as a huge array of solo shows from Scottish artists and craft makers, such as James Cowie (1981), Charles Rennie Mackintosh (1987), Peter Howson (2007) and Victoria Crowe (2019).

From 1985 onwards, the City Art Centre’s programming expanded to reflect many new threads and artistic disciplines, ranging from photography; Cecil Beaton (2004) Ansel Adams; Snowdon; Albert Watson (2006) and Coming into Fashion (2013) alongside major survey and group shows championing Scottish art and craft; Hand, Heart and Soul (2007), Window to the West: The Rediscovery of Highland Art (2011) and A-Z: An alphabetical Tour of Scottish Art (2014).

As the City Art Centre’s exhibition programme and audiences grew, remaining rooted in the city and its people was key, with exhibitions and works often reflecting Edinburgh’s history as well as local and global social issues such as; Anne Frank in the World (1987), Chernobyl – The Legacy (1993), Rainbow City (2006), Leith – The Turning Tide (1987), Edinburgh Re-discovered: Thomas Begbie (1990) and Robert Blomfield (2018).

The City Art Centre’s now well-established reputation as a key cultural Scottish institution is evidenced in its 40-year exhibitions history and audience loyalty. As well as an ambitious and ever-changing exhibitions programme, an additional vital aspect of the City Art Centre is its role in housing the City’s Collection of Scottish Art – one of the finest in Scotland. The collection, which supported through donations, bequests and gifts as well as purchases, features works from many of ‘The Glasgow Boys’ as well as the Scottish Colourists – John Duncan Fergusson, Samuel Peploe, Francis Cadell and Leslie Hunter. Some of the best-known artists of the Edinburgh School, including William Gillies, John Maxwell and Anne Redpath, all have several works in the collection, and featured post-war artists include Alan Davie, Eduardo Paolozzi, Elizabeth Blackadder and John Bellany. The contemporary collection includes artists such as Christine Borland, Callum Innes, Rosalind Nashashibi and Toby Paterson.

When the City Art Centre reopens and looks forward to the next 40 years, the continued focus will be to champion historic and contemporary Scottish visual art and craft. The City’s art collection continues to grow, and going forward the curatorial team will actively seek to diversify the collection in the coming years to better reflect the range of artists and work being produced in Scotland today. Visitors will be able to see the fruit of this with a new exhibition of recent acquisitions next year.

David Patterson, Curatorial and Conservation Manager, City Art Centre said; “Since we opened in 1980, staff at the gallery have worked with artists who live in some of the most densely populated cities on the planet as well as others who live in some of the remotest places on earth. We’ve tackled global tragedies and local issues, and shown paintings, drawings, watercolours, sculpture, tapestry, photography, silver, glass, interior design, film and installations among many other media. We’ve displayed works made from ice, oil, wood, metal, matchsticks, coat hangers, parachute fabric, nylon, gold, even old welly boots!

“We are thrilled to be reopening on the 12th September, and fittingly with two exhibitions drawn from our Scottish art collection. In the months and years to come, we’ll continue to shine the spotlight on Scottish artists of the past who have been overlooked in the story of Scottish art as well as curate major displays by some of the country’s leading artists past and present. The topography and people of Edinburgh will remain a consistent strand in our programming, as will the display of the finest contemporary and historic applied art and craft. We’ll continue to work with our partners Edinburgh Science Festival to bring some of the best Science and Art to a family audience, and our wonderful collection will continue to be shown throughout the year in a series of temporary exhibitions.”

Herbert Coutts, City Art Centre Curator (1971-1999) said: “Having been in at the birth of the City Art Centre, I am immensely proud of the myriad exhibitions it has sourced from all parts of the globe, and from its own important fine art collection. This remarkable achievement has been due to the creativity, commitment and hard work of its staff, past and present, which I hope will continue long into the future."

Ian O’Riordan, City Art Centre Curator (1984-2015) said; “I can’t be dispassionate about the City Art Centre. I started working there on Monday 5th November 1984, my 31st birthday, and stayed for 30 years. We put on the most fantastic exhibitions and built up the most brilliant collection of Scottish art. In retrospect, it all feels truly amazing – what we managed to do and how hard we all worked. People came and loved it and kept coming back. It remains a fabulous place, still with loads of potential. In these challenging times, Edinburgh is truly lucky to have it. Here’s to the next 40 years!”

Councillor Donald Wilson, Culture and Communities Convener said: “Over the last 40 years our City Art Centre has hosted more than 500 exhibitions, housed works from across the globe and welcomed hundreds of thousands of visitors. As we celebrate this milestone it’s a great opportunity to look back at our favourites over the years as well as look ahead to reopening our doors on September 12th.

“Our collection of Scottish art is one of the finest in the country and this special ‘highlights’ exhibition is a fantastic way to celebrate the past 40 years as well as welcome our community back. We wanted to mark this significant anniversary of a very special place and celebrate the city’s artistic collections in a safe way when we open our doors and gather together again.

“When it opened in 1980 the City Art Centre was designed to be more than a gallery, providing studio and meeting spaces for artists, craftspeople and art lovers. I’m very much looking forward to the exhibition and to welcoming visitors back when we reopen next week.”

City Art Centre at 40: Highlights from the City’s art collection runs from 12th September – 18th October 2020. Bright Shadows: Scottish Art in the 1920s runs from 12th September – 6th June 2021.

Free entry to both exhibitions, pre-booking essential. Please pre-book your timeslot here. 

From 12th September the City Art Centre is open daily from 10am -5pm (last admission 4:20pm)  

This May, Edinburgh’s City Art Centre presents the first major exhibition in nearly a century dedicated to the Scottish painter and printmaker Charles Hodge Mackie (1862-1920), one of the most versatile artists of his generation.

Charles H. Mackie: Colour and Light is a major new exhibition that sets out to re-evaluate Mackie’s significance and contribution. Timed to coincide with the centenary of the artist’s death, it charts the progress of his career and creative development, from the rural Scottish landscapes of his youth to his spectacular late Venetian scenes. The retrospective brings together over fifty artworks from public and private collections, including loans from the National Galleries of Scotland, the Royal Scottish Academy of Art & Architecture and Perth Museum & Art Gallery. Showcasing the breadth of Mackie’s creative vision and talents, it is the most comprehensive public display of his work in almost a century.

Born in Aldershot and brought up in Edinburgh, Mackie trained at the Trustees Academy School of Art. He remained based in Edinburgh throughout his career, although he travelled often and embraced an international outlook. As a mature artist, he worked across an impressive range of media, not only producing oil paintings and watercolours, but also murals, woodblock prints, book illustrations and sculpture. His influences were similarly diverse, drawing inspiration from French Symbolism, the Celtic Revival movement and the landscapes of his European travels.

Mackie was well-connected and respected in contemporary artistic circles. He was close friends with E.A. Hornel and other members of the Glasgow Boys, and he met Paul Gauguin, Édouard Vuillard and the Nabis while working in France. In the 1890s he was commissioned by Patrick Geddes to produce murals for Ramsay Garden in Edinburgh’s Old Town, as well as illustrations for the pioneering journal The Evergreen. In later years, Mackie spent time in Yorkshire, where he joined local artists groups and provided support and tuition to the young Laura Knight. He was a founding member and Chairman of the Society of Scottish Artists, and was elected to the Royal Scottish Academy in 1917. He exhibited his work widely, both in Scotland and further afield. However, despite his many achievements, he has always been treated as a peripheral figure in the story of Scottish art.

Curator Dr Helen Scott said: “This exhibition is the culmination of many years of detective work. We’ve been able to reunite finished paintings with their preparatory studies, giving insights into Mackie’s working methods, and we’ve also been able to explore the ways in which he pursued key themes across different types of media – shifting from oils and watercolours to printmaking and back again.

“Highlights of the exhibition include several paintings that have recently undergone conservation treatment, such as Artis Ancilla, a large-scale composition of a nude reclining in the artist’s studio, which is part of the City Art Centre’s own fine art collection. Also featured on display is Deux Ouvrieres dans l'Atelier de Couture (Two Seamstresses in the Workroom) by Édouard Vuillard, a small oil painting gifted to Mackie by Vuillard, which is now owned by the National Galleries of Scotland. All in all, the exhibition is a wonderful, rare opportunity to celebrate Mackie’s life, connections and achievements.”

Mackie biographer and researcher Pat Clark said: “This exhibition is the first major public retrospective since the artist’s Memorial Exhibition in 1921. Charles H. Mackie RSA RSW was a well-respected artist in his day and well-connected in artistic circles in France and Scotland. The works on display trace his development and responses to the places he visited and the people he met. The exhibition will draw together all the stages of Mackie’s life and career, from early Scottish landscapes in Kirkcudbright to the magnificent large-scale oils executed in Venice. Colour and Light will be a long-overdue tribute to one of Scotland’s outstanding and unjustly neglected artists. The exhibition will showcase this achievement. It will bring me untold joy to share my passion for Mackie’s art with those who visit the City Art Centre between May and October.”

Councillor Donald Wilson, Edinburgh’s Convener of Culture and Communities said: “As we mark the centenary of Charles Mackie’s death, we are very proud to host this major study of his work in the City Art Centre. Bringing together over 50 artworks it promises to be a significant tribute to one of Edinburgh’s own. I’m sure ‘Colour and Light’ will captivate many visitors as well as inspire them through the accompanying programme of events and activities.”

Charles H. Mackie: Colour and Light opens on 16 May 2020 and runs until 11 October 2020. Admission is free. 

Travelling Gallery has announced its Spring 2020 exhibition, Shapes of Water, an exhibition of contemporary art responding to the themes evoked by Scotland's Year of Coasts and Waters, which tours from 12 March to 19 June across Scotland.

Travelling Gallery, a key event supported by Scotland’s Year of Coasts and Waters, has invited three thought-provoking and exciting young artists to produce new work reflecting their individual perspectives to our relationship with coasts and waters.

The bus - which drives contemporary art to all corners of the country - will feature an exhibition of drawings, riso prints, audio and film work from the three artists when it takes to the road next month.

Its Spring 2020 tour will begin outside the City Art Centre in Edinburgh on 12 March before visiting venues and a range of coastal communities the length and breadth of Scotland until June, including the Borders Art Fair, the Orkney Isles and Aberdeenshire.

Suzie Eggins works across drawing, printmaking and sculpture and uses her imagination as a microscope to examine the cells and structures of our natural environment to create beautiful geometric drawings and installations. For Shapes of Water, Eggins turns her attention to Scotland’s water and explores the idea that our thoughts and emotions can affect our environment.

Amy Gear is a mixed media artist based in Shetland and characteristically uses her Shetland dialect to outline her artistic practice, using local words to describe the coast and landscape. Her drawings and paintings go beyond the traditional ideals of a beautiful landscape and instead explore the connections between body and land. For Shapes of Water, Amy departs from a piece of writing inspired by her Shetland Grandparents describing the comfort in witnessing steely storms and angry waves; knowing that the unrest will benefit the buoyant sea life. The resulting artwork is a playful and cherished tribute to family and the sea. 

Rhona Mühlebach is a Swiss filmmaker based in Glasgow and her films capture the atmospheric Scottish landscape placing intriguing narratives into the natural environment. For Shapes of Water, Mühlebach is making a stylish crime thriller set in Galloway Forest Park and investigating Sudden Oak Death which can be transmitted by rainwater and carried via rivers and streams. 

Speaking of the exhibition, Claire Craig, Curator at the Travelling Gallery, said: "This is a fantastic opportunity to commission new work by three exciting young artists, all based in Scotland. We can’t wait to go on tour and discuss their artwork with audiences across Scotland as part of the Year of Coasts and Waters."

Convener of Culture and Communities at the City of Edinburgh Council, Councillor Donald Wilson, added: "Once again, the Travelling Gallery has devised a fascinating and varied exhibition which I’m sure will appeal across the country.

"As a Council we are committed to making art and culture as accessible as possible to as many people as possible. This is the ethos of the gallery itself and through supporting this mobile gallery, art is brought straight into the hearts of town centres. I hope everyone takes the opportunity to pay the spring exhibition a visit."

Culture, Tourism and External Affairs Secretary Fiona Hyslop said: "The Travelling Gallery works to make art more accessible by taking it directly into the heart of communities across Scotland.

“I’m pleased to see this special commission of three artists coming together to produce an exhibition celebrating Scotland’s natural beauty, and I hope it inspires both locals and visitors to join in with the Year of Coasts and Waters 2020."

Tour Dates

Exhibition Launch – Thursday 12th March - Edinburgh

Friday 13th – Saturday 14th March – Borders Art Fair

Tuesday 17th March – Friday 20th March – Scottish Borders with Historic Environment Scotland

Saturday 21st March – Lochwinnoch Festival

Thursday 26th March – Stirling University

Tuesday 31st March – Saturday 4th April – North Lanarkshire

Tuesday 14th April – Thursday 16th April – East Renfrewshire

Tuesday 21st March – Saturday 25th March – Orkney

Wednesday 6th May – Saturday 9th May – Aberdeenshire

Tuesday 12th May – Friday 15th May - Renfrewshire

Saturday 23rd May – Sanquhar

Tuesday 26th May – Friday 29th May – North Ayrshire

Tuesday 16th June – Friday 19th June – South Ayrshire

The City Art Centre, Edinburgh’s own public venue dedicated to championing historic and contemporary Scottish visual arts and crafts, announces exhibition highlights for 2020, all of which will be free to attend.

Further information on the individual exhibitions, including an extensive public events programme will be announced in the New Year.   

Charles H. Mackie: Colour and Light

16 May 2020 - 11 October 2020, free entry

The Scottish painter and printmaker Charles Hodge Mackie (1862-1920) was one of the most versatile artists of his generation. Drawing inspiration from French Symbolism, the Celtic Revival movement and the landscapes of his European travels, he produced oil paintings, watercolours, murals, woodblock prints, book illustrations and sculpture. This major retrospective, timed to coincide with the centenary of Mackie’s death, showcases the breadth of his talents, with over 50 artworks from public and private collections. Charles H. Mackie: Colour and Light is presented as part of Edinburgh Art Festival 2020.

Marine: Ian Hamilton Finlay 

23 May - 4 October 2020, free entry

Ian Hamilton Finlay (1925-2006) was an internationally renowned Scottish artist and also Britain’s most significant concrete poet of the 20th century. This major exhibition focuses on the maritime theme in Finlay’s work. It was a central element of his art, and one to which he returned throughout his life.

Drawn from the artist’s estate and the City Art Centre’s collection, and including loans from the National Galleries of Scotland, this exhibition showcases artworks from across several decades, ranging from stone, wood and neon sculptures to tapestry. The show will also feature prints, postcards and booklets from Finlay’s Wild Hawthorn Press. Marine: Ian Hamilton Finlay is presented as part of Edinburgh Art Festival 2020.

Exhibition in partnership with the Estate of Ian Hamilton Finlay.

Bright Shadows: Scottish Art in the 1920s

12 September 2020 - 23 May 2021, free entry

The 1920s was a period of contrasts: high spirits and sombre reflection, decadent excess and hard realities. Bright Shadows explores the styles, ideas and events that shaped Scottish art during this influential decade. Drawn from the City Art Centre’s fine art collection, the exhibition features a range of paintings, drawings, prints and sculpture by artists including Stanley Cursiter, S.J. Peploe, Dorothy Johnstone, Eric Robertson and William McCance.

E. A. Hornel: From Camera to Canvas

7 November 2020 - 14 March 2021, free entry

E. A. Hornel: From Camera to Canvas, a collaboration between the National Trust for Scotland and the City Art Centre, is the first major retrospective of Hornel's art. Featuring photographs and paintings from Broughton House in Kirkcudbright, this exhibition shows how photography was crucial to the development of Hornel's artistic technique. It examines his use of young, female models in Japan, Sri Lanka and Scotland, and demonstrates that he only became the painter he did thanks to the photographs he took and collected.

Jock McFadyen RA (working title)

14 November 2020 - 7 March 2021, free entry

This major exhibition by artist Jock McFadyen displays his urban and rural landscapes, as well as figurative paintings, alongside works from the City Art Centre’s collection of historic and contemporary Scottish art. The show will include new and existing works by McFadyen as well as his selections from the City’s collection, ranging from ‘old favourites’ by renowned Scottish artists, to artworks that have rarely been seen by the public.

Through a series of fascinating pairings, the exhibition encourages viewers to take a closer look. Works that might initially seem unrelated forge unexpected connections and relationships. Some of these juxtapositions are humorous; some are striking or surprising. By showcasing these artworks side-by-side the exhibition creates unique contrasts and places the collection and McFadyen’s work in a fresh and exciting context.

Councillor Donald Wilson, Edinburgh’s Convener of Culture and Communities said: “2020 looks set to be another fantastic year at the City Art Centre. These free exhibitions will give visitors the opportunity to revisit enduring favourites as we mark the centenary of Charles Mackie’s death or discover new favourites like E.A Hornel in the first retrospective of his works. The City Art Centre is one of the most accessible places in Edinburgh for art lovers, with five packed floors of exhibitions and a popular events programme and I would encourage everyone to pay us a visit in the new year.”

/ENDS

Media Contact:

For further information, images or interview requests please contact Kate Bouchier-Hayes - kate@thecornershoppr.com, 07825 335 489

Alec Finlay, Day of Access

Exhibition Launch

Wed 14th August, 5-7pm. Custom House, Leith.

All Welcome

Travelling Gallery is delighted to be working with Alec Finlay to support Day of Access, a powerful campaign which encourages estates to open their land to allow access for people affected by disability.  By using hill tracks and four-wheel drives, people who have never been able to immerse themselves in wild nature are driven into the heart Scotland’s beautiful wild landscape.

The Day of Access campaign passionately believes that everyone should have the opportunity to experience wild nature.

Travelling Gallery will act as the campaign bus touring Day of Access across Scotland; presenting information and artworks and allowing a space for discussions. Documentation from the pilot Day of Access, including work by young photographer Sam McDiarmid, will be exhibited in an art installation created by Finlay.

