New major exhibition coming this Spring to City Art Centre.
Saturday 27 May to Sunday 1 October 2023
A major retrospective of one of the UK’s leading figurative painters, Peter Howson, opens at Edinburgh’s City Art Centre in May 2023.
The exhibition will bring together around 100 works spanning the artist’s career, many never seen before in Scotland.
Howson has established a formidable reputation in the art world. His heroic portrayals of the mighty and the lowly confront subjects of human conflict and destruction that offer a penetrating insight into the human condition.
His experiences of abuse—whether self-inflicted and substance-related, or the traumatic events of his childhood—have moulded his world view, and afforded him an affinity with individuals on the margins of society.
The City Art Centre’s Curatorial and Conservation Manager, David Patterson has been planning the exhibition since 2019, working closely with Howson and his London gallery.
Howson has previously shown at the City Art Centre, when his critically acclaimed solo exhibition devoted to Scotland’s patron saint Andrew was displayed in 2007.
David Patterson commented: “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see works assembled from public and private collections.
“This retrospective will illustrate Peter’s consummate skill in a range of media and explore his religious work as well as his graphic responses to recent global events including the covid pandemic and war in Ukraine.
Councillor Val Walker, Convener of Culture and Communities said: “Peter Howson is one of the most respected artists of his generation and we are very proud that the City Art Centre will host this major study of his work.
“Visitors will be able to discover Howson’s instantly recognisable works with many on display in Scotland for the first time. Celebrating Howson’s 50-year career, we will showcase over 100 pieces across four floors.
“It will be the highlight exhibition of 2023.”
Emerging from Glasgow School of Art in the 1980s, Howson quickly proved his skill of capturing the maverick, the excessive, the non-conformist and his own personal understanding of the struggles of everyday life.
In 1992 he was commissioned by the Imperial War Museum to record the conflict in the former Yugoslavia. He was appointed official British war artist for Bosnia in 1993 and in 1996 was awarded Doctor of Letters at The University of Strathclyde. His work is included in numerous national and international museum collections.
When the Apple Ripens: Peter Howson at 65: A Retrospective opens at the City Art Centre in Edinburgh on 27th May 2023 and runs until 1st October 2023.
A new book will accompany the exhibition, published by Sansom and Co.
Paul Duke: No Ruined Stone 26 November 2022 – 19 February 2023 City Art Centre, 2 Market Street, Edinburgh EH1 1DE Free Admission
This November, the City Art Centre opens a new exhibition of street photography by the artist Paul Duke depicting contemporary life in the Muirhouse area of Edinburgh.
Paul Duke: No Ruined Stone features 38 large-scale black and white photographs documenting the built environment and residents of Muirhouse. It is accompanied by a short film by Julian Ward, in which Paul Duke talks about his work and the experience of creating the series.
This is the first time No Ruined Stone has been displayed as a full-scale exhibition, bringing the photographs back to the artist’s home city.
Paul Duke grew up in Muirhouse, in the north of Edinburgh, between the mid-1960s and early 1980s. He attended the local Craigroyston High School, where his teachers inspired him to consider art as a possible future career. Drawn to photography, he enrolled at Napier College (now Edinburgh Napier University), before gaining a place to study at the Royal College of Art in London. From here, he established himself as a lens-based artist.
In 2015 Duke returned to Muirhouse to develop No Ruined Stone. This series was conceived as the second part of a photographic trilogy by Duke which examines the social climate in modern-day Scotland. It takes its name from the poetry of the Scots writer Hugh MacDiarmid. For No Ruined Stone, the artist spent time meeting local people and talking with them; reconnecting with his roots and exploring how the Muirhouse community had changed since his own upbringing there.
The exhibition at the City Art Centre presents a selection of 38 photographs from No Ruined Stone. It features views of homes and other architectural structures, surrounded by elements of the natural world. Portraits of local residents punctuate the otherwise unpopulated setting, giving a sense of the community’s identity – something that is too often misrepresented in popular culture and elsewhere.
Duke’s understated yet powerful images depict Muirhouse at a time of significant urban regeneration and social flux. While raising issues around social inequality and poverty, No Ruined Stone is underpinned by a message of human resilience, strength of character, and ultimately, hope.
Paul Duke said: “When I started work on No Ruined Stone in 2015, my greatest wish was to create a narrative that gave voice to the residents of Muirhouse – to challenge misrepresentation by portraying the community and local environment with honesty, fairness and dignity.
