This is Glasgow // Exhibition Runs: 23 November – 11 January
This is Glasgow
Preview: 22 November, 8pm
Exhibition Runs: 23 November - 11 January
Image: Robert Kelsey, Maryhill Tenement, oil on linen, 30cm x 30cm, £1,450
“Glasgow was one of the first European capitals of culture, in 1990. Known as an industrial city, it has now gained recognition as a creative and cultural centre of European importance.”
- Cultural & Creative Cities Monitor 2019 report
Glasgow was this year named the Cultural & Creative Capital of the UK.
The city took the top spot in the European Commission's Cultural and Creative Cities Monitor 2019 report. The study ranks 190 cities in 30 European countries on their “cultural vibrancy”, “creative economy”, and ability to attract creative talent and stimulate cultural engagement.
It is this cultural vibrancy and creative talent which is showcased in This is Glasgow, a new exhibition held at the Glasgow Art Club.
For this exhibition, artist members have been invited to submit works depicting, symbolising or reflecting the City of Glasgow in physical, human or metaphorical terms using any media of their choosing.
A celebration of the City of Glasgow, This is Glasgow, features work by established artists such as Frank Boyle, Joe Broadley, Pam Carter, Patrick Dorrian, Lynn Howarth, Robert Kelsey & Margaret Johnston amongst many more.
Glasgow has created a world-class architectural heritage, with a stunning range of buildings that form its city centre and suburbs. The very fine, blonde and red sandstone buildings: mansions, terraces, tenements, public, civic and commercial buildings and offices, were a by-product of a period of rapid and prosperous Victorian expansion.
The exhibition features a wealth of these iconic and recognisable buildings including the Mitchell Library, the University of Glasgow and numerous tenement buildings from the West End to the South Side. These sit alongside works which approach the brief in other ways.
Margaret Johnston for instance presents a portrait of one of Glasgow's most famous faces, Billy Connolly (who is in fact a long standing member of the Club himself.)
Robert Kelsey, perhaps best known for his sea and landscapes of the Hebrides and West Coast presents two pieces which are instantly recognisable in style but perhaps less so in subject matter. One depicts a typically Glaswegian sandstone tenement in Maryhill (pictured above), meanwhile Saturday Shoppers, Buchanan Street, shows Glasgow as a bustling, cosmopolitan city brimming with energy and vitality.
Glasgow is a place that moves ideas and culture forward, not just within the city limits, but worldwide. As an epicentre of contemporary visual and performing arts, architecture and design, the city creates with the future in mind while also honouring the city’s rich past.
The Glasgow Art Club has been at the heart of the arts and culture in Glasgow for over 150 years. It seems fitting to celebrate Glasgow within the building which has served as a meeting place for generations of the city's most innovative and creative inhabitants (and continues to do so).
As Bridget McConnell, (Glasgow Life chair) recently pointed out, "Glasgow is a city bursting with energy, passion and creativity and filled with artists, designers, creators and innovators," This is Glasgow is an exhibition equally bursting with talent, creativity and a passion for a city that we all call home.
Join us for the preview on Friday 22 November.
Willy Maley, Professor of Renaissance Studies (English Literature) at the University of Glasgow will officially open the exhibition at 8pm. Professor Maley is a major figure in Glasgow literary circles and has produced plays and writing about Glasgow's history and culture.
A buffet will be served in the dining room from 6pm - 8pm, £15 per person. Please book in advance. Members & Guests only.
Glasgow’s civic collecting of Mackintosh and the Glasgow Style
Wednesday 04 December, 6.30pm
Linking to the ‘This is Glasgow’ exhibition, Alison Brown, Curator, European Decorative Art and Design at Glasgow Life will stage a talk outlining the history of the city of Glasgow’s collections in relation to collecting the work of Mackintosh and of his Glasgow Style contemporaries.
This talk is free for GAC Members, £6 for non- members. Please register via eventbrite.
The exhibition is open to the public, admission free, 11am-5pm Monday - Saturday, or by appointment, but please note that on occasion exhibitions may be closed to the public at these times to accommodate for private functions and events.
Please call ahead on 0141 248 5210 to avoid disappointment.
Ring the bell to gain access to the Club.
Many of the paintings are for sale.
If you are interested in the purchase of any painting, please see a member of staff.
Or you can contact the Club by telephone or by completing the Contact Form on the Contact Page.
Here are some of the Paintings Exhibited - [Click on the thumbnails to display larger images]