Alongside his own work Alec has invited other artists and poets to exhibit including Hannah Devereaux, Alison Lloyd, Ken Cockburn and Mhairi Law; each bringing their own creativity and experience to the project. The work is collaboratively displayed like a scrap book or diary pinned on a garden trellis, alongside other domestic apparatus and soft furnishings, such as blankets, a clothes horse, and hankies.

Travelling Gallery continues to bring contemporary art to communities throughout Scotland. Its dual focus is to create highly engaging exhibitions and to provide a unique platform for creative learning.

Curated with Travelling Gallery’s diverse audience in mind, the exhibitions display innovative artistic practices, representative of the best Scottish and International art scene. Travelling Gallery is a ‘not for profit’ organisation, regularly funded by Creative Scotland and supported by the City of Edinburgh Council.

For more information, please visit www.travellinggallery.com or follow us on Facebook or Twitter @travgallery ‏

Beneath the Surface

Sara Brennan | Michael Craik | Eric Cruikshank | Kenneth Dingwall | Callum Innes | Alan Johnston | James Lumsden | Karlyn Sutherland | Andrea Walsh

16 November 2019 to 1 March 2020

City Art Centre, 2 Market Street, Edinburgh EH1 1DE

Admission Free

This winter the City Art Centre presents Beneath the Surface, a group exhibition featuring work by nine contemporary artists based in Scotland - Sara Brennan, Michael Craik, Eric Cruikshank, Kenneth Dingwall, Callum Innes, Alan Johnston, James Lumsden, Karlyn Sutherland and Andrea Walsh. Each of them articulates a minimalist aesthetic through abstraction in their work, which ranges from drawings, paintings and constructions to ceramics, glass and tapestry. Eschewing narrative and observed reality, their artworks have an economy of gesture in common - a limited tonal palette or a monochrome colour plane.

The surface of any artwork is often the most readily accessible component. However, what lies behind or beneath the surface often deserves a closer look. With most of the artworks in the exhibition, the process of making is not hidden; in fact, making constitutes the very subject of some of them, as is the case with the works by Callum Innes, Michael Craik and James Lumsden. The layering and reduction of materials are processes that feature repeatedly in their work, used to create effects of translucency or depth, as well as to portray the passage of time. Whereas for Kenneth Dingwall the thought and reaction produced in the act of making seeks a form that carries analogies to aspects of human nature and emotion. 

For artists Sara Brennan and Eric Cruikshank, their inspiration derives from something more tangible such as nature or landscape. They use these elements as starting points, but without the intention of creating literal representations. While artists Alan Johnston, Karlyn Sutherland and Andrea Walsh are concerned with the interaction of light and shadow on surfaces and the definition of space or memory of a place.

Beneath the Surface is accompanied by an exhibition catalogue with an insightful essay on the history of Scottish abstract art by Kenneth Dingwall. The exhibition continues this narrative by showcasing a group of contemporary artists currently working in Scotland in the field of minimal abstraction.

Curator Maeve Toal said: “Artworks with such apparent simplicity sometimes attract the false perception that they require little intervention on the artist’s behalf. However, what may appear simple to the viewer, often involves restraint and extended periods of time spent by the artist contemplating, reworking and refining complex ideas and processes. I hope this exhibition will encourage visitors to take their time viewing these subtle yet intense artworks, to use their imagination, and look beyond what seems immediately obvious.”

Councillor Donald Wilson, Edinburgh’s Convener of Culture and Communities said: “We are delighted to present Beneath the Surface in our City Art Centre this winter. The exhibition will give visitors the opportunity to see the works of nine contemporary artists and how differently this theme has been explored through diverse mediums. I’m sure it is going to be captivating, and there is a fantastic range of inspired events planned to coincide with the exhibition, allowing visitors to try their hand at the techniques they’ve seen or join discussions with the artists themselves.”

Media Contact:

For further information, images or interview requests please contact Kate Bouchier-Hayes - kate@thecornershoppr.com, 07825 335 489 or Susie Gray - susie@thecornershoppr.com, 07834 073 795.

Associated Events:

Saturday 11 January 2020 | 2pm | Free

In Conversation

To accompany Beneath the Surface, Brian Robertson, curator at Zembla Gallery, will chair a discussion among five of the artists in the exhibition: Michael Craik, Eric Cruikshank, Kenneth Dingwall, Alan Johnston and James Lumsden. This is a unique opportunity to hear these contemporary artists come together to talk about their work.

Saturday 25 January 2020 | 10.30am - 3.30pm | £30

Personal Narrative & Mindful Stitch

In this workshop we will take inspiration from the artworks in Beneath the Surface and explore the meditative and mindful potential of stitch. Bring with you a picture of a place you find calming and create a tactile mini stitch journal inspired by a sense of place using fabric collage and mixed media. With artist Rachael Forbes.

Sunday 26 January 2020 | 10.30am - 3.30pm | £30

Landscape Abstractions: A Window of Memory

To accompany our exhibition Beneath the Surface, in this workshop you will develop an abstract interpretation of an important landscape to you, through drawing and experimental mark-making, masking and layering techniques. We will bring together experimental studies into a final monoprint creating your 'window of memory'. With artist Rachael Forbes.

Sunday 2 February 2020 | 10am - 4pm | £60 | Suitable for beginners and advanced students.

A line, a strip, a field of colour: Tapestry Masterclass

Inspired by the works in Beneath the Surface, this masterclass will examine how the warp and weft of woven tapestry lends itself to exploring minimalism through the quality of lines, stripes and fields of colour. Delighting in the variety and contrasting surfaces that can be achieved by weaving with a range of materials from wool to linen, cotton yarns. With tapestry artist Fiona Hutchison.

Saturday 15 February 2020 | 2pm | Free

BSL Tour

Join us for a tour of Beneath the Surface, which will have a BSL interpreter present. Please meet at the City Art Centre reception desk on the ground floor. This tour has full disabled access.

Friday 28 February 2020 | 10.30am - 3.30pm | £30

Minimalism in Focus: Subtraction & Extraction

Taking inspiration from the Beneath the Surface exhibition, this painting class looks to explore themes used by the exhibiting artists. Working on MDF board, participants will have the opportunity to consider muted line, tone, texture and repetition incorporating this into their artwork. With artist Erik Petrie.

Saturday 29 February 2020 | 10.30am - 3.30pm | £30

Ways into Abstraction: Printmaking Workshop

Inspired by the exhibition Beneath the Surface, join artist Tessa Asquith-Lamb for a printmaking workshop using simple monoprinting and relief methods. Making use of natural materials such as plant forms, stone strata, and seashells, we will consider the beauty in small things and develop initial sketches into abstract prints.

Booking is essential. To book any of these events please visit edinburghmuseums.org.uk or contact the City Art Centre on 0131 529 3993.

City Art Centre:

The City Art Centre is one of Edinburgh’s main public art galleries, with a vibrant programme of exhibitions. It is also home to the City’s collection of historic and contemporary Scottish art, one of the best in the country, showcased in a series of changing displays.

Venue Details:

Address:               City Art Centre, 2 Market Street, Edinburgh EH1 1DE

Telephone:          0131 529 3993

Opening hours:  Monday to Sunday 10am - 5pm

Website:              edinburghmuseums.org.uk

Facebook:            Facebook.com/City.Art.Centre.CAC

Instagram:          instagram.com/museumsgalleriesedinburgh

Twitter:                @EdinCulture

#CLASSICAL EDINBURGH

Museums & Galleries Edinburgh and Jessops​

This is an opportunity for local Edinburgh photographers and students studying photography in Edinburgh to be part of our forthcoming exhibition Classical Edinburgh, to be held at the City Art Centre in Edinburgh during the winter of 2019/20.

Edinburgh City Art Centre is pleased to announce that November 2019 will see the opening of a new exhibition titled Classical Edinburgh. The exhibition will be a celebration of Edinburgh’s neo-classical architecture, as seen through the eyes of two architectural photographers, working half a cen­tury apart.

Edwin Smith (1912-71) was described by John Betjeman as “a genius at photography” and his work had illustrated many books on rural life and lat­terly, concentrating on architecture. Edinburgh Univer­sity Press commissioned Smith to provide the photo­graphs for “The Making of Classical Edinburgh” by A J Youngson. The book, first published in 1966 and still in print today, quickly established its position as the authoritative work on the New Town, and helped stim­ulate a new interest in its Georgian architecture and the need for its conservation.

Colin McLean is an ar­chitectural photographer who has spent the last two years re-interpreting Smith’s evocative black and white images of the city in the 1950s and ‘60s. This will be a homage to Smith’s photography, a celebration of the City’s neo-classical architecture, and a reflection on the changes over the last 50 years. In September, Edinburgh University Press is launching a new version of “The Making of Classical Edinburgh”, with a new preface by Colin McLean and a selection of his new photographs.

We are inviting photographers to be part of this exhibition by entering photographs capturing your vision of Classical Edinburgh. The winning entries will have their photographs on display in the City Art Centre from 9 November 2019 to 8 March 2020. To assist entrants, we are listing some city areas/buildings that are included in this competition.

Locations

The First New Town

Princes Street, George Street, Queen Street, Charlotte Square, St Andrew Square, Rose Street, etc

The Northern, or Second New Town

Dundas street, Great King Street, Northumberland street, Shandwick Place, Picardy Place, etc

Eastern, or Third New Town

Calton Hill, Regent Terrace, Carlton Terrace, etc

All places that were photographed by Smith for the original book.

George Square, Stockbridge, Old College

PLEASE NOTE WE WILL NOT ACCEPT PHOTOS OUTWITH THESE LOCATIONS.

Categories

We have 4 Categories that you can enter your work into.

After Dark

Views of the city once the daylight has gone.

Seasons

The heart of Edinburgh throughout the year.

Working Life

The daily hustle and bustle of city life. 

Architectural Gems

Unusual glimpses or facets of buildings, interiors, streets, panoramas.

PLEASE NOTE WE WILL NOT ACCEPT PHOTOS WITHOUT A CATEGORY.

Winners

Your work will be displayed in the City Art Centre alongside the exhibition Classical Edinburgh.

You will be credited on the Acknowledgements Panel within the exhibition

You and 4 guests will be invited to the Private View of the exhibition on Thursday 14th November.

Your work will be promoted across all City of Edinburgh Council media channels and on our website.

A separate press call will be organised profiling the work of all the winning entries.

We are delighted to be collaborating with Jessops. Jessops will produce the winning works.

Competition Guidelines

1.  To enter you must like and follow our City Art Centre Facebook page. Post your entry on our City Art Centre Facebook page.  Only one entry per category will be accepted. On your Facebook post state the title of your photograph, location taken and the category you are entering, also using the following hashtag. 

#ClassicalEdinburgh​

If you have your own photography page we will share that. Please include link in post.

2. The judging panel will consist of a panel of curators and experts in the photography field.

3. The winners will submit their photograph as a high resolution digital file and we will cover the enlargement production costs. Preference will be given to portrait formats but we will also accept landscape photographs. We reserve the right to crop images to fit the exhibition display. Any crops will be agreed with the photographer.

4. No photographs taken on a mobile phone can be accepted. This is because we will be enlarging the images substantially in the exhibition. We will need winning files submitted as tiff files at 300 dpi.

5. By submitting a photograph to Capture Classical Edinburgh photo competition, you give permission to City of Edinburgh Council to re-use the image free of charge in promotional material relating to this exhibition, on our social media and alongside this exhibition. Images will be appropriately credited.

6.  To facilitate the highest quality printing of winning photographs the City Art Centre will contact winning photographers to obtain original image files. The size of printed photographs may depend on the resolution of the original photograph. This will have no impact a photographs chances of winning.

7. The Competition will run from 17 July 2019 to 15 September 2019. Judging will take place in early October.

New exhibition places Edinburgh-born female artist back in the spotlight over 150 years after her birth

Mary Cameron: Life in Paint

2 November 2019 – 15 March 2020

City Art Centre, 2 Market Street, Edinburgh EH1 1DE

Free admission

In November 2019, Edinburgh’s City Art Centre brings the Edinburgh-born artist Mary Cameron (1865-1921) back into the spotlight, displaying over forty rarely-seen artworks from public and private collections.

Mary Cameron: Life in Paint explores the life and career of a woman who was truly ahead of her time, charting her creative journey from elegant family portraits to breath-taking Spanish scenes.

Born in Portobello, Edinburgh, Cameron began her artistic career as a portraitist and genre painter in her native city, before venturing abroad to study in Paris. Foreign travel proved to be a life-long source of inspiration. In 1900 she visited Madrid for the first time, where she became captivated by the Spanish culture, people and scenery. Establishing studios in Madrid and Seville, she painted large-scale compositions of traditional peasant life, dramatic bullfights and rural landscapes.

A thoroughly modern and adventurous woman, Cameron exhibited widely during her lifetime, with her talents being admired by contemporaries such as John Lavery and Alexander Roche. However, like so many female artists of her generation, her name is little-known today. This exhibition aims to change that, with examples of her impressive work complemented by historic photographs and archival material.

The display will be the first dedicated exhibition of Cameron’s paintings since her death in 1921. It is accompanied by the forthcoming illustrated catalogue Mary Cameron: Life in Paint, written by Helen E. Scott and published by Sansom & Co.

Councillor Donald Wilson, Edinburgh’s Convener of Culture and Communities said: “I’m delighted that the City Art Centre is able to showcase this fantastic exhibition of the rarely seen works of Mary Cameron. It’s incredible to think this is the first exhibition dedicated to her since her passing in 1921. “Life in Paint” will take visitors through her creative journey from starting out in Portobello to international travel. Not only will it be an opportunity to celebrate her work, it is also a chance for people to learn about the artist herself and the important role she played in Scottish artworld history and the positive strides she made for women.”

Curator Dr Helen Scott said: “This is a really exciting opportunity to showcase a female Scottish artist whose work will be new to most people. During Mary Cameron’s lifetime she was fairly well-known. Today, however, her name is scarcely recognised, let alone celebrated.

As a female painter practicing in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Cameron faced many obstacles in pursuing her ambition to become a professional artist. Women of her generation had far fewer training opportunities than their male peers, and they often encountered discrimination when exhibiting, selling and promoting their art. They had to work doubly hard to succeed as artists and gain recognition. Even when they managed to establish themselves, their posthumous legacies were often eclipsed by the reputations of their more famous male counterparts. Over the years, many of these women have slipped into obscurity and been virtually forgotten.

Mary Cameron was one of those who helped to lay the foundations for greater gender equality in the Scottish art world, and I think it’s so important that we celebrate her contribution.”  

Venue Details:

Address:                     City Art Centre, 2 Market Street, Edinburgh EH1 1DE

Telephone:                 0131 529 3993

Website:                     edinburghmuseums.org.uk

Twitter:                       @EdinCulture

Facebook:                   Facebook.com/City.Art.Centre.CAC

Instagram:                 instagram.com/museumsgalleriesedinburgh

Opening hours:          Monday to Sunday 10am - 5pm

City Art Centre

The City Art Centre is one of Edinburgh’s main public art galleries. It is owned and managed by the City of Edinburgh Council. It is home to the City’s collection of historic and contemporary Scottish art, one of the best in the country. The gallery hosts a vibrant programme of exhibitions from its collection and by contemporary local, national and international artists and makers.

Fascinating new exhibition explores enduring artistic bond between Scotland and Italy 

The Italian Connection 

7 September 2019 – 24 May 2020
City Art Centre, 2 Market Street, Edinburgh EH1 1DE
Free admission 

In September 2019, Edinburgh’s City Art Centre hosts a fascinating new exhibition exploring the creative links between Scotland and Italy, which have remained strong for hundreds of years. 
The Italian Connection celebrates the enduring bond between these two countries, looking at the continuing ability of art to transcend geographical borders – a topic which remains hugely relevant in the politics of the 21st century. The new exhibition explores the many different ways Scottish artists have been influenced by Italy, and the significant contribution that Italians have made to visual arts in Scotland. The display includes work by prominent artists such as: Allan Ramsay, E.A Walton, F.C.B. Cadell, Joan Eardley, Eduardo Paolozzi and Elizabeth Blackadder.
Presenting a wide range of media and techniques from oil painting and drawing to printmaking and sculpture, the exhibition examines the journey of Scottish artists who travelled to Rome and Florence in the 18th and 19th centuries to advance their professional training and career prospects.
Throughout the 20th century this creative pilgrimage to the Mediterranean continued, with art students undertaking travelling scholarships and mature artists finding inspiration in the beautiful Italian landscape and culture. Some even settled there on a long-term basis, making Italy their permanent home. This creative exchange of people and ideas also developed in the opposite direction, with Italian immigrant families making their homes all around Scotland.
Councillor Donald Wilson, Edinburgh’s Convener of Culture and Communities said: “The bond Scotland shares with Italy stretches over centuries. Edinburgh has a huge number of first, second and third generation Italian-Scots residents and over the years the two cultures have become inseparable. This enduring cultural influence is a joy to explore through these carefully curated pieces by artists who have been inspired by both countries. What a fantastic glimpse, yet again, into the City Art Centre's extensive and Nationally Significant collections."
Curator Dr Helen Scott said: “This exhibition has been a really exciting project to curate because of the sheer variety of artistic connections that have evolved over the years between Scotland and Italy. There are obvious links in terms of Scottish artists like Joan Eardley and Elizabeth Blackadder travelling abroad and depicting the Italian landscape, but there are also more subtle connections such as John Duncan finding inspiration in Italian Renaissance painting techniques or Stanley Cursiter exploring the Italian Futurist movement of the early 20th century. And Scottish art has also benefited enormously from the contributions of artists with Italian heritage, figures like Eduardo Paolozzi and Alberto Morrocco, whose parents emigrated from Italy to Scotland. It is also interesting to trace the long-established tradition of Scottish artists going to Italy to study, a practice which dates back hundreds of years and continues to have a major impact on the development of young artists through schemes like travelling scholarships.” 
“All of the artworks featured in the exhibition are part of the City’s permanent collection of historic and contemporary Scottish art. The exhibition offers a unique perspective on that collection, and I hope it will give visitors an insight into the richness and diversity of the City’s artistic treasures.”   