“I wanted to offer personal insight and in doing so, address pressing questions around social injustice. With millions of people up and down the land dealing with the cost of living crisis, I believe that these photographs have taken on new meaning and are now more relevant than ever.
Curator Dr Helen Scott said: It’s been a real privilege to work with Paul Duke on bringing this exhibition to the City Art Centre.
“No Ruined Stone is an important body of work that is both hard-hitting and reflective, socially-engaged and highly personal. There is heart and truth in these photographs, and the images linger with you long after you’ve seen them.
Councillor Val Walker, Convener of Culture and Communities, said: “We are delighted to present Edinburgh’s own Paul Duke: No Ruined Stone at the City Art Centre.
“His wonderful photographs will be on display for the first time as a full-scale exhibition and I’m sure visitors will be captivated by the series on contemporary life in the Muirhouse area of the Capital and the changes in the community.
“The aim of our City Art Centre is to champion historic and contemporary Scottish visual and applied arts, so I’m delighted that we can display Paul’s work in his home city.”
The exhibition is accompanied by the publication Paul Duke: No Ruined Stone (Hartmann Books, 2018).
Paul Duke: No Ruined Stone opens on Saturday 26 November 2022, and runs until 19 February 2023. Admission is free.
Museums & Galleries Edinburgh are preparing to mark Robert Louis Stevenson Day 2022 with special talks, workshops and live music.
Sunday 13 November is an annual date in our literary calendar when the life and works of one of the most famous writers born in our City of Literature is celebrated. This weekend will see drop-in sessions taking place in both our Writers’ Museum and City Art Centre.
As well as these events, visitors will be able to explore the Writers’ Museum which features rare works and artefacts celebrating the lives of three seminal Scottish writers – Robert Burns, Sir Walter Scott and of course, Robert Louis Stevenson.
A chance to explore the rare collection of writers’ portraits, first edition books and personal belongings including Stevenson’s riding boots and the ring given to him by a Samoan chief, engraved with the name ‘Tusitala’, meaning ‘teller of tales’.
They can also see Stevenson’s wardrobe made by the infamous Deacon Brodie whose double life may have inspired the novel The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.
Culture and Communities Convener Val Walker, said: “We’re delighted to be hosting these special events to celebrate Robert Louis Stevenson Day.
“One of Edinburgh’s favourite sons, this represents a fantastic opportunity to learn more about this important figure in our literary history and the fun family drop-in sessions will hopefully inspire younger generations to read his work.
“Writers such as Stevenson underpin the cultural fabric of our city and their words continue to influence, excite and teach hundreds of years later.
“Our Stevenson collections speak to the life and experiences of this great writer, both as a young boy and his later days spent in the South Seas and I hope they can be enjoyed by many this weekend.”
Jeremy Hodges, RLS Day co-ordinator for the Robert Louis Stevenson Club, said: “Once again we are delighted by the City of Edinburgh Council’s strong support for this annual celebration of the life and work of one of Scotland’s best-loved authors in the city of his birth.
“The events on offer at the Writers’ Museum and the City Art Centre are central to the wider programme and reflect Stevenson’s enduring popularity today.
Margaret Findlay, Learning and Public Programmes Manager at the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “It is always a great pleasure for me to develop activities annually for RLS Day and work with the Robert Louis Stevenson Club and other partners in the city.
“Stevenson remains such a pivotal Scottish writer, and his influence lives on today through contemporary Scottish writers.
“This year we are thrilled that Katelyn Lothian who is currently on a Promising Young People Placement funded by the Young Person’s Guarantee is developing and delivering the family activities at the City Art Centre as part of her experience.
“We are also pleased to be showcasing new research by Edinburgh and Chester Universities focused on adaptations of Stevenson’s Pacific fiction in consultation with Hawaiian, Samoan and Scottish communities.”
Join members and friends of the Robert Louis Stevenson Club for an hour of romance set in the turbulent times of Scotland in the wake of Culloden. The group will read from his works and bring to life one of Stevenson’s most romantic figures.
When a fresh story by Robert Louis Stevenson first appeared 130 years ago, it marked a new development in the work of the great Scottish novelist.
The tale that began serialisation in Atalanta magazine for young women was his first true love story.
Following on the Boy’s Own adventure success of ‘Kidnapped’, he now allowed his hero David Balfour to fall in love – with the beautiful and brave Catriona Drummond. The result was the work he regarded as his finest, yet ‘Catriona’ is still less well-known than the ever-popular ‘Treasure Island’.
