May 2017 sees the 175th anniversary of one of Britain’s most renowned galleries as The Scottish Gallery in Edinburgh celebrates its role at the centre of the UK art scene with three new exhibitions. Duncan Shanks – Winter Journey sees one of Scotland’s finest landscape painters return to the gallery with a new show of winter landscapes. He will be joined by a collection of the gallery’s current and significant artists in a unique exhibition of painted works and one off pin artworks. 175 years of Art Pins and Paintings is a show of 37 selected artists painting on 175mm x 175mm canvas and a further 45 who have crafted one off decorative pins emulating their practice on a small scale. Portrait of a Gallery II builds on the successful show of 2010 showing important works in of Scottish art including paintings from The Landscape Tradition, The Scottish Colourists, The Schools of Scotland, The War Years, Modern Scottish Women, Contemporary Painters and applied art highlights in The World of Objects.
Setting Sun by Duncan Shanks
Speaking ahead of the anniversary celebrations Managing Director Christina Jansen said: “Curating a show to celebrate such a milestone is no easy task. As the first ever public gallery in Scotland, The Scottish Gallery’s history is in many ways the history of art in Scotland. To recognise this whilst also celebrating our current artists we knew no one exhibition could capture this so we’re delighted to mount three for our birthday month. It’s a privilege to host Duncan Shanks’ latest show and also to give voice to some of our favourite artists with a unique 175mm x 175mm canvas brief. How artists including Alison Watt, Jock McFadyen and Kate Downie have responded has us excited to see the public reaction to these small but perfectly formed works. Portrait of Gallery II will be the third exhibition and for newcomers as well as regular visitors, a snapshot of the then and now of The Scottish Gallery will be an opportunity to see some of the finest works created in and for Scotland.”
Solitude by Duncan Shanks
Established in South St. David Street, Edinburgh by Aitken Dott in 1842 as “Gilders, Framers, and Artists’ Colourmen”, the firm, as it does today, also exhibited and sold work by the leading Scottish artists of the day. As all areas of the business grew, larger premises were found in Castle Street in 1860 and a new dedicated gallery space was opened in 1897 as “The Scottish Gallery”. The gallery has been situated on Dundas Street since 1992 becoming the cornerstone of Edinburgh’s Art Quarter. The gallery currently curates and produces a monthly programme of diverse exhibitions highlighting both emerging and established artists.
Listings Information
Duncan Shanks – Winter Journey
3 May – 3 June 2017
175 Years of Art – Pins and Paintings
3 May – 3 June 2017
Portrait of a Gallery II
3 May – 3 June 2017
To find out more about The Scottish Gallery visit: scottish-gallery.co.uk, call 0131 558 1200, follow on twitter or instagram @scottishgallery and facebook/scottishgallery.
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