For more information, image and interview requests please contact Kate Bouchier-Hayes - kate@thecornershoppr.com / 07825 335 489 
Images can be downloaded here
Venue Details:
Address: City Art Centre, 2 Market Street, Edinburgh EH1 1DE
Telephone: 0131 529 3993
Website: edinburghmuseums.org.uk
Twitter: @EdinCulture
Facebook: Facebook.com/City.Art.Centre.CAC
Instagram: instagram.com/museumsgalleriesedinburgh
Opening hours: Monday to Sunday 10am - 5pm

City Art Centre 
The City Art Centre is one of Edinburgh’s main public art galleries. It is owned and managed by the City of Edinburgh Council. It is home to the City’s collection of historic and contemporary Scottish art, one of the best in the country. The gallery hosts a vibrant programme of exhibitions from its collection and by contemporary local, national and international artists and makers.

EXPLORE THE 'PAST LIVES OF LEITH' IN THE MUSEUM OF EDINBURGH

Visitors to the Museum of Edinburgh can now explore the results of the largest excavation of a medieval graveyard undertaken in Edinburgh.   

“Past Lives of Leith”, which delves into the fascinating work carried out by experts from Headland Archaeology and the City of Edinburgh Council, opens to the public today (Friday 29 March). 

Following the discovery in 2008 of medieval burials outside Leith Parish Church, a six-month archaeological excavation was carried out in 2009 in advance of the then expected construction of the Edinburgh Tram line to Leith and Newhaven. In total, these excavations recovered the remains of 378 people and provided a window into life in Leith from the 14th to the mid-17th centuries, rewriting part of the local history of the area. 

Key findings that can be explored in the exhibition include: 

The excavations -  how the discovery happened
Historic background - how the excavation site fits into the history of Leith
Who was buried in Constitution street? How the analysis reveals key facts about their age, sex, build and pathology
How were they buried? How the different forms of burials discovered led to clues about social status and how they may have died
Isotope analysis: how scientific analysis was used to discover more about where the people buried were from and even details about what they ate
New dating for the graveyard: how the uncovered remains, which precedes the South Leith Parish Church graveyard, changes what we know about the history of the area.

The exhibition also showcases the work undertaken by the Council and colleagues from the Centre for Anatomy and Human Identification at the University of Dundee to bring this historic find to life, through the process of forensic facial reconstruction to depict the faces of the 14th to 17th century remains. Visitors can now see what the Medieval residents of the former burgh might have looked like 600 years ago. 

Councillor Donald Wilson, Culture and Communities Convener, said: “Spanning 10 years of painstaking archaeological fieldwork and scientific analysis, cutting through seven centuries of Scottish life and times, this exhibition and book explain how the Edinburgh Trams project altered our understanding of the area’s history and its inhabitants. 

“The work here is a fascinating look at our ancestors, with nearly 400 human remains found. The work carried out by our archaeologist, Headland Archaeology and Dundee University has meant we can now get not only an idea of how these medieval residents might have looked, we are also able to determine how old they were, if they were local and even how they died. I would encourage anyone with an interest in the history of our capital to pay the exhibition a visit. This is a fascinating insight into a little-known piece of our people’s history.” 

Julie Franklin from Headland Archaeology said: “Leith has persevered through sieges, famines, economic hardships and endless plagues. Weaving the sometimes harrowing, sometimes surprising story of the town and those who lived and died in it from the many strands of evidence has been a fascinating process.” 

John Lawson, City of Edinburgh Council Archaeologist, added: “Leith and the surrounding area has a rich archaeological history. These excavations have unearthed a cemetery thought to date from the 14th to the 17th centuries. The discoveries of these burials in this location, although always a possibility, was nevertheless a surprise. 

“This exhibition and publication of the book is a conclusion to a fascinating project which has truly changed what we thought we knew about the history of Constitution Street and the inhabitants of Leith. It has allowed us to highlight the lives of the ordinary person, by putting a face to these individuals and showing how they lived and died. Allowing us to compare and contrast with findings across Scotland and the UK.  

“The forensic reconstructions have really helped to identify these remains as those of members of the public, rather than merely deeming them as archaeological findings, and how alike they are to modern day inhabitants of Leith and Edinburgh. 

“Additionally, the project allowed us to develop important partnerships with the Universities of Dundee and Aberdeen, which led to further areas of collaborative work and research into the former inhabitants of Edinburgh – such as the 3D reconstructions on display in our exhibition.”  

Dr Christopher Rynn from the University of Dundee said: “This project has provided an abundance of MSc projects and graduate internship placements for the MSc Forensic Art over the last few years and it is fantastic to see the work of so many individuals come together. Using forensic techniques of facial approximation and reconstruction, in combination with archaeological evidence and artefacts, individuals can be depicted in a way that provides a human, interpersonal element and some context on their lives.”

The accompanying book “Past Lives of Leith” written by Julie Franklin, Carmelita Troy, Kate Britton, Donald Wilson and John A Lawson is available to buy for £35.00 through Museums & Galleries and expands on the fascinating history discovered and findings from the decade-long archaeological investigation.

Karen Lloyd
0131 469 3573
karen.lloyd@edinburgh.gov.uk

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New exhibition exploring the choices and challenges of parenthood opens at Edinburgh’s Museum of Childhood

Bringing Up Baby, Museum of Childhood, 9th February – 29th September 2019, Free Entry

Bringing Up Baby, a new exhibition has opened at Edinburgh’s Museum of Childhood will explore the choices and challenges faced by parents. The exhibition is free to enter and runs until the 29th September. 

Bringing Up Baby features a range of objects from the museum’s collection including; Paddi Pad disposable nappies invented by British mum Valerie Hunter Gordon in 1947, Kamella Baby Bag popular in the 1930’s and a charming selection of baby’s clothes, including home-made knits and a selection of clothes popular through the decades.

Scotland’s Baby Box also features as part of the exhibition having been gifted to the Museum by the Scottish Government last year, marking the 1st anniversary of the national scheme which sees every newborn baby in Scotland presented with a Baby Box from the Scottish Government.  

Through these wide-ranging objects, Bringing Up Baby aims to highlight some of those difficult decisions and the different responses made by parents across the generations as they approach parenthood. Breast or bottle? Cloth nappies or disposables? Should you use a dummy? These questions and more shall be addressed through the exhibition and are sure to generate debate, discussion, shared stories, memories and advise across the generations.

Councillor Donald Wilson, Culture and Communities Convener, said: “With over 200,000 visitors every year, the recently refurbished Museum of Childhood is one of Edinburgh City Council’s flagship venues and a much-loved institution in the City.”

“Now open seven days a week it is home to an impressive collection of more than 60,000 objects reflecting childhoods from the 18th century to the present day and this latest exhibition is a welcome addition. It showcases generations of childcare artefacts, documents and changing trends in parenting right up to 2019.”

Lyn Stevens, Museum of Childhood Curator said: “It has been fascinating to explore the Museum’s collection to find what has changed in infant care and what has stayed the same. The clothes were especially interesting as fashion plays a large role in how parents wish to present their new arrivals to the world.  Scotland’s Baby Box is a great addition to our collection, and captures a moment in time for this new initiative.”

Venue Details:

Address: Museum of Childhood, 42 High Street, Edinburgh EH1 1TG

Telephone: 0131 529 4142

Website: www.edinburghmuseums.org.uk

Twitter: @EdinCulture

Facebook: www.facebook.com/museumofedinburgh

Instagram: instagram.com/museumsgalleriesedinburgh

Opening hours: Monday to Saturday 10am – 5pm, Sunday 12pm – 5pm

Museums & Galleries Edinburgh

Museums & Galleries Edinburgh is a collection of 13 venues and over 200 monuments across Edinburgh. Our vision is to inspire, enthuse and provoke through a shared passion for Edinburgh, Art and History.

In 2016-17, we welcomed more than half a million people to our nine major visitor attractions: the City Art Centre; Lauriston Castle; Museum of Childhood; Museum of Edinburgh; Nelson Monument; People’s Story; Queensferry Museum; Scott Monument and Writers’ Museum.

We house rich and varied collections relating to the historical and cultural life of Scotland’s Capital. Our venues also boast an exciting and vibrant programme of events and exhibitions, offering something for everyone to enjoy.

24 November 2018 to 17 March 2019, City Art Centre, Admission Free

This winter the City Art Centre showcases an exhibition of vintage street photography by Robert Blomfield, revealing part of a remarkable private archive of his stunning work.

Blomfield practised street photography across the UK from the 1950s to the 1970s, beginning in Edinburgh. He moved to the city to study medicine at the University of Edinburgh in 1956, when he was 18 years old. Whilst a student, Blomfield pursued his passion for photography and spent his free time capturing life on the streets. He adopted an unobtrusive fly-on-the-wall approach, seeking interesting or amusing scenes in the rapidly changing post-war period. An engaging manner and healthy disrespect for authority allowed him to get close to a myriad of subjects, taking photographs that are in turn tender, bold and humorous. Blomfield used a pair of Nikon F SLRs to shoot his images, and did his own developing and printing in a makeshift darkroom set up in his student digs.

A subsequent medical career meant his vast collection of striking images - which number in the thousands and carry echoes of Henri Cartier-Bresson and Vivian Maier - remained largely hidden, stored away in cardboard boxes. In 1999, a stroke forced him to retire from medicine and put down his camera, and ten years ago, his wife Jane started the huge task of cataloguing and digitising these photographs. After her passing Blomfield’s three sons William, Edward and George, along with his brother Johnny, continued this labour of love.

The exhibition Robert Blomfield: Edinburgh Street Photography | An Unseen Archive displays a selection of around 60 black and white works from this remarkable private collection, revealing and documenting the dramatic shifts taking place in Edinburgh’s urban landscape during the 1960s. It includes candid portraits and group shots, children playing amongst crumbling tenements, public gatherings, student life and evolving architecture, offering a rare opportunity to reappraise our understanding of Scottish culture at that time. Staged in the year of his 80th birthday, this first large-scale display of his street-life scenes is also a chance for Blomfield to receive the recognition he rightly deserves.

Robert Blomfield commented: ‘After 50 years I’m thrilled to be able to share some of my pictures with the wider world. Edinburgh is a city that remains close to my heart, and the interaction of its residents with this most dramatic of urban stages provided me with endless inspiration as a young photographer. The exhibition represents a personal view of life on its streets during the 1960s.’

Councillor Donald Wilson, Edinburgh’s Culture and Communities Convener, said: ‘This exhibition of vintage street photography will strike a chord with anyone who grew up in 1960s Edinburgh and bring back so many memories. The exhibition will also appeal to the residents of this wonderful city today and to visitors, who will be able to draw comparisons between then and now, with some areas of Edinburgh having changed beyond recognition. The City Art Centre is the people of Edinburgh’s gallery; the perfect place to showcase Blomfield’s stunning display.’

The exhibition is a partnership with Robert Blomfield and Family. The show is accompanied by a documentary of Robert Blomfield and his work by cinematographer Stuart Edwards and a programme of events. Please see further information about them below under associated events.

For more information on Robert Blomfield: Edinburgh Street Photography | An Unseen Archive please contact Kate Bouchier-Hayes - kate@thecornershoppr.com 07825 335 489 or Susie Gray - susie@thecornershoppr.com 07834 073 795

Image Credits:

Jane Blomfield, Robert Blomfield Photographing Children, Edinburgh, 1966 © the artist

Robert Blomfield, Childhood Friends, Edinburgh, 1966. © the artist

Robert Blomfield, Boy on Cannon, Calton Hill, Edinburgh, 1964. © the artist

Robert Blomfield, Arthur Street Children, Edinburgh, 1960. © the artist

Robert Blomfield, Boy Drinking Cola, Edinburgh, 1966. © the artist

Robert Blomfield, Two Women with Chickens, West End, Edinburgh, 1966. © the artist

Robert Blomfield, Student Union, Teviot Row House, University of Edinburgh, 1964. © the artist

Robert Blomfield, Couples, Princes Street Gardens, Edinburgh, 1966. © the artist

Robert Blomfield, Forth Road Bridge under Construction, North Queensferry, 1962. © the artist

Robert Blomfield, Traffic, Princes Street, Edinburgh, 1964. © the artist

Venue Details:

Address:                               City Art Centre, 2 Market Street, Edinburgh EH1 1DE

Telephone:                          0131 529 3993

Website:                              edinburghmuseums.org.uk

Twitter:                                @EdinCulture

Facebook:                           Facebook.com/City.Art.Centre.CAC

Instagram:                          instagram.com/museumsgalleriesedinburgh

Pinterest:                             pinterest.com/edinburghcc/city-art-centre

Opening hours:                 Monday to Sunday 10am - 5pm

City Art Centre:

The City Art Centre is one of Edinburgh’s main public art galleries. It is owned and managed by the City of Edinburgh Council and is home to the City’s collection of historic and contemporary Scottish art, one of the best in the country. The gallery hosts a vibrant programme of exhibitions from its collection and by contemporary artists and makers.

Associated Events:

Friday 30 November, 2pm

The Early Life and Times of Robert Blomfield: The Making of a Street Photographer  

This talk by Robert Blomfield’s brother, Johnny Blomfield, will include personal anecdotes providing an insight into the man behind the evocative images of 1960s Edinburgh on display at the City Art Centre.

Saturday 1 December, 2pm

An Audience with ‘Dark Edinburgh’

Robert Blomfield documented the dramatic shifts taking place in Scotland’s urban landscape during the 1950s and 60s. Similarly, Scott Liddell, the man behind ‘Dark Edinburgh’, documents hidden and changing aspects of the city today. Join Liddell to hear more about his intriguing work.

Sunday 2 December, 2pm

Edinburgh: A City of Contradictions

To complement the exhibition Robert Blomfield: Edinburgh Street Photography | An Unseen Archive Lynn and Paul Henni (henni.photo) will give an illustrated talk about their work. They use black and white photography to capture their home city and look for less conventional views of beautiful Edinburgh.

All events are free, but booking is essential. To book, please contact the City Art Centre on 0131 529 3993 or visit edinburghmuseums.org.uk

8 July – 4 November 2018
City Art Centre, Edinburgh
Open 7 days a week 10am to 5pm, Free Admission

40 years of the Travelling Gallery is celebrated and showcased in a new exhibition at the City Art Centre, forming part of Edinburgh Art Festival. The new exhibition, Travelling Gallery at 40 charts the history of the contemporary art gallery in a bus which forms a unique and integral part of Scotland’s cultural provision and its commitment to making art inclusive and accessible.  

From Lerwick to Dumfries and Renfrew to Dunbar, Travelling Gallery has taken art to every part of Scotland so that people from every background and community have had the opportunity to engage with excellent, experimental and inspiring art practices.

In this its fortieth year an exhibition over two floors at Edinburgh’s City Art Centre will celebrate Travelling Gallery’s journey – past, present and future, and take pride in Scotland’s commitment to take art out to communities. 

Housed within a newly commissioned and site-specific installation by Scottish artist Mike Inglis entitled ‘Settlement’, an active programme of talks and events will provide a platform for bigger discussions on the accessibility and diversity of contemporary art in Scotland. The programme will not only celebrate the important and integral work of Travelling Gallery but will explore and test its values within todays contemporary context, advocating for its vision that Scotland is a nation in which everyone has the opportunity to experience and engage in the arts.

Travelling Gallery’s rich and socially important archive will also be shown for the first time alongside some of the original artwork from its incredible exhibitions history. The presentation will celebrate the enjoyment and excellence that has embodied the organisation since its inception in the late 70’s and will allow the viewer to reflect on the last forty years of the Scottish visual art scene. 
The artists who have contributed to the Travelling Gallery over the years include Christian Marclay, Lucy Skaer, Tania Kovats, Tessa Lynch, Rob Churn, Torsten Lauschmann, Charles Avery, Rachel Maclean, Ilana Halperan, Christine Borland, Ross Sinclair, Nicolas Party, Ciara Philips, Douglas Gordon, Mandy McIntosh, Dalziel + Scullion, Jonathan Owen, Charlie Hammond and Henry Coombes to name but a few. 

Of course, Travelling Gallery will still be on the road its 2018 programme will celebrate the organisations commitment to showcasing the best in current contemporary art. The Spring exhibition Are Teenage Dreams So Hard to Beat? Explores our adolescence through work by Arpita Shah, Alice Theobald and Holly White. While the Autumn 2018 tour will see a new commission by emerging Scottish artist Gordon Douglas, where he will cleverly observe Travelling Gallery as his subject.

Claire Craig, curator of the Travelling Gallery said, 'Everyone involved in the Travelling Gallery over the last forty years is so excited to celebrate and shout about the incredible work the organisation has done and continues to do. Not just in providing access to contemporary art but making it fun, enjoyable and inclusive. The wealth of artists Travelling Gallery has worked with over the years should also be noted, commissioning work by exciting Scottish artists and exhibiting work which is reflects the best of international visual art.'

Elizabeth Ann Macgregor OBE, Director Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, previous Travelling Gallery Curator and Driver said: “Whenever I am asked to talk about my career, ‘My Days as a Bus Driver’ is a great way to start!  It was the Travelling Gallery that ignited my passion for engaging art with audiences - something that has driven my career to this day. Not only organising the exhibitions but being on the bus, talking to the public and hearing their response informed my belief that it’s not art that puts people off – it’s the context in which it’s presented. The bus removes all barriers to access – it was a great learning experience for a young curator.' 

A brief history
Travelling Gallery is a contemporary art gallery in a bus. It was initiated by the Scottish Arts Council in 1978 and began as a one-person curator and driver operation.  

In 1983 it was considered so successful that SAC invested in a new bus, purpose designed, which went out on the road for the next 25 years. 

In 1997 it transferred to CEC with funding to continue its national service. In 2007 the demand for the service and additional funds from the National Lottery and CEC enabled the building of a brand new, improved and inclusive Travelling Gallery bus.

The beautiful new Travelling Gallery bus was launched in Edinburgh on 12th April 2007 and has improved access, more floor space, new hi-tech audio-visual equipment and increased security.
Each year it presents two 16 week exhibitions which tour to remote, rural, urban and suburban communities across the country. Each exhibition has a strong creative learning programme of artist talks, film screenings, workshops, events, learning packs and interpretative materials. 