Come and join us at the City Art Centre with Katelyn our Learning and Programmes Assistant for a new and exciting workshop looking at the poems of Robert Louis Stevenson.
We will be sharing the story of Robert Louis Stevenson and how he become one of Scotland’s best-known writers. Create fun, colourful illustrations inspired by his poems for you take home and treasure.
This workshop is open to anyone who is looking to learn more about one of Scotland’s much-loved writers. This workshop is designed for families working together to reflect on his life and writings.
Join us for a fun free afternoon of music & words also inviting audience members to participate with reading a short poem/literary extract by their favourite writer, marking the birthday of Robert Louis Stevenson, the 400th anniversary of Lady Stair’s House, and Remembrance Sunday.
Performances will feature ‘The Poets’ Fiddle’ made by local nature conservationist /luthier Steve Burnett to mark Robert Louis Stevenson’s 170th anniversary in 2020, along with the ‘Wilfred Owen and Siegfried Sassoon violins’, endorsed as Envoys for Peace, Reconciliation and Respect made from a living Edinburgh sycamore that still grows in Craiglockhart, the former shell shock hospital where famously in 1917, the two WW1 anti-war poets met.
Music by award-winning musicians, Scottish fiddler Alastair Savage and cellist Alice Allen, along with brother & sister violinists 14 year old Viktor and 12 year old Klara Seifert.
A new research team from Edinburgh and Chester universities will introduce a major project with partners in Hawai’i, Samoa and Scotland. The project will produce the first ever multilingual graphic adaptation of the three stories from Robert Louis Stevenson’s Island Nights’ Entertainments (1893), commission new poetry by indigenous Pacific authors, and develop a set of accompanying teaching resources for use in Samoa, Hawai’i and Scotland. In addition, it will produce the first ever documentary film exploring contemporary Samoan perspectives on Stevenson. Be among the first to hear how the team fared in their recent field work in Hawai’i, Tahiti and the Tuamotu Archipelago, this July.
The story of North Edinburgh’s fight for social justice goes up the toon!
Join Edinburgh Museums for a talk with Lynn McCabe from Royston and Wardieburn Community Centre and Willie Black a passionate local activist from North Edinburgh.
North Edinburgh has been a hotbed of community activism for decades. ‘Never Give Up’, was a book produced by North Edinburgh Social History Group in 2011 – a panoramic account of community activism in North Edinburgh, highlighting the previously largely ignored and barely mentioned community areas of Pilton, Drylaw, Royston, Wardieburn, Granton and Muirhouse.
Lynn McCabe reflects on how this publication is still deeply relevant and Willie Black talks about North Edinburgh today, and shares positive stories from this vibrant and resilient Edinburgh community.
Lynn and Willie’s NEVER GIVE UP talk takes place on 14 February – Valentine’s Day – at the City Art Centre at 2pm but you can book your free tickets NOW
‘We are delighted to be involving North #Edinburgh Communities at the heart of our public events programmes for our Paul Duke Photography exhibition. This talk is by Lynn from
A stunning range of exhibitions for 2022 including a winter photographic season of three new displays has been announced for the City Art Centre.
All exhibitions will be free to attend. Further information on the individual shows, including an exciting and varied public events programme, will be announced later in the year.
National Treasure: The Scottish Modern Arts Association 21 May – 16 October 2022
The Scottish Modern Arts Association was founded in Edinburgh in 1907. Established by artists and their supporters, the organisation aimed to secure for the nation a representative collection of modern Scottish art. For more than fifty years, it actively acquired work by leading contemporary artists, building an outstanding collection of over 300 paintings, drawings, prints and sculptures. The majority of these artworks were transferred to the City of Edinburgh when the association disbanded in the 1960s, and they are now maintained by the City Art Centre.
National Treasure: The Scottish Modern Arts Association reveals the story of this unique collection, and the artists represented in it. Featuring work by the Glasgow Boys and the Scottish Colourists, as well as individuals such as William McTaggart, John Duncan, Anne Redpath and Joan Eardley, this major two-floor exhibition celebrates Scottish art at the dawn of modernism.
Will Maclean: Points of Departure 4 June – 2 October 2022
Will Maclean (b.1941) is one of the outstanding artists of his generation. His work is anchored in the history, archaeology, and literature of the Scottish Highlands and the Highland people, as well as his family background and personal associations with the sea.