Lauren Printy Currie, installation view, Autumn 2017. 

Travelling Gallery works well in partnership and over the years has collaborated with Glasgow Woman’s Library, New Media Scotland, Stills Gallery, Turner Prize and Tramway Glasgow, V&A Dundee, National Museums of Scotland and even Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park. 

Travelling Gallery at 40 is part of Edinburgh Art Festival 2018. Find out more about this year’s Festival programme at Edinburgh Art Festival @EdArtFest #EdArtFest

ENDS

For further information, interviews or images please contact Susie Gray 07834 073 795 or Kate Bouchier-Hayes 07825 335 489

The new Travelling Gallery was made possible through a National Lottery grant of £173, 500 from the Scottish Arts Council, over £100,000 of funding from The City of Edinburgh Council, who have run the gallery since 1997, and additional funding from The Friends of The City Art Centre and the Adapt Trust.

In 2015 Mike Ingles created a new design for the outside of the bus. The Ark Camps Murals, imagine and illustrate new Scottish rural (feral) communities who are engaged in the construction of giant Ark structures from the debris of old boats and wooden structures which no one imagined would ever be used again. 

Travelling Gallery is supported by Creative Scotland and Edinburgh City Council. The new Travelling Gallery was made possible through a National Lottery grant of £173, 500 from the Scottish Arts Council, over £100,000 of funding from The City of Edinburgh Council, who have run the gallery since 1997, and additional funding from The Friends of The City Art Centre and the Adapt Trust.

Over the period 2015 – 2017 alone over 52,000 people came aboard the bus to discover the art inside, and it visited 391 locations the length and breadth of Scotland.
'The Travelling Gallery is a fabulous resource which helps our young people to develop a depth of understanding of art. It challenges perceptions, raises awareness, promotes curiosity and enquiry.' South Ayrshire
 
'What a fantastic gallery. So engaging and staff so interactive and friendly! Thank you for a great session.' Isle of Lewis
 
'Thoroughly encouraging. Such insight expressed with skill, emotion and power. I wish that you will go from strength to strength. Many thanks. You are all wonderful' Dunbar
 
“Have heard a lot about the Travelling Gallery and it’s great to be able to experience it for real. Fabulous community resource.” Birnam

Events as part of Edinburgh Art Festival 
Art Late with The List Festival Party
2nd August, 5:30pm 
Art Late 2018 kicks off with four exciting exhibitions across multiple floors at City Art Centre, featuring Platform: 2018, Travelling Gallery at 40, Edwin Lucas and In Focus: Scottish Photography. Our second stop of the evening will Talbot Rice Gallery’s Festival show Lucy Skaer: The Green Man, which will include a performance. Moving across the road we’ll visit LIBERTY Art Fabrics & Fashion at Dovecot Gallery, which charts the innovative retailer and design studio Liberty London’s history as a source for key trends in cultural history. The evening will also include pop-up magic performances, as part of Sympathetic Magick, a new project devised by artist Ruth Ewan in collaboration with magician Ian Saville. Our finale for the evening will be The List Festival Party at Summerhall, a legendary celebration of the Festival City in the biggest month of the year.

Art Late with music from Jared Celosse
16 August, 5.30pm
The third Art Late will begin at Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art with a special viewing of their latest instalment of NOW. This exhibition features a major survey of works by Jenny Saville alongside work by Sara Barker, Christine Borland, Robin Rhode, Markus Schinwald and Catherine Street, and a group display drawn from the National Galleries of Scotland collection focusing on the body and fragmentation. As part of this event Art Late audiences will be able to enjoy a unique performance by Catherine Street. Travelling Gallery will also be parking up at Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art with their Festival exhibition Gordon Douglas: Black Box Take Stock, and will be presenting a special performance from the artist. The group will then travel to Jupiter Artland. This visit will be a unique opportunity to view Jupiter Artland’s new commissions by Joana Vasconcelos, Phyllida Barlow and Ollie Dook, alongside other permanent works in their collection. The evening will conclude with an outdoor acoustic performance from Jared Celosse.

For further details and tickets available from Edinburgh Art Festival  

4 August 2018 – 10 February 2019, City Art Centre
Edwin G. Lucas: An Individual Eye will be the first ever major exhibition to focus on this enigmatic artist. 
 
Edwin G. Lucas, Caley Station, Edinburgh, 1942. City Art Centre, Museums & Galleries Edinburgh. © the artist's estate. (Photo: City Art Centre)
Revealing the little-known story of Lucas’s life and career, it traces his development from the early watercolours of his youth to his boldly experimental oil paintings of the 1940s and 1950s. It also explores the artist’s final, uncompromising works of the 1980s, which were produced after a break of almost thirty years. 
The exhibition will feature over sixty artworks drawn from public and private collections, including loans from the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art and rare archival material from the artist’s estate. 
“This is a really exciting opportunity to bring Lucas’s paintings to public attention. For so many years his work has been overlooked and ignored in the wider narrative of 20th century Scottish art, but Lucas was, in fact, one of the most original painters of his era – a unique talent that deserves to be recognised.” said Dr Helen Scott, curator of Fine Art, City Art Centre. She continued “Although he was self-taught, he was well-aware of avant-garde developments taking place at home and abroad. His friendships with contemporary artists such as Wilhelmina Barns-Graham gave him direct insights into modernist approaches, and these connections seemed to spur him on to experiment in his work. 
“His encounter with Surrealism in the late 1930s was undoubtedly a turning-point in his career, but it is interesting to note that he always pursued his own creative path. Having absorbed a variety of modernist influences, he deliberately distanced himself from conventional groupings and popular trends, choosing to paint against fashion. He was determined to find his own expression of artistic truth. His independent spirit shines through in his work, and I think there’s something irresistible about that.” 
It is accompanied by the forthcoming illustrated catalogue Edwin G. Lucas: An Individual Eye, written by Helen E. Scott and published by Sansom & Co.
Information on the exhibition is available here 
https://www.edinburghmuseums.org.uk/whats-on/edwin-g-lucas-individual-eye
Edwin G. Lucas (1911-1990) was one of the most unique Scottish painters of the 20th century. Born and educated in Edinburgh, he was largely self-taught as an artist, his family having discouraged him from pursuing a risky career path. Despite this, Lucas went on to become a serious and prolific painter, whose work was exhibited by the Royal Scottish Academy and the Society of Scottish Artists. 
During the 1930s he encountered Surrealism, which had a lasting impact on his creative practice. Blending Surrealist influences with his own idiosyncratic vision of the world, he cultivated an original and highly imaginative style of painting that is richly colourful and fascinatingly quirky. 
 
Edwin G. Lucas, The Schism – Final Diagnosis, 1940. Lucas Family Collection. © the artist's estate. (Photo: John McKenzie) 

More on Lucas’s life can be found here http://edwinglucas.com/biography.html 
“Lucas seems to have noticed that the rules were there to be broken, and to have set about breaking them with an entirely original abandon, paying only superficial attention to the orthodoxies of the avant garde.” Richard Warren
Edwin’s son Alan Lucas said, “My father effectively stopped painting to focus on having a family, something my brother and I are eternally grateful for! However, it's a shame the paintings that decorated our family home didn't gain wider recognition during his lifetime. We are delighted that this exhibition will, for the first time, show a wide audience the full range of the innovative work he produced during his artistic career.”
Councillor Donald Wilson, Culture and Communities Convener, said, “An ordinary man with an extraordinary talent, Edwin G. Lucas is surely one of Edinburgh and Scotland’s most underrated artists.
 
“By day Lucas worked in the civil service, but at night he would turn his hand to painting incredible surrealist scenes. Born in Leith, he spent most of his life in Edinburgh having grown up in Juniper Green and later settled in Stockbridge, and had to put his painting on hold for many years to raise his young sons – a balancing act between work, family and creative interests many of us can identify with.
 
“Now, 70 years on, his imaginative artworks are being recognised as much more than that of a hobbyist. In fact, his colourful and unique paintings are starting to be considered as unprecedented for his time and this exhibition will bring 60 of Lucas’ artworks together for a dedicated display. 
 
“I’d like to thank the artist’s family for their support for the exhibition as well as its curator, Helen Scott, who has used her expertise at the City Art Centre to compile a fascinating catalogue about the life and work of Edwin G. Lucas to accompany this must-see exhibition.”
Edwin G. Lucas: An Individual Eye is part of Edinburgh Art Festival 2018. Find out more about this year’s Festival programme at edinburghartfestival.com @EdArtFest #EdArtFest
 

For more information on Edwin G. Lucas: An Individual Eye please contact Susie Gray – Susie@thecornershoppr.com 07834 073 795 or Kate Bouchier-Hayes – kate@thecornershoppr.com 07825 335489
More information on the exhibition will be released closer to the opening. Edwin G. Lucas: An Individual Eye is part of the Edinburgh International Arts Festival 2018.
Venue Details:
Address:                    City Art Centre, 2 Market Street, Edinburgh EH1 1DE
Telephone:               0131 529 3993
Website:                   www.edinburghmuseums.org.uk
Twitter:                     @EdinCulture
Facebook:                 Facebook.com/City.Art.Centre.CAC
Pinterest:                  pinterest.com/edinburghcc/city-art-centre
Opening hours:        Monday – Sunday 10am - 5pm
 
City Art Centre:
The City Art Centre is one of Edinburgh’s main public art galleries. It is owned and managed by the City of Edinburgh Council. It is home to the City’s collection of historic and contemporary Scottish art, one of the best in the country. The gallery hosts a vibrant programme of exhibitions from its collection and by contemporary local, national and international artists and makers.
 

New exhibition to celebrate the historic role played by the women of Edinburgh in the Suffrage movement

Their Work is Not Forgotten, 8 June – 14 October, Museum of Edinburgh, Free Entry

Marking the centenary year of the first women receiving the right to vote in the UK, a new exhibition is to open at The Museum of Edinburgh charting the significant role the women of Edinburgh played in the suffrage movement. Entitled Their Work is Not Forgotten, the exhibition will look back at Edinburgh’s position as a major site in the seminal suffrage protests and demonstrations of 1909, as women took to the streets to fight for their right to vote through to the modern day movement, providing a timely reflection on a decade of female enfranchisement, exploring what has been achieved and what is still to fight for 100 years on.

The exhibition will showcase Edinburgh’s rich history and contribution to the suffrage movement with a range of objects and images from the Museums & Galleries Collection going on show together for this first time. Highlights include; Bessie Watson’s scarf, images and replica banners from the Great Procession and Women's Demonstration in 1909 through Princes Street, and original sashes worn by the women of Edinburgh who participated in the demonstration. The exhibition will also feature items used in more recent protest activity in Edinburgh, exploring the development of social and political protest in Edinburgh through the years.

In the 2018 Year of Young People, the voices of young women in Edinburgh will be presented as part of the exhibition. A series of workshops will be held at The Museum of Edinburgh in the weeks preceding the exhibition in which women will be encouraged to voice their own thoughts on the role of women in social and political action today, in comparison to the actions of those women who campaigned to bring about the Representation of the People Act in 1909. Banner and flag making will also feature as part of the workshops which will take place on the 27th April , 8th  and 10th June (full details as noted below).

Their Work is Not Forgotten will open just days before Edinburgh once again hosts a major celebration as part of the suffrage movement. On Sunday 10th June, PROCESSIONS will see thousands of women and girls in Edinburgh, alongside Cardiff, London and Belfast take to the streets to commemorate the fight for suffrage and express what it means to be a woman today. PROCESSIONS forms part of the 14-18 NOW programme, in partnership with Artichoke, the UK’s largest producer of art in the public realm.

Councillor Amy McNeese-Mechan, Vice Culture and Communities Convener of the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “Documenting the bravery and struggle of Scottish women who fought long and hard to win the right to vote, this powerful exhibition features an impressive display of protest banners, sashes and photographs from our city’s museum and gallery collection.

“Designed to commemorate the centenary of this historic moment on the road to full gender equality and celebrate the achievements of our female ancestors, the display also contemplates whether their fight is really over, 100 years on.

“I hope visitors of all ages feel empowered by the display, and perhaps even inspired to create their own banners and take to the streets on 10 June to join me and many other women as we channel the suffragette spirit in PROCESSIONS Edinburgh, to prove the work of the suffragettes will not be forgotten.”

Anna MacQuarrie, History Curator with Museums & Galleries Edinburgh said: “Edinburgh’s place as a centre for political and social action is longstanding and our museum collections reflect this. We’re thrilled to be displaying important objects from the suffrage movement in Edinburgh as well as objects from recent political demonstrations held in the city. This exhibition offers an opportunity to reflect on the significant role that women have played at the heart of Edinburgh’s social and political action for over a hundred years. We hope it leaves visitors feeling informed, engaged and asking questions of their own.”

For more information on Their Work will Not Be Forgotten please contact Kate Bouchier-Hayes – kate@thecornershoppr.com 07825 335489 or Susie Gray Susie@thecornershoppr.com 07834 073 795

Workshop Details

Museum of Edinburgh

27 April: 2-4pm: Take part in recordings and flag and banner making

Join us at the Museum of Edinburgh at 142-146 Canongate on 27th April 2-4pm for the opportunity to be recorded discussing your views on protest, women’s rights and what the centenary means to you and to take part in a banner and flag making workshop (it is not essential to do both activities).

To take part please book your place by emailing Diana Morton: diana.morton@edinburgh.gov.uk or phone 0131 529 6365. If you cannot make the afternoon of the 27 April but would like to take part in a recording, do contact us to see if it would be possible to arrange another time.

This activity is free.

8 June: 2-4pm: Flag and banner making workshop

We will also offer another banner and flag making workshop for those hoping to take part in the PROCESSIONS event. This will take place on 8 June 2-4pm at the Museum of Edinburgh. You will be able to visit the exhibition as well as taking part in the activity. This session will not involve any audio recordings.

This activity is free and drop in.

10 June: 10 – 11:30am: Flag and banner making workshop

Additional banner and flag making workshop for those hoping to take part in the PROCESSIONS event will take place on the morning of the event itself, June 10 from 10-11:30am at the Museum of Edinburgh.

This activity is free and drop in.

Venue Details:

Address:                   Museum of Edinburgh, 142-146 Canongate, Edinburgh EH8 8DD

Telephone:               0131 529 4143

Website:                   www.edinburghmuseums.org.uk

Twitter:                     @EdinCulture

Facebook:                 www.facebook.com/museumofedinburgh

Instagram:     instagram.com/museumsgalleriesedinburgh

Opening hours:        Monday to Sunday 10am – 5pm  

Museums & Galleries Edinburgh

Museums & Galleries Edinburgh is a collection of 13 venues and over 200 monuments across Edinburgh. Our vision is to inspire, enthuse and provoke through a shared passion for Edinburgh, Art and History.

In 2016-17, we welcomed more than half a million people to our nine major visitor attractions: the City Art Centre; Lauriston Castle; Museum of Childhood; Museum of Edinburgh; Nelson Monument; People’s Story; Queensferry Museum; Scott Monument and Writers’ Museum.

We house rich and varied collections relating to the historical and cultural life of Scotland’s Capital. Our venues also boast an exciting and vibrant programme of events and exhibitions, offering something for everyone to enjoy.

In Focus: Scottish Photography

7 July 2018 – 12 May 2019

City Art Centre, Edinburgh

Open 7 days a week 10am to 5pm, Free Admission

Scotland has played a central role in the history of fine art photography since the mid 19th century. The pioneering work of Edinburgh duo David Octavius Hill and Robert Adamson helped to lay the foundations of this art form in the 1840s, inspiring subsequent generations to explore both its documentary potential and aesthetic possibilities.

In Focus: Scottish Photography showcases the City Art Centre’s photographic collections, charting the development of fine art photography in Scotland from the 19th century to present day. The exhibition features work by a range of historic and contemporary artists, including Hill and Adamson, Thomas Begbie, Joseph McKenzie, David Williams, Maud Sulter, Wendy McMurdo, Calum Colvin, Christine Borland and Dalziel + Scullion.

In Focus: Scottish Photography is part of a series of collection-based exhibitions which have been taking place on the Lower Ground Floor of the City Art Centre, which is owned and managed by the City of Edinburgh Council, since its redevelopment in 2014. These exhibitions showcase different aspects of the Fine Art collection exploring a variety of time periods, artistic media and subject areas.

Councillor Donald Wilson, Culture and Communities Convener, said: “In an age when everyone has a camera in their pocket and can take a photograph in seconds, this display of fine art photography reminds us of the beauty and skill of a perfect shot.

“Charting the development of fine art in Scotland, the City Art Centre delves into Edinburgh’s collection of incredible photographs for this display, which highlights remarkable advances in camera technology as much as it does changing styles, landscapes, fashions and snapshots in time. Treat yourself to a visit for free when ‘In Focus’ opens this summer.”

Curator Dr Helen Scott said, “The City Art Centre holds a rich and diverse group of photographic works as part of its wider Fine Art collection. This includes work by some of the leading names in the history of Scottish photography, as well as artists who have distinguished themselves through this medium in more recent years. The exhibition covers a wide array of subject-matter, from portraits and landscapes to still life assemblages and conceptual themes. It also explores some of the different photographic techniques that artists have used to create their images. In many ways the exhibition is a celebration of the versatility of Scottish photography, and a testament to the combined power of scientific technology and the human imagination. 

“This project has been fascinating to work on – not least because of the enduring potency of so many of the images. Cameras are everywhere these days, and you would think this might lessen the impact of photographic images, but the best ones still have the ability to stop us in our tracks. This is first time in over a decade that the highlights of the City’s photographic collection have been displayed together in one place, and it’s a great opportunity to remind ourselves of the magic of this artform.”

www.edinburghmuseums.org.uk/whats-on/focus-scottish-photography 

ASSOCIATED EVENTS

A number of free events are taking place alongside this exhibition. Booking is essential and can be done online at www.edinburghmuseums.org.uk or by calling City Art Centre reception on 0131 529 3993.

Saturday 7 July, 10.30am - 3.30pm
Stereoscopic 3D Images - Creative Workshop
To complement our In Focus: Scottish Photography exhibition, this workshop will reveal the theory and practice of the wonderful process of Stereoscopic Photography. Ideal for anyone searching a new photography technique. After an introduction to the technique, you will get the chance to go out and experiment with your camera, then come back to make your own stereoscopic photos with amazing depth.
Bring your own digital camera or even a smartphone.

Saturday 28 July, 2pm​
Behind ‘Real Edinburgh’
‘Real Edinburgh’ is one of Edinburgh’s biggest photography platforms with a large social media following. Join Grant Ritchie to hear about the inspiration behind ‘Real Edinburgh’.  Grant will also discuss his favourite images, the stories behind them and which photographers have influenced him.

Saturday 15 September, 12.30pm - 4.30pm
Exploring Bookbinding & Cyanotype
£30
To complement our In Focus: Scottish Photography exhibition, join artist Cassandra Barron to make your own hand-printed papers, and then learn how to bind them together, using a decorative stitch, to create a photo album or journal. An opportunity to explore a number of mark-making techniques, including cyanotype printing and stamping, using found materials as well as your own designs. Leave the workshop with your own unique photo album or journal full of pattern and texture, as well as the skills to make many more. 

Thursday 27 September, 2pm​
Light in the Darkness: Hill & Adamson’s Pioneering Photography
Anne Lyden, International Photography Curator at the National Galleries of Scotland will explore the pioneering partnership of David Octavius Hill and Robert Adamson, two Scottish photographers from the 1840s. Drawing inspiration from the writings, philosophies and art of the Scottish Enlightenment, these two men created a distinct approach to the new medium of photography and in doing so established Edinburgh as an important locale within the history of photography around the world. 

Thursday 27 September, 3pm​
In Focus: Scottish Photography - Curator’s Tour
Dr Helen Scott, Curator of Fine Art, provides a tour of the exhibition In Focus: Scottish Photography, charting the development of fine art photography in Scotland from the 19th century to present day.

Saturday 13 October, 10.30am - 3.30pm
Stereoscopic 3D Images - Creative Workshop
To complement our In Focus: Scottish Photography exhibition, this workshop will reveal the theory and practice of the wonderful process of Stereoscopic Photography. Ideal for anyone searching a new photography technique. After an introduction to the technique, you will get the chance to go out and experiment with your camera, then come back to make your own stereoscopic photos with amazing depth.
Bring your own digital camera or even a smartphone.

Saturday 20 October, 2pm​
Photography into Art
Photography has influenced artists for decades.  Erik Petrie is an artist who uses photography in every aspect of his paintings depicting the changing landscape and seasons. Join Erik for a talk outlining his journey as an artist and how photography influences him.

Saturday 24 November, 2pm​
Behind ‘Spectacular Scotland’
‘Spectacular Scotland’ is one of Scotland’s biggest photography platforms with a large social media following. Join Neil McDade to discuss the success of ‘Spectacular Scotland’.  Neil will also discuss his favourite images, the stories behind them and which photographers have inspired him.

Gallery Tours

Join one of the excellent guides on a spotlight tour of the exhibition. There is no need to book for groups fewer than 10 people.  Please meet at reception. A portable loop system is available to amplify the guide. The fm loop system is compatible with hearing aids with a T switch and can be used with headphones.

Fridays at 3pm​ and Saturdays at 3pm​

Photography Tours with Jessops​
Booking essential. To book, please contact the City Art Centre reception on 0131 529 3993 or visit www.edinburghmuseums.org.uk

To complement our In Focus: Scottish Photography exhibition, we are thrilled to be collaborating with Jessops who are offering 3 special photography tuition photo-walks.  Bring your camera and receive expert tuition looking at some of the City Centre landmarks. 

Saturday 8 September - Family Day for over 12yr olds and parents.
10am - 4pm - stopping for a lunch break - bring a packed lunch.
£6 per person. The walk will start and finish at Jessops store, 8 Castle St, Edinburgh EH2 3AT.  Meet at 10am.

Saturday 15 September - Adult Day
10am - 4pm - stopping for a lunch break - bring a packed lunch.
£10 per person. The walk will start and finish at Jessops store, 8 Castle St, Edinburgh EH2 3AT. Meet at 10am. Booking essential.

Saturday 6 October - Adult Day
10am - 4pm - stopping for a lunch break - bring a packed lunch.
£10 per person. The walk will start and finish at Jessops store, 8 Castle St, Edinburgh EH2 3AT. Meet at 10am.

For more information on In Focus: Scottish Photography please contact Susie Gray – Susie@thecornershoppr.com 07834 073 795 or Kate Bouchier-Hayes – kate@thecornershoppr.com 07825 335489

More information on the exhibition and details of further events will be released closer to the opening. In Focus: Scottish Photography is part of the Edinburgh International Arts Festival 2018.

Venue Details:

Address:                    City Art Centre, 2 Market Street, Edinburgh EH1 1DE

Telephone:               0131 529 3993

Website:                   www.edinburghmuseums.org.uk

Twitter:                     @EdinCulture

Facebook:                 Facebook.com/City.Art.Centre.CAC

Pinterest:                  pinterest.com/edinburghcc/city-art-centre

Opening hours:        Monday – Sunday 10am - 5pm

City Art Centre:

The City Art Centre is one of Edinburgh’s main public art galleries. It is owned and managed by the City of Edinburgh Council. It is home to the City’s collection of historic and contemporary Scottish art, one of the best in the country. The gallery hosts a vibrant programme of exhibitions from its collection and by contemporary local, national and international artists and makers.

The official opening date of Edinburgh's upgraded Museum of Childhood has been revealed as Saturday 3 March 2018. 

The date has been confirmed as curators unpack 60 rarely-seen objects relating to childhood life, learning and play following a five-month refurbishment of the ground floor. Newly displayed items at the Royal Mile-based venue will include retro favourites like this Buzz Lightyear action figure from 2000 and Fisher-Price Chatter Telephone dating to 1979.

Councillor Donald Wilson, Culture and Communities Convener, said: “With over 225,000 visitors every year, the Museum is one of Edinburgh’s flagship venues. Its impressive collection of more than 60,000 objects reflecting childhoods from the 18th century to the present day has been recognised as of National Importance by the Scottish Government, which has generously funded much of the refit through Museums Galleries Scotland grants.

“The refurbishment will allow us to tell the story of childhood in new ways, and engage young people in Edinburgh in the history of these objects and how they relate to Scotland’s shared social history. We look forward welcoming visitors to the re-opening in March.”

Gillian Findlay, Curatorial and Engagement Manager for Museums & Galleries Edinburgh, added: “Staff, volunteers, students and supporters have dedicated time, resources and funding to transform this space into a gallery which is fun and fit for families to enjoy in 2018. We are so grateful to them all and thrilled that the works have gone to schedule - but we won’t be resting on our laurels! We will be actively collecting feedback from visitors about the new space, and this information will help us shape our plans. 

“This is the start of change at the Museum on Childhood - not the end - but a very important milestone in our journey to present this hugely important collection to more visitors, in a range of exciting and enjoyable ways.”

Opened in 1955 as the world’s first museum dedicated to the history of childhood, the star attraction relocated to its current position on the Royal Mile to accommodate the growing collection, and in 1986 the Museum expanded again into adjacent buildings.

In what is the first major change since then, the refurbishment will see new cases, floors and lights installed and objects displayed as the ground floor is opened into an interactive space, with dedicated zones focusing on memories of life at home, in school and at play.  An area for film and a digital photo album will also be launched, focusing on how children have grown up in Edinburgh over the decades.

ENDS

Media Contact: Katy Allison | 0131 529 4452 | katy.allison@edinburgh.gov.uk

A plaster cast of Rabbie’s skull, a lock of hair belonging to The Bard’s wife and Burns’ draft of ‘Scots wha hae’ (Bruce’s address to his troops at Bannockburn) are just a few of the fascinating personal items linked to Scotland’s national poet to be uncovered across Edinburgh’s much loved museums and monuments. 

With Burns Night 2018 fast approaching, Museums & Galleries Edinburgh offers up a captivating and cost effective way to celebrate the birthday of Scotland’s much loved poet and lyricist with an exploration of stories, highlights and monuments linked to Robert Burns across the city. 

The Writers’ Museum holds an outstanding collection of personal objects, published works and manuscripts including; Burns’ writing desk, an umbrella owned by Burns, a lock of hair of Jean Armour, Burn’s wife, the certificate accepting him in to the Royal Company of Archers, 1792, a ceremonial unit acting as the sovereign’s bodyguard in Scotland who competed in an annual archery competition and somewhat more unusually, a plaster cast of Burns’ skull, one of only three ever made. 

To mark the Bards’ birthday on Thursday 25th January, The Writers’ Museum will host an informal tribute to Robert Burns with an afternoon of fiddle music and poetry. The event will take place from 2pm – 3.30pm with no need to book in advance. 

The Museum of Edinburgh houses a copy of The New Town Plan which offers a timely insight into the Edinburgh Burns knew - as the New Town was being built during his time in the city. The museum is also home to a flat oatcake which was believed to have been made by Jean Armour, Burns’ wife.

The collection also features the stunning Burns Monument, which will be opened up to visitors from 10am to 5pm on Saturday 27th and 12noon to 5pm on Sunday 28th to mark celebrations this month as part of the Burns Unbroke Festival. Overlooking the city on Regent road, the 70-foot high Grecian-style temple was designed by Sir Thomas Hamilton and funded by public subscriptions. The Monument is surrounded by landscaped gardens with laurels, hollies and Ayrshire roses. 

Out with the city centre, a bronze statue of Burns by D. W. Stevenson sits on Constitution Street in Leith and was erected by the Leith Burns Club and gifted to The Lord Provost of Leith in 1898. 
During his time in Edinburgh, the ‘ploughman poet’ made a significant and lasting impression, one that can still be felt and celebrated today across the Museums & Galleries Edinburgh collections, which are free to enter. 

Councillor Donald Wilson, Culture and Communities Convener for the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “The impact of Robert Burns on Edinburgh and Scotland cannot be underestimated. The streets he walked in the city and the people he met were of course a great inspiration in his work, and from our statue of Burns in Leith to the Monument dedicated to his memory at Regent Road, his influence is still felt all over the city. 

“We are very fortunate to have a brilliant and unique collection of monuments in Edinburgh and mementoes relating the life and times of the Bard in our Museums & Galleries Collection. In ode to Scotland’s Bard, why not head to the Museum of Edinburgh or Writers’ Museum or, take the rare opportunity to step inside the Burns Monument when it is open to the public on the 27th and 28th January?”

Gillian Findlay, Curatorial and Engagement Manager with Museums & Galleries Edinburgh said: “Burns’ legacy is phenomenal. Not only is he considered a creative genius, Scotland’s national poet and our ‘favourite Scot ever’ according to a recent poll by STV - but around the world his works are justly celebrated for their romanticism, liberalism and the compassion and humour they express about the human condition.

It’s astonishing to think Robert Burns was still only in his twenties when he produced 'Poems Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect' – the collection of works that would take Edinburgh, and then the world - by storm.  Almost 250 years later, 2018 is Scottish Government’s Year of Young People and a more inspirational example of youthful creativity and verve than Burns is hard to imagine. All of us at Museums and Galleries Edinburgh are very much looking forward to welcoming a new generation of poetry-lovers to the Writers’ Museum to explore the best of their cultural heritage.”
For full information on Museums & Galleries Edinburgh please visit: www.edinburghmuseums.org.uk  

ENDS

Media Contacts:
For further information or images please contact 
Kate Bouchier-Hayes, The Corner Shop PR, kate@thecornershoppr.com or 07825 335489 
Katy Allison, Communications Officer on 0131 529 4452/ 07885 976 519 or katy.allison@edinburgh.gov.uk 

Notes to Editors 
Museums & Galleries Edinburgh is a collection of 14 venues and over 200 monuments across Edinburgh. Our vision is to inspire, enthuse and provoke through a shared passion for Edinburgh, Art and History.

In 2016-17, we welcomed more than half a million people to our nine major visitor attractions: the City Art Centre; Lauriston Castle; Museum of Childhood; Museum of Edinburgh; Nelson Monument; People’s Story; Queensferry Museum; Scott Monument and Writers’ Museum.

We house rich and varied collections relating to the historical and cultural life of Scotland’s Capital. Our venues also boast an exciting and vibrant programme of events and exhibitions, offering something for everyone to enjoy.

Opens at the City Art Centre
11 November to 25 February | Free Entry

Images available here
 
Rarely seen drawings from the architect responsible for shaping Edinburgh’s celebrated cityscape will go on display in a new exhibition at the City Art Centre. 

Around 50 drawings from William Henry Playfair’s practice, including plans for some of Edinburgh’s most famous landmarks complemented by images made by 19th Century painters showing some of his most well-regarded buildings have been gathered from the University of Edinburgh’s Department of Architectural History and its Centre for Research Collections, Historic Environment Scotland and the City of Edinburgh Council’s permanent collection to create this exhibition.
 
Playfair (1790 – 1857) is considered one of Scotland’s most prolific Georgian architects. His contribution to the architecture of early 19th century Edinburgh is found in many of the city’s most famous buildings, including Old College and New College, Donaldson’s School, George Heriots, the Scott Monument, Surgeon’s Hall, the Assembly Hall on the Mound and the City’s Observatory on Calton Hill.

Through his career Playfair addressed some of the key ideas around aesthetics, classics, society and politics, and their relationship with architecture and the urban realm. 
 
His move from neo-Classical to neo-Gothic buildings demonstrates how Playfair and his architectural practice were engaged in shaping Edinburgh as a developing, working city as it entered the rapidly industrialised Victorian age, signifying his vision and ambition for Edinburgh as a place of significance within the British Isles.
 
The show is curated by Dr Kirsten Carter McKee and John Lowrey from the University of Edinburgh’s Department of Architectural History. It runs from 11 November 2017 to 25 February 2018 and entrance is free. 

Councillor Donald Wilson, Culture and Communities Convener, said: “Almost anywhere you turn in Edinburgh, look up and you are likely to see Playfair’s magnificent monuments, domes, spires and structures scattering the skyline. “Drawing on his designs and the artwork in the Council and University archives, this free exhibition maps Playfair’s built and unbuilt ideas and the impact he had on Edinburgh. 

'It is thanks to his vision that Edinburgh earned its ‘Athens of the North’ title, with his breath-taking City Observatory one of his earliest projects. See the architectural drawings at the City Art Centre, as we work with the Collective to return the building to Playfair’s original design.'

The exhibition coincides with the ongoing restoration of one of Playfair’s most iconic designs, the City Observatory on Calton Hill. This exciting project, undertaken by Collective Gallery in partnership with the City of Edinburgh Council, will see the building restored to Playfair’s original design, the creation of a new contemporary gallery space, and a restaurant overlooking the city.

Dr Kirsten Carter McKee, Curator of Playfair and the City and Research and Teaching Fellow in Architectural History at University of Edinburgh said: 'It is through Playfair’s understanding of the broader context of the city landscape that the true mastery of his skill becomes apparent. Playfair and the City explores this through the layout of Edinburgh’s Third New Town to the north of the city, which includes the urban parkland of Calton Hill. This vision and ambition in both Playfair’s architecture and his exploitation of the city landscape aimed to place Edinburgh as a city of style and significance within the British Isles.  Playfair’s role as an architect of significance in the 19th century therefore extends outside of Edinburgh, and places him within the realm of the British architectural greats of the late Georgian period.' 

David Patterson, Curatorial and Conservation Manager with Museums and Galleries Edinburgh commented: 'this is a unique opportunity to see the work of one of Scotland’s most influential architects. Without doubt William Playfair left his mark on the appearance of Edinburgh in a way which no other single architect had done previously or has done since.'

ENDS
  
Listings info:
Playfair and the City
11 November 2017 to 25 February 2018
City Art Centre | Free Entry
Playfair and the City is a collaborative exhibition between the City Art Centre, the Centre for Research Collections at the University of Edinburgh, and Historic Environment Scotland.
 
NOTES TO EDITORS

Showing alongside Playfair and the City are three exhibitions: Songs for Winter: Pauline Burbidge & Charles Poulsen (4 November to 4 March), A Fine Line (18 November to 18 February 2018) and Hidden Gems (until 13 May 2018). 
 
Press Image Credits: 
View of the Mound, 1854, oil on canvas, by William G Herdman
City Art Centre; Museums and Galleries Edinburgh
 
Exhibition Dates:
11 November 2017 to 25 February 2018
 
Admission:
Admission free
 
Learning and Programmes:
As ever, the City Art Centre is offering guided tours of its exhibitions on Fridays and Saturdays at 3pm. Accompanying the show is also an exciting events programme. For further information, please contact Margaret Findlay, Public Programmes Manager on 0131 529 3963 or by email margaret.findlay@edinburgh.gov.uk

 
Playfair and the City Events Programme:

 
Lecture:
Tenements and Multi-Storey Living in Edinburgh since 1767
City Art Centre, Saturday 11 November, 2pm. FREE

This lecture by Professor Richard Rodger, Professor of Economic and Social history at the University of Edinburgh, explores the reasons why Edinburgh residents, and Scots in general, lived in high rise buildings. 

Symposium:
A full day symposium exploring William Henry Playfair’s legacy is being planned for January 2018. Please contact the City Art Centre for details.

Venue Details:
City Art Centre, 2 Market Street, Edinburgh EH1 1DE | +44 (0) 131 529 3993
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Opening hours: Wednesday - Saturday 10am - 5pm | Sunday 12noon - 5pm
 
City Art Centre
The City Art Centre is one of Edinburgh’s main public art galleries. It is owned and managed by the City of Edinburgh Council. It is home to the City’s collection of historic and contemporary Scottish art, one of the best in the country. The gallery hosts a vibrant programme of exhibitions from its collection and by contemporary local, national and international artists and makers.
 