Perhaps best known for his wall constructions, this major retrospective will span almost fifty years of work and embrace every facet of his practice – his constructions, drawings, prints, sculptures, artistic collaborations, video productions and outdoor installations. Combining exquisitely hand-made pieces with found or (on occasions) mass produced objects, his work balances between simplicity and complexity and invites the viewer to linger, to admire and to ponder the universal themes which he explores.
Accompanied by a new publication, the exhibition will be drawn from public and private collections, with many of the exhibits going on public display for the first time. The exhibition promises to be a rich visual feast for anyone with an interest in Scottish art and history.
Early twentieth century women filmmakers and photographers in Scotland (working title) 12 November 2022 – 12 March 2023
This ground-breaking exhibition presents the work of fourteen pioneering women photographers and filmmakers working in Scotland during the early 20th century.
The women are Violet Banks (1886-1985), Helen Biggar (1909-1953), Isabella Bird (1831-1904), Christina Broom (1862-1939), M.E.M. Donaldson (1876-1958), Jenny Gilbertson (1902-1990), Isobel F Grant (1887–1983), Ruby Grierson (1904-1940), Marion Grierson (1907-1998), Isobel Wylie Hutchison (1889-1982), Johanna Kissling (1875-1961), Isabell Burton-MacKenzie (1872-1958), Margaret Fay Shaw (1903-2004) and Margaret Watkins (1884-1969).
These women present different accounts of Scotland, covering both rural and city places and communities. The exhibition will show the breadth of their photography and filmmaking, offering a critical analysis of their work.
It explores the ways in which their work differs from their better-known male contemporaries, considers their different motivations and how these informed the work they made, and the different narratives we see emerging from their work in Scotland.
It is the first time their work will have been seen together, and it uncovers a previously untold story within the history of Scottish photography. Exhibits will be drawn from a broad selection of private and public collections.
The exhibition is a partnership project with Jenny Brownrigg, Exhibitions Director at The Glasgow School of Art.
Ron O’Donnell Edinburgh: A Lost World (working title) 19 November 2022 – 5 March 2023
Edinburgh: A Lost World features black and white and colour photographs of forgotten Edinburgh interiors by Scottish artist Ron O’Donnell. During the 1970s and 1980s O’Donnell focused on photographing shops, tea rooms, public toilets, prison cells and factories all over Edinburgh, many of which are no longer in existence. In 2010 he returned to photographing shop interiors. This time, he concentrated on barbers, pet shops, auto repair businesses, shoe repair shops and book shops, including the smallest shop in Edinburgh.
For many years O’Donnell has had a curious and insatiable desire to document the city. As a hunter of unusual interiors, he would cycle around Edinburgh with his camera, a flash gun in a cardboard box, strapped with bungees onto his bike rack, and a tripod slung round his neck.
He found his camera was a key to accessing interiors – hidden spots that many people never saw. As a result, O’Donnell has created an impressive photographic archive of these lost places. The exhibition displays a selection of his photographs, revealing and documenting the dramatic shifts that have taken place in the capital over the years.
Paul Duke: No Ruined Stone 26 November 2022 – 26 February 2023
The artist Paul Duke grew up in the Muirhouse area of Edinburgh between the mid-1960s and early 1980s. In 2015 he returned to Muirhouse to develop No Ruined Stone, a photographic series exploring the built environment and its residents at a time of significant urban regeneration and social flux.
This exhibition presents a selection of photographs from the series; images that balance a documentary approach with highly personal insights. Duke embarked on this project determined to reconnect with his roots. While raising issues around social inequality and poverty, No Ruined Stone is underpinned by a message of human resilience and strength of character.
The exhibition is accompanied by the publication No Ruined Stone (Hartmann Books, 2018).
Auld Reekie Retold 3 December 2022 – 19 February 2023
This exhibition marks the culmination of Auld Reekie Retold, the largest collections inventory project ever undertaken in the organisation’s history. Over the past three years, this ambitious project has recorded, catalogued and revealed thousands of items housed in stores and venues across the City.
Auld Reekie Retold connects objects in the collection, which has been growing steadily since the 1870’s, with people and places in the city, uncovering new stories from Edinburgh and its residents. Perhaps you’ve seen some of the stories online, or joined one of our digital events; this exhibition will be a chance to see some of the highlight objects uncovered by the team, and also to find out about the behind the scenes work involved in maintaining the collection.
Museums & Galleries Edinburgh’s collections belong to the City, and Auld Reekie Retold aims to give every citizen of Edinburgh a sense of ownership of and connection to its objects and their stories.