Media Contacts
For further information, images or interview requests please contact:
Susie Gray or Kate Bouchier-Hayes at The Corner Shop PR
Susie@thecornershoppr.com +44 (0) 7834 073 795
Kate@thecornershoppr.com +44 (0) 131 202 6220
Katy Allison, Media Team, City of Edinburgh Council +44 (0) 131 529 4452 | katy.allison@edinburgh.gov.uk
 
If you are an art critic and wish to review the exhibition, please contact: 
David Patterson, Curator: Exhibitions, City Art Centre
+44 (0) 131 557 4165 I 0131 529 3955 
david.patterson@edinburgh.gov.uk 

For further details on the Calton Hill renovation, please contact:

Eric Hildrew
Head of Marketing and Communications
—
Collective, City Observatory and City Dome, 38 Calton Hill, EH7 5AA
+44 (0) 131 556 1264 | erichildrew@collectivegallery.net | www.collectivegallery.net

A Fine Line opens at Edinburgh’s City Art Centre on 18 November 2017  

IMAGES AVAILABLE HERE

This autumn, the City Art Centre explores the fine line between art and craft with a special showcase from four contemporary Scottish artists.

A Fine Line, opening on 18 November, is a free group exhibition by artists Lizzie Farey, Angie Lewin, Frances Priest and Bronwen Sleigh. Spanning two and three dimensions and a diverse range of disciplines, the exhibition features a series of beautiful prints and drawings, sculpture, collage, and ceramics.
 
Frances Priest explores and interprets languages of ornamentation from different cultures, places and periods in history. She creates intricate and colourful ceramic objects that celebrate this fascination for decoration and pattern, using clay as a canvas on which to build richly drawn and layered surfaces.
 
Bronwen Sleigh is a multi-disciplinary artist who takes inspiration from industrial architecture, unused and forgotten urban spaces, and environments at the edge of the city. Her work provokes a dialogue with these spaces, which she transforms through the processes of her practice.
 
By contrast, the works by Lizzie Farey and Angie Lewin share an affinity with nature and natural forms. Using home-grown Scottish willow, birch, heather, bog myrtle and many other native woods, Farey’s work ranges from traditional to abstract sculptural forms. Her work is largely influenced by the nature and landscape of Galloway.
 
Similarly, Angie Lewin has been inspired by both the clifftops and saltmarshes of the North Norfolk Coast and the Scottish Highlands. She depicts these contrasting environments and their native floras in still life compositions made with wood engraving, linocut and collage.
 
Councillor Donald Wilson, Edinburgh’s Convener of Culture and Communities said: “The City Art Centre’s vision is to champion and provide a platform for historic and contemporary Scottish art. The result is a mesmerising display of Scottish contemporary art and craft at its finest.”

City Art Centre Curator, Maeve Toal, added: "Working with very different media but united by detailed observation and strong draughtsmanship, this group of artists experiment with linear mark-making and drawing in its widest sense. Each artist produces works inspired by places and spaces in either the natural or man-made environment and their relationships to concepts of memory and time." 
 
The exhibition A Fine Line has been curated in collaboration with the artists Lizzie Farey and Angie Lewin and is a partnership project with Inverness Museum & Art Gallery and Dumfries Gracefield Arts Centre. After closing at the City Art Centre in 2018 the exhibition will tour to its partner venues.

A Fine Line
Lizzie Farey | Angie Lewin | Frances Priest | Bronwen Sleigh 
18 November 2017 to 18 February 2018
City Art Centre, Edinburgh
Free Admission 

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS

Showing alongside A Fine Line are three exhibitions: Playfair and the City (until 25 February 2018), Songs for Winter: Pauline Burbidge & Charles Poulsen (until 4 March 2018) and Hidden Gems (until 13 May 2018). 

Press Image Credits:
Lizzie Farey, Folium, willow, 2017. © the artist. Photography Warren Sanders
Angie Lewin, Clifftop Grasses, collage on driftwood, 2017. © the artist
Frances Priest, Grammar of Ornament | India (detail), collection of 16 ceramic forms, 2014. © the artist. Photography Shannon Tofts
Bronwen Sleigh, Kiyembe Lane, hand coloured etching, 2017. © the artist
 
Admission:
Admission free
 
Artists:
Lizzie Farey - www.lizziefarey.co.uk
Angie Lewin - www.angielewin.co.uk
Frances Priest - www.francespriest.co.uk
Bronwen Sleigh - www.bronwensleigh.co.uk
 
Some of the works on display in the exhibition will be available for sale. The City Art Centre shop will also stock a range of products from some of the artists, which would make a special Christmas gift.
 
Learning and Programmes:
As ever, the City Art Centre is offering guided tours of its exhibitions on Fridays and Saturdays at 3pm. Accompanying the show is also an exciting events programme. For further information, please contact Margaret Findlay, Public Programmes Manager on +44 (0) 131 529 3963 or by email margaret.findlay@edinburgh.gov.uk
  
Exhibition Tour:
Inverness Museum and Art Gallery. 3 March to 12 May 2018
Gracefield Arts Centre, Dumfries. 19 May to 7 July 2018
 
Media Contact:
For further information, images or interview requests please contact 
Susie Gray, The Corner Shop PR, Susie@thecornershoppr.com or +44 (0) 7834 073 795
Katy Allison, Communications Officer on +44 (0) 131 529 4452/ +44 (0) 7885 976 519 or katy.allison@edinburgh.gov.uk or Maeve Toal, Curator: Exhibitions, City Art Centre on +44 (0) 131 529 3958 or maeve.toal@edinburgh.gov.uk 

Songs for Winter by Pauline Burbidge & Charles Poulsen 
Opens on 4 November at Edinburgh’s City Art Centre

Images available here

This autumn, on 4 November an exhibition exploring the work of Pauline Burbidge and Charles Poulsen will open at Edinburgh’s City Art Centre.

Drawing is at the heart of both Pauline and Charlie’s practice. Charlie makes large scale drawings on paper and sculpture which he describes as 3D drawings. Pauline thinks of her stitching as drawn lines and also draws directly onto the fabric. Both artists connect strongly with an abstract vision.

Charlie’s work is more about energy than any particular subject matter, the invisible forces and energies within the earth which are bound into the square of the drawing where the marks are interwoven in a lattice of lines. He uses a combination of pencil, wax and gouache, in works on paper, lead, wood, wax and growing / training trees, in his sculpture.

When aged 25, Pauline was moved when viewing an exhibition of antique quilts to consider mixing it with her art school practice of drawing, colour, line, and abstraction. Add in a love of the rural landscape, the natural world and the spirituality of a special place and it creates a sense of her current work, now over two decades later. 

She has exhibited worldwide, and her work has been purchased by the major museums of the UK and major USA collections.

Pauline’s textile work reflects the growth and seasonal changes within the natural world and rural landscape. She uses fine cottons & silks, and has developed the use of mono print and cyanotype print in her recent pieces. Her long career has connected with the tradition of quiltmaking, yet her images are far from traditional. She has always pursued her own unique and individual path.

They have commissioned David Martin to make a short film for this exhibition and Mike Worboys to create a sound collage.

24 years ago Charles and Pauline settled in the Borders, turning a set of farm buildings an hour south east of Edinburgh, Allanbank Mill Steading into their home and studios. It is an inspiring house, garden and working environment which they open up each year for a four-day event, Charlie & Pauline’s OPEN STUDIO.

Songs for Winter shows the diversity and unity of their work which comes together here in this exhibition and every year in their OPEN STUDIO.

Operated by the City of Edinburgh Council, the City Art Centre is home to the Capital’s nationally recognised collection of historic and contemporary Scottish art.

Councillor Donald Wilson, Edinburgh’s Convener of Culture and Communities, said: 'This free exhibition showcases a large selection of sculpture, drawings, sketchbooks, textiles and quilts reflecting the hugely talented creative force that is Pauline Burbidge and Charles Poulsen. We are delighted to welcome the husband and wife’s Scottish Borders practice to Edinburgh’s City Art Centre for this specially curated display, which will appeal to anyone with a love of beautifully made contemporary Scottish art and textiles. Our gallery is a space to celebrate and admire local and international art over the generations. Songs for Winter is a stunning, fresh addition to what is a packed winter programme at the Council’s Museums and Galleries.'

City Art Centre Curator, David Patterson, added: 'We are really delighted to be showing the work of this exceptional partnership. When Charlie and Pauline first approached us some years ago, we were all taken by the quality of their work and the special environment in which it is created. Their annual Open Studio has become a much-loved event in the Scottish Borders artistic calendar, where they showcase their special home and studio alongside invited artists. Hopefully we’ve brought some of that uniqueness into the gallery.'

The exhibition Songs for Winter has been curated in collaboration with the artists Pauline Burbidge and Charles Poulsen. 

Songs for Winter
Pauline Burbidge | Charlie Poulsen
4 November 2017 to 4 March 2018
City Art Centre, Edinburgh
Free Admission 
                                    -----------------------------------------------------------------
Books and cards will be available to purchase, during the exhibition.
Special publications for this exhibition are:
• Songs for Winter / booklet - £5
• OPEN STUDIO / book including Songs for Winter - £20
• DRAWINGS by Charles Poulsen, Hughson Gallery, 2017 - £12

Artists:
www.paulineburbidge-quilts.com
www.charlespoulsendrawing.co.uk
www.allanbankmillsteading.co.uk

Pauline Burbidge CV 2017 
• 1972 completed Degree at St.Martin’s School of Art, London – Fashion/Textiles
• 1993/4 Charlie & Pauline were married; moved to the Scottish Borders; held first Open Studio event in Allanbank Mill Steading
• Received awards from: The Crafts Council, 1978; John Ruskin Award, 1982; Scottish Arts Council, 1996
• 2006 – 14 Exhibited annually at The Festival of Quilts, at the National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham, including PB RETRO: Interpretations in Cloth, a major retrospective show in 2012 
• 1979 – 2017, exhibited in many international venues including, The Victoria & Albert Museum; The Shipley Art Gallery; The Knitting & Stitching Shows, with Quiltworks; The Whitworth Art Gallery; The Bowes Museum; The Ruskin Craft Centre; The International Quilt Study Centre, USA; The Works Gallery, USA

Charles Poulsen CV 2017 
• 1983- 86: BA in fine Art at Loughborough College of Art followed by an MA in fine Art at Trent Polytechnic
• 1993/4 Charlie & Pauline were married; moved to the Scottish Borders; held first Open Studio event in Allanbank Mill Steading
• 1997/98 Residencies at Grizedale Forest Cumbria, Killhope Mining Centre Co. Durham and Katzow Sculpture Park, Germany + follow up exhibition Pb in the Grizedale Gallery
• 2010/12 Growing, touring show of drawing and sculpture plus exhibition legacy “Growing Sculpture” - Host (daffodils) at Gracefield Dumfries and Black is White (snowdrops) in Hawick. Still to be seen there. Also started growing sculpture in Spottiswoode, Berwickshire and one in Puglia, Italy
• 2016/17 Gridulations Exhibition of drawing at the Hughson Gallery, Glasgow and the publication of Charles Poulsen Drawing, (available in the shop).
 
NOTES TO EDITORS
Showing alongside Songs for Winter: Pauline Burbidge & Charles Poulsen are three exhibitions: Playfair and the City (11 November to 25 February 2018), A Fine Line (18 November to 18 February 2018) and Hidden Gems (until 13 May 2018)

See more of Charlie and Pauline’s work in a concurrent exhibition, Growth and Art, at The Royal Botanic Gardens, in the RBGE Library Foyer, The Science Building

Learning and Programmes:
As ever, the City Art Centre is offering guided tours of its exhibitions on Fridays and Saturdays at 3pm. Accompanying the show is also an exciting events programme. For further information, please contact Margaret Findlay, Public Programmes Manager on 0131 529 3963 or by email margaret.findlay@edinburgh.gov.uk

Songs for Winter Events Programme
Gallery Tours
Saturday 25 November | 11am and 2pm
Join artists Pauline Burbidge and Charlie Poulsen for a unique tour of their exhibition. They will discuss each other’s work as well as the development of Allanbank Mill Steading, their Borders home which inspires so much of their artistic practice
FREE    BOOKING ESSENTIAL   +44 (0) 131 529 3993

Print Your Own Cyanotype Fabric
Saturday 20 January, 2018 (a second day, Saturday 27th, will run if this event is fully subscribed)
Book your half hour session with artist Pauline Burbidge, and print your own Cyanotype fabric sample. Two people will be booked in for each half hour session. Sessions will run from 10am to 12 noon, and from 1.30pm to 3.30pm
Choose to print from Pauline’s selection of dried plant forms, feathers, etc, or bring in your own items to print. They need to be dry and flat, and fit within the finished print size of 30 x 15 cm
For all ages over 5. Younger children must be accompanied by an adult.
Further details from the City Art Centre shop on the ground floor
£10 per person   BOOKING ESSENTIAL  +44 (0) 131 529 3993

Venue Details

City Art Centre, 2 Market Street, Edinburgh EH1 1DE | +44 (0) 131 529 3993
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Opening hours: Wednesday - Saturday 10am - 5pm | Sunday 12noon - 5pm

The City Art Centre is one of Edinburgh’s main public art galleries. It is owned and managed by the City of Edinburgh Council. It is home to the City’s collection of historic and contemporary Scottish art, one of the best in the country. The gallery hosts a vibrant programme of exhibitions from its collection and by contemporary local, national and international artists and makers.

Media Contacts
For further information, images or interview requests please contact: 
Susie Gray or Kate Bouchier-Hayes at The Corner Shop PR
Susie@thecornershoppr.com +44 (0) 7834 073 795
Kate@thecornershoppr.com +44 (0) 131 202 6220
Katy Allison, Media Team, City of Edinburgh Council +44 (0) 131 529 4452 | katy.allison@edinburgh.gov.uk

If you are an art critic and wish to review the exhibition, please contact:
David Patterson, Curator: Exhibitions, City Art Centre
+44 (0) 131 557 4165 I +44 (0) 131 529 3955 
david.patterson@edinburgh.gov.uk 
 

Drawing is an important part of Peter Randall-Page's practice as an artist. He always carries a sketch book to note ideas and often makes observational drawings as a way of analysing and studying form.

Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday: 10am - 5pm; Sunday: 12pm - 5pm

Who is this for? - All
Dates: 3 December 2016 - 12 February 2017
Cost: Free

 
He uses drawings in many different ways, from technical drawings when working with architects and engineers to drawings which are artworks in their own right.
 
Works on Paper presents a series of drawings based on branching patterns and mirror image symmetry. Using gravity Randall-Page allows the ink to flow over the paper like tributaries or a river delta. He then inverts the paper, effectively reversing gravity so the ink flows upwards like the branching patterns of trees.
 
These ink drawings explore Randall-Page's interest in order and chaos in natural phenomena. The underlying structures that govern the works are derived from simple mathematical rules of subdivision and exponential growth patterns. Although he guides the rivers of ink there is a strong element of chance inherent in this way of working.
 
Exhibition in partnership with Peter Randall-Page’s Studio.

Read The Edinburgh Reporter's review of both of our winter exhibitions.

Spotlight tours

Join one of our excellent guides on a spotlight tour of our exhibitions. There is no need to book the tours for groups under 10 people. Please meet your guide at reception.
A portable loop system is available to amplify the speaker. The fm loop system is compatible with hearing aids with a T-switch and can be used with headphones.

Fridays, 11am and 3pm
Saturdays, 11am and 3pm

Suggested donation of £2.

A Sketch of the Universe: Art, Science and the Influence of D’Arcy Thompson

D’Arcy Wentworth Thompson (1860-1948) was a pioneering Edinburgh-born biologist whose theories about the growth of organisms had a profound impact on 20th century art.

Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday: 10am - 5pm; Sunday: 12pm - 5pm

Who is this for? - All
Dates: 19 November 2016 - 19 February 2017
Cost: Free

His ground-breaking book On Growth and Form was first published in 1917, but its influence stretched far beyond Thompson’s own lifetime. It laid the foundations for the future study of mathematical biology and provided the inspiration for generations of artists to explore its ideas. Thompson’s legacy unites these seemingly opposite fields. As the art critic Herbert Read told him, “you have built the bridge between science and art”.

In 2011 the University of Dundee Museum Services received a grant from the Art Fund RENEW scheme to develop a collection of artworks inspired by D’Arcy Thompson. This exhibition showcases the highlights of the collection, with works by modern and contemporary artists including Henry Moore, Victor Pasmore, Wilhelmina Barns-Graham, Will Maclean, Susan Derges and Daniel Brown.
 

Four star review from The List

Four star review from The Scotsman
 

Spotlight tours

Join one of our excellent guides on a spotlight tour of our exhibitions. There is no need to book the tours for groups under 10 people. Please meet your guide at reception.
A portable loop system is available to amplify the speaker. The fm loop system is compatible with hearing aids with a T-switch and can be used with headphones.Fridays, 11am and 3pm
Saturdays, 11am and 3pm

Suggested donation of £2.

Paper Trail: Drawings, Watercolours, Prints

Exhibition

A blank piece of paper is one of the most basic materials available to a visual artist; yet it is also among the most versatile...

Wednesday to Saturday 10am - 5pm; Sunday 12pm - 5pmWho is this for? - All
Dates: 2 July 2016 - 21 May 2017
Cost: Free
The range of work that can be produced using paper is potentially limitless. Rough sketches, finely detailed drawings, atmospheric pastel studies, delicate watercolours, and a variety of printmaking techniques including etching, lithography and woodcut, all take their starting point with a fresh sheet of paper.

Paper Trail: Drawings, Watercolours, Prints explores some of the many ways that artists create works on paper. The exhibition is drawn entirely from the City Art Centre’s permanent collection of historic and contemporary Scottish art, and spans the period from the late 18th century to present day. A variety of creative processes are showcased, from the use of sketchbooks to etching plates, and artists’ individual working practices are examined in depth.

The exhibition includes a selection of work by celebrated figures like Anne Redpath, Joan Eardley, Eduardo Paolozzi and Paul Sandby. It also introduces some lesser-known artists such as James Watterston Herald, Katherine Cameron and Mabel Royds, whose careers and methods are not so familiar. In addition, Paper Trail presents a number of recent acquisitions to the City Art Centre’s collection, some of which are on public display for the first time. These include works by Victoria Crowe, Ian Hamilton Finlay and the early 19th century artist Robert Batty.

Behind the scenes at Paper Trail

Scotsman review of Paper Trail

Spotlight tours

Join one of our excellent guides on a spotlight tour of our exhibitions. There is no need to book the tours for groups under 10 people. Please meet your guide at reception.
A portable loop system is available to amplify the speaker. The fm loop system is compatible with hearing aids with a T-switch and can be used with headphones.

Fridays, 11am and 3pm
Saturdays, 11am and 3pm

Suggested donation of £2.

William Gillies & John Maxwell

William Gillies and John Maxwell were among the most significant and distinctive Scottish artists of the 20th century.

Monday to Saturday 10am - 5pm; Sunday 12pm - 5pm

Who is this for? - All
Dates: 30 July 2016 - 23 October 2016
Cost: Free

Gillies is best known for his tonal landscapes, spontaneous watercolours and carefully constructed still lifes, while Maxwell is remembered for his expressive, dream-like depictions of creatures, flowers and timeless nudes. The two artists pursued differing approaches in their work, and had contrasting personalities, but remained life-long friends.

Gillies and Maxwell met at Edinburgh College of Art in the early 1920s. After completing their studies both received travelling scholarships, which enabled them to live and work in Paris and encounter avant-garde movements like Post-Impressionism and Cubism. As they matured they developed in different creative directions. Yet their lives continued to interweave as they travelled, exhibited and socialised together. Both joined the staff at Edinburgh College of Art, and while Gillies’ teaching career was longer than Maxwell’s, each of them proved to be a considerable influence on the next generation of Scottish painters.

William Gillies & John Maxwell traces the careers of these two artists, exploring the parallel development of their work and their enduring friendship. It showcases some of their finest drawings and paintings, including the Fletcher Collection, a group of 43 artworks that has been on long-term loan to the City Art Centre since 1995. This is the first time in over twenty years that the Collection has been displayed together in its entirety. 
 

 The 50 best shows to see at the 2016 Edinburgh Festival

Hidden Gems opens at Edinburgh’s City Art Centre on 7 October 2017

EDINBURGH’S CITY ART CENTRE REVEALS ITS HIDDEN GEMS 

Showcasing 50 artworks from the City Art Centre’s collection that have rarely – and in some cases never - been seen before by the public, an exhibition opening at the City Art Centre this weekend (Saturday 7 October) will shine a spotlight on Edinburgh’s lesser-known treasures.
Free to visit, Hidden Gems will include artworks by famous names such as Lucien Pissarro, Man Ray, Joshua Reynolds and F.C.B Cadell, as well as lesser-known figures such as Bessie MacNicol, John Sheriff and Cecile Walton. The display will also bring several new acquisitions to public view for the first time, including significant works by Scottish artists Morris Grassie, Anthony Hatwell and Nicol Laidlaw.
Spanning over 200 years from the 18th century to the present day, this rich and eclectic selection of historic and modern art covers a range of media, from oil paintings and sculptures, to tapestries and artists’ books.
Councillor Donald Wilson, Edinburgh’s Culture and Communities Convener, said: “The City Art Centre’s fine art collection is recognised as being of national importance and features over 4,800 items. While famous old favourites are exhibited often, this exhibition is an opportunity to showcase some of the collection's hidden gems. It features many beautiful artworks of different eras, genres and styles. We are really looking forward to sharing them for the first time."
City Art Centre Curator of Fine Art, Dr Helen Scott, added: “Some of these pieces are stand-alone artworks that do not fit easily into thematic or chronological displays. Others represent unfamiliar periods in artists’ careers, or are by artists who were successful in their day but are now virtually forgotten. 
“Celebrating the unsung and the unusual, this exhibition has been a joy to curate. It should be a rich and varied display featuring some artworks which have, simply, never had a chance to shine.”

Hidden Gems
7 October 2017 to 13 May 2018
City Art Centre, Edinburgh
Free Admission

Exhibition Dates:
Hidden Gems runs from 7 October 2017 to 13 May 2018
Admission:
Admission free
Learning and Public Programmes:
A varied programme of creative workshops, talks and tours accompanies this exhibition. The City Art Centre is also offering regular spotlight tours with its excellent in-house guides. For further information please contact Margaret Findlay, Learning and Programmes Manager on 0131 529 3963 or by email margaret.findlay@edinburgh.gov.uk   
Venue Details:
Address:                     City Art Centre, 2 Market Street, Edinburgh EH1 1DE
Telephone:                0131 529 3993
Website:                    www.edinburghmuseums.org.uk
Twitter:                      @EdinCulture
Opening hours:        Wednesday - Saturday 10am - 5pm; Sunday 12noon - 5pm
City Art Centre Collection
• The City Art Centre is owned and managed by the City of Edinburgh Council
• The City Art Centre’s fine art collection includes works by leading Scottish artists from the 17th century to present day 
• The venue has one of the best collections of Scottish art in the country, consisting of over 4,800 works including paintings, watercolours, drawings, prints, photographs, sculpture and installation art
• The City of Edinburgh Council also manages the following venues: Writers’ Museum, Museum of Childhood, Museum of Edinburgh, People’s Story, Scott Monument, Nelson Monument, Lauriston Castle and Queensferry Museum.
For further information, images or interview requests please contact Katy Allison, Media and Social Media Officer on 0131 529 4452 / 07885 976 519 or katy.allison@edinburgh.gov.uk
 

Making It: Sculpture in Britain 1977-1986

Exhibition

The late 1970s and 1980s witnessed the emergence of a talented generation of artists working in the UK who began to receive international attention for practices which, although diverse, shared a revived interest in the sculpted object, in materials and in ideas around making.

Monday to Saturday 10am - 5pm; Sunday 12pm - 5pm

Who is this for? - All
Dates: 7 May 2016 - 3 July 2016
Cost: Free

Making It is the first exhibition to survey this moment in British sculpture. It shows how approaches to object making were reinvigorated by earlier breakthroughs in conceptual and performance art made by preceding generations and by sculptural inspirations from beyond these shores.

Drawn primarily from the Arts Council Collection and augmented with loans from UK public and private collections, Making It presents works by over 40 artists including Tony Cragg, Richard Deacon, Antony Gormley, Anish Kapoor, Cornelia Parker and Alison Wilding amongst others.

 
A Touring Exhibition from the Arts Council Collection
 

Stephen Collingbourne: Don’t be afraid of Pink

Exhibition

Stephen Collingbourne, a former lecturer of sculpture for over 20 years at Edinburgh College of Art, now concentrates mainly on painting with oils, both on paper and wood panels.

Monday to Saturday 10am - 5pm, Sunday 12pm - 5pm

Who is this for? - All
Dates: 7 May 2016 - 3 July 2016
Cost: Free

The title for this exhibition, Don’t be afraid of Pink, derives from an experience as a student in the 1960s, when his painting tutor suggested he should work with the colour he most disliked. The idea was that Collingbourne should rid himself of any preconceptions and learn to appreciate the potential of every colour. The colour he disliked most was pink. On display will be a vibrant selection of paintings inspired by this concept.

Jagged Generation: William Gear’s Contemporaries and Influences

The abstract painter William Gear was a significant 20th century British artist with an international reputation, but he was not an isolated maverick.

Monday to Saturday 10am - 5pm, Sunday 12pm - 5pmWho is this for? - All
Dates: 24 October 2015 - 7 February 2016
Cost: Free

He was part of an extraordinary generation of artists who emerged from the trauma of WWII, rebelling against traditional artistic conventions to explore radical new ways of understanding and visualising the world.

Jagged Generation: William Gear’s Contemporaries and Influences presents a selection of artworks from the City Art Centre’s collection, chosen to complement William Gear (1915-1997): The painter that Britain forgot. The exhibition focuses on the dynamic circle of Scottish artists associated with Gear – his tutors, friends and contemporaries.

Born into a Fife mining community, Gear studied at Edinburgh College of Art during the 1930s. There he was taught by figures such as William Gillies, John Maxwell and S.J. Peploe, whose influences he both absorbed and reacted against. Gear also met like-minded fellow students including Wilhelmina Barns-Graham, Margaret Mellis and Alan Davie, each of whom ultimately made their own innovative contributions to the post-war art scene.

After graduation, Gear spent most of his career outside Scotland, establishing himself on the Continent as a member of the CoBrA group, before settling in England in 1950. Yet he retained many Scottish ties and friendships, and his career path continued to overlap with that of compatriots such as Robert Colquhoun, Robert MacBryde and William Johnstone.

Jagged Generation showcases Gear’s work within this wider Scottish context, shedding light on his personal and professional relationships, as well as his artistic development. 

William Gear (1915 - 1997): The painter that Britain forgot

Timed to coincide with the centenary of his birth, this major survey show seeks to position William Gear in his rightful place as one of the most advanced British abstract painters of his generation.

Monday to Saturday 10am - 5pm; Sunday 12pm - 5pm

Who is this for? - All
Dates: 24 October 2015 - 14 February 2016
Cost: Free

On display will be the whole range of impressive and innovative works spanning Gear’s long and productive career. The exhibition will trace his influence through his association with CoBrA in the 1940s, the radical monochrome abstractions of the 1950s, to the exuberance of his mature style from the 1960s to his death in 1997.

A new book written by Andrew Lambirth will accompany the show, which will place Gear’s work in the international context. William Gear (1915-1997): The Painter that Britain forgot is a partnership with the Towner in Eastbourne, where Gear was curator from 1958 to 1964 and where it will be on display earlier in the summer.

Times article
Journalist's blog of same article
Edinburgh Reporter article and video
WSI
The Student Newspaper
North Edinburgh News

The Artist and the Sea

Scotland has a long and complex relationship with the sea - its landscape, history and culture have been shaped by proximity to the North Sea and Atlantic Ocean.

Monday to Saturday 10am - 5pm; Sunday 12pm - 5pm

Who is this for? - All
Dates: 26 September 2015 - 8 May 2016
Cost: Free

Over the centuries artists have responded to this influence in various ways. Some have portrayed significant maritime events such as the Battle of Trafalgar or the arrival of King George IV into Leith harbour in 1822. Some have focused on recording the day-to-day experiences of coastal communities, from the lives of the 19th century fisher families based in Newhaven to the heavy industry of 20th century shipyards. Others have responded to the mythology, folklore and traditions associated with Scotland’s seafaring heritage.  

Meanwhile, many artists have sought to capture the more elemental character of the sea, depicting its rich natural environment and unpredictable changes in mood. In these artworks, ferocious storms contrast with scenes of sublime beauty. The tensions inherent in our understanding of the sea, as a simultaneous source of wonder, industry and danger, are a recurring motif. 

The Artist & the Sea explores these themes and their interpretation by a range of different artists. Selected from the City Art Centre’s collection of historic and contemporary Scottish art, the exhibition contains examples of painting, drawing, printmaking, photography and sculpture. Featured artists include John Bellany, William McTaggart, Joan Eardley and Elizabeth Ogilvie.

Helen Scott discusses the exhibition - from the STV Fountainbridge show

Scottish Art: People, Places, Ideas

Over the years, the City Art Centre has shown its permanent collection of Scottish art in various formats, enabling visitors to appreciate its range and depth.

Monday to Saturday 10am - 5pm; Sunday 12pm - 5pm

Who is this for? - All
Dates: 23 May 2015 - 27 September 2015
Cost: Free

In 2011, Scottish Art 1650-2010 revealed a variety of highlights, presented chronologically from 17th century to present day. But with over 4,500 artworks in the collection, this barely scratched the surface.

Now, four years later and by popular demand, the collection is once again returning to the forefront of our exhibitions programme.

Scottish Art: People, Places, Ideas is based on a thematic framework and explores four key areas - people, landscape, still life and abstraction. Within each section a variety of artistic styles and different media are juxtaposed, demonstrating the impressive breadth of creativity that has developed in Scotland over the last 250 years.

The City Art Centre’s collection of Scottish art is a nationally recognised collection that continues to grow through purchases, donations and bequests. Scottish Art: People, Places, Ideas celebrates this important public resource, while providing an overview of Scottish art that is both comprehensive and fresh.

A short video of the exhibition installation

Review in The List
 

You Choose: Favourites from the City Art Centre

Every year the City Art Centre stages a varied programme of exhibitions drawn from its permanent collection of historic and contemporary Scottish art. Curators are normally responsible for selecting the artworks that go on display, but this year the public have taken on this role and made their own choices.

Monday - Saturday 10am - 5pm; Sunday 12pm - 5pm

Who is this for? - All
Dates: 13 December 2014 - 19 July 2015
Cost: Free

You Choose: Favourites from the City Art Centre presents a selection of our most popular paintings as voted for by the public. The exhibition is the culmination of a project run between June and September 2014, which surveyed people on their favourite artworks from the City Art Centre’s collection. The project made use of the BBC Your Paintings website, a resource which enabled voters to view digital images of over 900 oil and acrylic paintings before selecting their personal favourites. The results of the survey are finally revealed in this exhibition.

The City Art Centre’s collection includes landscapes, portraits, still life studies and abstract images, from a range of different time periods. You Choose celebrates this rich and varied collection, displaying old favourites by renowned Scottish artists alongside lesser-known artistic gems. Selected by the public, this exhibition promises to have something for everyone.

Calton Hill: Site of Memory

This exhibition brings together a selection of views of and from Calton Hill from the City Art Centre’s collection in the context of the recent acquisition of three new prints by Ruth Ewan donated by Outset Scotland.

Monday to Saturday 10am - 5pm; Sunday 12pm - 5pmWho is this for? - All
Dates: 8 November 2014 - 18 January 2015
Cost: Free
Edinburgh, the Athens of the North, has seven hills like Rome. Of these, Calton Hill is one of the most central and one of the most climbed, offering a magnificent view of the city and its surroundings.

One of the attractions of Calton Hill is its profusion of monuments and buildings, including the uncompleted replica of the Parthenon erected as a monument to the dead of the Napoleonic Wars and the inverted telescope of the Nelson Monument. Others commemorate Dugald Stewart, Robert Burns, John Playfair and the Political Martyrs.

Prominent buildings include the former City Obervatory, the old Royal High School, St Andrew’s House and Rock House, where Hill and Adamson worked.

Calton Hill has provided a rich seam for artists to mine over the years, featuring in works in a variety of media, either in the background or as a more conscious focal point. One of the city’s best known pictures is Ewbank’s view of the visit of George IV to Edinburgh in 1822, as seen from Calton Hill. Barker’s late 18th century panorama also shows the city as seen from this vantage point.

In 2013 Collective moved to the former City Observatory on Calton Hill and commissioned Ruth Ewan and Astrid Johnston to create an audio guide Observers’ Walk, focusing on the Political Martyrs’ Monument, which commemorates five 18th century political reformers. Ewan also produced three text-based prints, referencing different aspects of the radical tradition.

The commission was funded by Outset Scotland, who bring private individuals and corporate partners together to fund contemporary art activity in Scotland, and who have generously donated these prints to the City Art Centre.

The First World War was a life-changing event for millions of people, a conflict that elicited responses in literature, music and the visual arts.

Monday to Saturday 10am - 5pm; Sunday 12pm - 5pm

Who is this for? - All
Dates: 8 November 2014 - 18 January 2015
Cost: Free

The First World War was a life-changing event for millions of people, the first conflict of a truly global nature. The scale of the war, and its personal toll for so many individuals, prompted an outpouring of responses in literature, music and the visual arts. Artists were at the forefront of this movement. They depicted the people, places and experiences of the war in official and unofficial capacities, producing formal commissions as well as more personal, private images. These artworks provide a valuable insight into the events of the war and its impact on those involved.

Picturing Conflict: Art of the First World War presents a small selection of paintings, drawings, prints and photographs. The exhibition includes artworks produced during the war and in its immediate aftermath, alongside images created in later years, which view the conflict through the lens of hindsight and memory. Featured artists include figures such as D.Y. Cameron and John Lavery, whose reputations were already well-established at the outbreak of war, and younger artists like Eric Robertson and William Johnstone, whose careers developed out of their wartime experiences. The work of several unknown makers is also displayed, giving voice to artistic responses from outwith the established art world.

Picturing Conflict is drawn from the City Art Centre’s collection of Scottish art, supplemented by loans from the wider collections of Edinburgh Museums and Galleries. The exhibition is being staged as part of the commemorations marking the centenary of the First World War.

Based on work acquired through the National Collecting Scheme for Scotland (NCSS), Urban/ Suburban will look at the theme of architecture and the built environment in recent Scottish art.

Monday to Saturday 10am - 5pm; Sunday 12pm - 5pm

Who is this for? - All
Dates: 1 August 2014 - 19 October 2014
Cost: Free

Through the work on show, the exhibition will examine how we live today in our urban/suburban environment.

Specific works include Villa Savoye by Nathan Coley, Nothank by Graham Fagen, Town, 2005 by Carol Rhodes and Citrus Fruit Market by Toby Paterson. Other artists whose work has been acquired through the NCSS include Charles Avery, Christine Borland, Martin Boyce and Kenny Hunter. Additional works from artists in the collection will be shown, including Kate Gray, Chad McCail and Jonathan Owen, and the exhibition will include a small number of additional loans.

Urban/Suburban is part of GENERATION, a landmark series of exhibitions celebrating 25 years of contemporary art in Scotland.
 

As part of the Glasgow 2014 Cultural Programme, and during the year of Homecoming Scotland, Edinburgh Art Festival in partnership with City Art Centre presents a major international exhibition of contemporary art selected by five curators from Commonwealth countries.

Monday to Saturday 10am - 5pm, Sunday 12pm - 5pm

Who is this for? - All
Dates: 1 August 2014 - 19 October 2014
Cost: Free

Taking its title from a work by Indian artist, Shilpa Gupta, the exhibition invites perspectives from across the Commonwealth to explore and interrogate the ideas, ideals and myths which underpin notions of community, common-wealth, and the commons.

Through new and recent work by over 20 international artists, Where do I end and you begin considers what it means to join ‘common’ with ‘wealth’, reflecting on the notion of The Commonwealth as a problematic historical and contemporary construct and offering international perspectives on the range of associations which common-wealth evokes, from the challenge of ‘being in common’ in a truly global world, to ideas of the common good, common land, public ownership and alternative exchange systems.

Edinburgh Art Festival is proud to be working with international partners across the Commonwealth on the development of this major enterprise, including the British Council, Creative New Zealand; Dunedin Public Art Gallery; South Africa - United Kingdom Seasons 2014 & 2015; Gallery MOMO, Johannesburg; Vadehra Art Gallery, New Delhi and other partners in Canada, India, New Zealand and UK.

Artists:

Amar KanwarArpita SinghGavin Hipkins
Kay Hassan
Kemang Wa Lehulere
Kushana Bush
Mary Evans
Mary Sibande
Masooma Syed
Naeem Mohaiemen
Pascal Grandmaison
Rushton and Tyman
Shannon Te Ao
Shilpa Gupta
Steve Carr
Uriel Orlow
Yvonne Todd

For generations, Scotland has been the home and inspiration of a stunning array of visual artists. The City Art Centre’s collection reflects this wealth of creativity and talent, featuring some of the best examples of Scottish art from 17th century to present day.

Monday - Saturday 10am - 5pm; Sunday 12pm - 5pm

Who is this for? - All
Dates: 26 April 2014 - 16 November 2014
Cost: Free

The collection covers a wide range of subject-matter, depicted through a variety of styles and media. Traditional oil portraits of public figures hang alongside contemporary installation pieces. But who are the artists behind these artworks?
   
A - Z: An Alphabetical Tour of Scottish Art introduces some of the men and women whose work makes up this rich collection. Painters, sculptors, photographers and printmakers are all featured, representing the key movements that have shaped Scotland’s artistic identity. From William Allan to Aleksander Zyw, this exhibition cuts across time periods, themes and media to explore the breadth and diversity of Scottish art.

A - Z is the first exhibition to be staged in the City Art Centre’s newly refurbished lower ground floor gallery. This exciting space has now been redeveloped to create a dedicated area for showing the permanent Scottish Art Collection. In the coming years, visitors will be able to see more of this collection than ever before, through a changing programme of temporary displays.

The Scottish Art Collection, cared for by the City of Edinburgh Museums and Galleries, is a Recognised Collection of National Significance to Scotland. The refurbishment of the lower ground floor gallery has been undertaken with the support of Museums Galleries Scotland through the Recognition Capital Fund.

Scotsman review

Curator Helen discusses the exhibition

Riots, sieges, executions, and coronations – Scotland’s capital city, so often at the very heart of Scottish affairs, has had a turbulent and eventful history.

Monday - Saturday 10am - 5pm; Sunday 12pm - 5pm

Who is this for? - All
Dates: 10 May 2014 - 6 July 2014
Cost: Free
Having been granted its original charter by David I in the mid 12th century, for centuries thereafter the city was confined to the ‘crag and tail’ ridge running eastwards from the Castle rock. It was only in the 18th century that the city broke from its medieval confinement, and in doing so achieved for Edinburgh a permanent place among the world’s most beautiful cities.

This significant exhibition traces the growth and development of the City, seen through the eyes of painters, printmakers and sculptors. From early prospects showing rows of humble dwellings densely clustered around the ‘Royal Mile’, the exhibition traces the expansion of Edinburgh through times of great intellectual advance and periods of social upheaval.

Among the earliest views are works by a French artist, William Delacour, Paul Sandby and John Clerk of Eldin. They depict scenes which had not changed significantly since medieval times. Alexander Nasmyth captured the City during the golden age of the Scottish Enlightenment. Sir Henry Raeburn painted many of the influential figures of the same period. By contrast, artists such as James Howe, John Kay and Charles Doyle portrayed the town’s ‘ordinary folk’ at work and at play.

The exhibition includes portraits of leading civic figures, landowners, pioneers and performers as well as city porters and street traders. Notable 20th artists such as Sir John Lavery, Dorothy Johnstone and John Houston are all represented alongside works by those not so well known. Brought together for the first time, they reveal a unique, multi faceted view of Edinburgh’s story.

A Capital View complements a major new publication based on the City’s art collection, written by Alyssa Popiel and published by Birlinn. The book is available for sale in the City Art Centre shop, priced at £14.99 for the paperback or £25 for the hardback.  We can also send copies by mail order (additional charges apply) - for more details or to make a purchase please call 0131 529 3993

Article in Wall Street International Magazine

Evening News article
Scotsman review
Sunday Herald article

Explore stunning landscapes, maritime history, proud sporting legacies and the galas, festivals and diversity of modern Leith.

Monday - Saturday 10am - 5pm; Sunday 12pm - 5pm

Who is this for? - All
Dates: 26 October 2013 - 23 February 2014
Cost: Free

Citizen Curator celebrates Leith’s fascinating and varied heritage, through the art collections of the City Art Centre and history collections of Edinburgh Museums. 

The exhibition includes artworks by well known Leithers such as Eduardo Paolozzi, and depictions of the local area by artists including Alexander Nasmyth, Jock McFadyen and Kate Downie. It also includes new works created by up and coming artists and a specially commissioned film exploring the diversity of the area. Alongside these pieces there will be historical objects and contemporary items exploring Leith’s heritage, from Hibs memorabilia, to Mela programmes, boxing gloves, to ship building tools and the skin of a catfish caught in Leith Harbour!

This exhibition is the cumulation of a project developed to give local communities, in particular young people, the opportunity to explore and interpret their local heritage. Several community groups have chosen collections items to put on display and created their own works in response to these.

Organisations taking part include: Leith School of Art, Leith Festival, Young Saheliya, Leith Late, Leith Library, Leith Academy and Home-Start Leith and North East Edinburgh.

If you are part of a community group or school and would like to arrange a visit to the exhibition or to receive an outreach visit, please contact Diana Morton at diana.morton@edinburgh.gov.uk or 0131 529 6365 to find out more.

To find out more about the Outreach Programme and Citizen Curator please visit the Outreach blog: www.edinburghmuseumsoutreach.wordpress.com

Diana Morton talks about Citizen Curator :

Diana Morton : Citizen Curator from arts-news on Vimeo.
Citizen Curator has been supported by the Leith Townscape Heritage Initiative.

Evening News article

 ** Celebrating Scotland's History Festival **

Exhibition

This exhibition sets out to re-evaluate one of Scotland’s significant but often overlooked 19th century talents.

Monday to Saturday 10am - 5pm; Sunday 12pm - 5pm

Who is this for? - All

Dates: 19 October 2013 - 2 March 2014

Cost: Free

Walter Geikie was one of the most unique artists working in Edinburgh in the early 19th century, but his talent and contribution is often overlooked. A fine draughtsman and skilled printmaker, Geikie’s main focus was the portrayal of the city’s poor and working classes – subjects that he approached with honesty, empathy and wit. In many ways his genre studies anticipated social realism, at a time when depictions of ordinary people tended to veer towards either lofty moralising or grotesque caricature.

While Geikie’s artistic vision was striking, his strength of character was remarkable too. As an infant he contracted a fever that left him unable to hear or speak. Yet this lifelong disability did not prevent Geikie from pursuing a successful career and ultimately becoming a member of the Scottish Academy.

Walter Geikie (1795-1837): An Artist of Character shines a light on this underrated artist. Concentrating on figurative imagery, the exhibition highlights Geikie’s mastery of expression and character. It explores some of his most enduring themes, from the revelry of fairground crowds to the quiet dignity of agricultural labour. His artistic and literary influences are examined, including the art of David Wilkie and the poetry of Robert Fergusson and Robert Burns. Although Geikie is best known for his etchings, the exhibition also features drawings and paintings, demonstrating the breadth of his practice.

This exhibition draws together artworks from the collections of the City Art Centre, Edinburgh City Libraries and the National Galleries of Scotland, including these images.

During the exhibition run, more information on the life and art of Walter Geikie will be available on Capital Collections www.capitalcollections.org.uk and Our Town Stories www.ourtownstories.co.uk 

EXPLORING THE LION KING is a unique exhibition which reveals the inspiration and evolution behind Disney’s ground-breaking, award-winning musical THE LION KING.

Monday - Saturday 10am - 5pm; Sunday 12pm - 5pmWho is this for? - All
Dates: 28 September 2013 - 12 January 2014
Cost: Free

Incorporating many of the now iconic costumes, masks and puppets, this interactive exhibition will give visitors the opportunity to discover - through sketches, original models, film and photography - how acclaimed director and designer Julie Taymor, along with the rest of the show’s creative team, conceived and created this acclaimed production.

Timed to coincide with the musical’s Scottish premiere season at the Edinburgh Playhouse, this innovative exhibition, featuring interactive video touch screens, will reveal the craftsmanship behind THE LION KING and will include complete costumes from the production, original set models, sketches and maquettes (miniature models), and behind-the-scenes interviews - allowing the visitor to see the show’s intricate design and detail up-close.  

Julie Taymor, a director and designer of theatre, opera and film, has achieved worldwide acclaim for her production of THE LION KING, which combines performers, masks, puppetry, ritual and large theatrical landscapes. She was entrusted by

[75] Disney Theatrical Productions to transform the beloved 1994 animated feature film into a stage musical drawing upon her vast and varied experience of myriad theatrical styles and cultures, most prominently African tribal design and masks and Balinese puppetry and movement.

Disney’s THE LION KING has been seen by over 70 million people in 18 different countries and in eight different languages. In addition to the sold-out UK tour, the production can currently be seen in London, New York, Tokyo, Hamburg, Madrid, Sao Paulo and on tours of North America and Japan. A new production will open in Sydney in December.

THE LION KING  will play the Edinburgh Playhouse:
Friday 11 October 2013 – Saturday 18 January 2014
Tickets  via 0844 871 7692 or www.thelionking.co.uk

Article in the Edinburgh Reporter.

Fashion photography - glamorous, provocative, beautiful, accomplished, and magical - has been associated with some of the most famous names in the history of the medium since the early years of the 20th century.

Monday - Saturday 10am - 7pm; Sunday 12pm - 7pm

Who is this for? - All
Dates: 15 June 2013 - 8 September 2013
Cost: £5; Concessions £3.50; £2.50 for children aged 5 to 15 inclusive; £11 for a family ticket for two adults and two children or one adult and three children. Other ticketing options are available; please ask at the venue.

The great American photographer Edward Steichen took what were probably the first fashion photographs in 1911. Since then it has become a unique platform for experimentation, balanced between commerce and creativity, recording the Zeitgeist and capturing individual dreams and desires.

The legendary publisher Condé Nast recognised this very early on and created a distinctive style for his magazines, elevating haute couture and turning fashion photography into an art form. With his keen sense for discovering new talents, he found the best photographers and promoted their careers, a tradition continued by subsequent editors and art directors at Condé Nast.

The exhibition shows early work by such luminaries as Cecil Beaton, Erwin Blumenfeld, Helmut Newton, David Bailey, Guy Bourdin, Corinne Day, Mario Testino and Sølve Sundsbø as it appeared in the pages of Vogue, Glamour and other Condé Nast publications.

With unprecedented access to the Condé Nast archives in New York, Paris, London and Milan, the curator Nathalie Herschdorfer has gathered original prints, as well as pages from the actual magazines. The exhibition provides a unique opportunity to see the work of over eighty photographers right at the outset of their careers.

This exhibition has been organised by the Foundation for the Exhibition of Photography, Minneapolis/Paris/Lausanne, in collaboration with City Art Centre, Edinburgh.

Image: Miles Aldridge, Vogue Italia, September 2002

© Miles Aldridge

Vogue Magazine article
Glamour Magazine article
City of Edinburgh Council Pinterest board

 https://youtu.be/sKCMaif7p00

Spotlight Tours: These 30 minute tours will focus on key works in the exhibition.

Saturday, Tuesday and Friday at 1pm. Meet in the gallery reception area.
 

Dressed to Impress: Exploring Studio Portraiture

Secondary school kids, come along on Tuesdays in the school holidays between 2pm and 4pm and try our dress up corner in the gallery. Get dressed in dashing hats and explore with pastels and drawing materials in creating a sketch of yourself. Our gallery staff will photograph you in action.

Dressed to Kill showcases how Scottish artists have captured fashion, costume and dress over the years, from the late 17th century to the present day.

Monday - Saturday 10am - 5pm; Sunday 12pm - 5pm Who is this for? - All
Dates: 15 June 2013 - 29 September 2013
Cost: Free

The exhibition includes portrayals of a whole range of different types of costume, from mundane everyday working clothes to the most elaborate fashionable dress. There is an inevitable focus on the depiction of women and women’s costume but other sections will look at men’s clothing, children’s costume, headgear, working clothes and uniforms.

Central to the exhibition are the City Art Centre’s two iconic Colourist portraits, J.D. Fergusson’s The Blue Hat and F.C.B. Cadell’s The Black Hat, both showing young women dressed up to the nines in the height of Edwardian fashion. The exhibition will also include works by Allan Ramsay, Henry Raeburn, E.A. Hornel, John Lavery, J.H. Lorimer, John Duncan, Stanley Cursiter, John Bellany, Adrian Wiszniewski, David Williams and Moyna Flannigan.

Selected to complement Coming into Fashion, the exhibition is drawn from the City Art Centre’s nationally Recognised collection of Scottish Art and includes paintings, watercolours, drawings, prints, photographs and sculpture. A wide ranging and varied activity and education programme will complement the City Art Centre’s summer exhibitions.

The City Art Centre is delighted to work in collaboration with Edinburgh College of Art.

Monday - Saturday 10am - 5pm; Sunday 12pm - 5pm

Who is this for? - All
Dates: 15 June 2013 - 29 September 2013
Cost: Free with the price of an exhibition ticket.

Over the course of our summer fashion exhibitions, we will display graduate work from students graduating from the Undergraduate and Masters Programmes of Fashion, Performance Costume and Textiles.

Many ECA graduates make a global impact in fashion, and this is the perfect opportunity to see the future of fashion.

Fashion Graduate Collections

Lauren Smith - Anthology

Shonagh Kerr Galbraith - Sho-Sho

Louis Alderthon - Blythell - New Mortal Experience

The Derek Williams Trust Collection is an important collection of British Modern art which is currently on long term loan to Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales.

Monday to Saturday 10am - 5pm; Sunday 12pm - 5pm

Who is this for? - All
Dates: 1 December 2012 - 24 February 2013
Cost: Free

 The collection contains work by many of the key figures in early and mid 20th century British art including Lucian Freud, LS Lowry, Henry Moore and Ben Nicholson.

Derek Williams (1929-1984) was a chartered surveyor who lived and worked in Cardiff and began collecting modern British art in the late 1950s. He was initially attracted to the work of John Piper and Ceri Richards. The collection also contains work by other British Neo-Romantics, including David Jones, Graham Sutherland and Keith Vaughan, as well as their contemporaries including Josef Herman, Ivon Hitchens and Stanley Spencer.

Most of the work dates from the 30s, 40s and 50s and is relatively modest in scale, having being collected for a domestic environment. Williams bought mainly from the Howard Roberts Gallery in Cardiff and the Marlborough Gallery in London. He gained immense satisfaction from building his collection and displaying it within his various residences and practice offices.

The Derek Williams Trust was established following the collector’s death. It is committed to the care, enhancement and public display of the Derek Williams’ collection. The Trust also provides generous support in furthering the acquisition of post-1900 works of art at Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales.
   
Despite its importance the collection remains relatively unknown and the Derek Williams Trust are staging a limited tour, with the Pier Arts Centre and the City Art Centre the only Scottish venues.
 

A major exhibition exploring the work of the late Wilhelmina Barns-Graham, curated by Lynne Green.

Monday to Saturday 10am - 5pm; Sunday 12pm - 5pm

Who is this for? - All
Dates: 24 November 2012 - 17 February 2013
Cost: Free

The painter Wilhelmina Barns-Graham is usually classified as a St Ives School artist, yet her Scottish roots and close links with her homeland throughout her life had a huge influence on her work. This major exhibition, marking the centenary of her birth, radically reappraises her career looking at the influence of her artistic training in Edinburgh, the inspirational resource she found in Scotland and its continuing creative importance. The exhibition is the first to look at the artist from this perspective.

Barns-Graham was born in St Andrews on 8 June 1912 and, after deciding as a child that she wanted to be an artist, enrolled at Edinburgh College of Art in 1931. The exhibition examines her training under the tutelage of such senior figures in Scottish art as William Gillies, John Maxwell, SJ Peploe and briefly, yet crucially, William MacTaggart. The delight in drawing instilled by Gillies never left her and the influence of both Gillies and MacTaggart can be seen in her extraordinary sensitivity to and use of colour. The show will include works which have their origins in the rigorous academic training that Barns-Graham received in Edinburgh.

In 1940 Barns-Graham moved to St Ives, Cornwall where a group of modernist artists had settled and where she met, among others, Ben Nicholson, Barbara Hepworth, Naum Gabo, Bernard Leach and Alfred Wallis. While this formidable group of painters, sculptors and potters certainly had a profound effect on the 28 year-old Scot, she did not arrive as a blank canvas. Her origins, formal training, and her new life in Cornwall combined to provide the inspiration and structure for her career as a consummate draughtswoman and painter.

The exhibition also explores Barns-Graham’s continuing links with Scotland following her move to St Ives. Over the next 20 years she visited and exhibited in Scotland regularly. The connection was reinforced when she inherited a small family estate outside St Andrews in 1960.

Fife offered Barns-Graham much-needed respite from the intensity of life in a busy, competitive and internationally famous artistic community. Equally importantly it re-established a tangible link with her family roots and a refreshment of the Scottish dimension of her character. It also re-awakened her emotional bonds with Scotland and reinforced her presence in the Scottish art world.

From then on she divided her time between the south-west and the north-east, with working studios in each, from which drawings and canvases moved up and down the country with her. There is little doubt that without these twin creative centres Barns-Graham’s work would have developed differently and that without her Scottish base important themes might never have emerged. By the time of her death in 2004 Barns-Graham was truly a Scottish artist who also lived in St Ives.

Organised in association with The Barns-Graham Charitable Trust.