Councillor Donald Wilson, Culture and Communities Convener said: “As we look ahead to 2022 at the City Art Centre it looks set to be a truly great year. The City Art Centre is one of the most accessible places in the Capital for art lovers and is home to Edinburgh’s art collection, one of the finest in the country.
“We’re delighted to be playing our part in the Edinburgh Art Festival and hosting some fantastic exhibitions. There are many highlights throughout the year beginning in Spring with ‘National Treasure: The Scottish Modern Arts Association’. The major two-floor exhibition will tell visitors the story of the unique collection and the artists behind it including works by William McTaggart and Joan Eardley.
“And then later in the year we’ll host the fascinating findings from ‘Auld Reekie Retold’. This fantastic project is allowing us to develop a fuller understanding and appreciation of what we have right here in our collections.
“The project has helped to uncover their stories, broaden participation with our Museums & Galleries and ensure their long-term relevance. This is the story of our great city that we all love. It needs to be told and I look forward to visitors discovering it for themselves this autumn.”
Councillor Amy McNeese-Mechan, Culture and Communities Vice Convener said: “The City Art Centre’s 2022 programme of free exhibitions will give visitors the opportunity to revisit enduring favourites such as Will Maclean, some of whose works will be on display for first time. They might also discover new favourites like Ron O’Donnell and Paul Duke, who both give us their unique views of Edinburgh.
“I’m very much looking forward to ‘Early twentieth century women filmmakers and photographers in Scotland’, where the works of 14 pioneering women will be brought together for the first time. This will offer visitors the chance to hear the previously untold story of women’s fascinating role within the history of Scottish photography.
“Whilst it’s fantastic to look ahead to a busy year in our City Art Centre, I’d like to reassure people that we will continue to take measures to ensure the safety of visitors and our staff, and will adhere to the latest public guidance.”
In keeping with Government advice to support 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.
The first exhibition dedicated to the Scottish artist John Henry Lorimer (1856-1936) will open at the City Art Centre in Edinburgh on Saturday 6 November.
Over the years, Scottish audiences have shown a lot of support for John Henry, voting Spring Moonlight at the Kirkcaldy Galleries and The Flight of the Swallows at the City Art Centre (above) as their favourite paintings in the galleries’ permanent collections. Both paintings will be included in the exhibition, along with many from private collections, some of which have not been on public display for several decades.
Further highlights include the Tate Galleries’ portrait of the artist’s younger brother Sir Robert Lorimer, A.R.A., as a Boy and the Musee d’Orsay’s painting Grandmother’s Birthday. Also known as Benedicte Grandmother’s Birthday, the first painting by a Scottish artist to be bought by the French Government, is displayed with one of the chairs that features in the painting, designed by architect and furniture designer Sir Robert Lorimer. The painting was last exhibited at the Musee d’Orsay in 1989, alongside paintings by Millet, Whistler and Morisot.
Co-curator Charlotte Lorimer said: “While artists such as Claude Monet and Edgar Degas pushed the boundaries of painting and were rejected by traditional galleries and the Paris Salon, John Henry developed a more classical style and won medals from the Salon and praise from critics.
“History tends to remember the rebels. But there is also a place for the quiet craftmanship of artists such as John Henry.”
Co-Curator David Patterson added: “Here at the City Art Centre, we are really excited to be hosting the first ever major exhibition dedicated to the work of John Henry Lorimer.
“His work, which is so often overlooked in favour of his more radical contemporaries, is technically brilliant and his elegant interiors and light-filled landscapes will uplift everyone’s spirits during the winter months.
Culture and Communities Convener Councillor Donald Wilson, said: “I’m delighted that the City Art Centre is able to showcase this fantastic exhibition of the rarely seen works of John Henry Lorimer.
“It’s incredible to think this is the first exhibition dedicated to him since his passing in 1936. Reflections: The Light and Life of John Henry Lorimer will take visitors on a journey of his work through five themes of light, identity, family, femininity and home. Not only will it be an opportunity to celebrate his work, there are pieces from both public and private collections, the majority of which have not been on public display in decades!”
Culture and Communities Vice Convener Councillor Amy McNeese-Mechan said: “We’re excited to be exhibiting the first retrospective of John Henry’s work.
“A technically gifted, but somewhat forgotten artist, this is a chance for audiences to discover his work and learn about the artist himself and the role he played in Scottish art history. Alongside the exhibition there will be a programme of events and we look forward to revealing more details soon.”
In order to protect and maintain the safety of our visitors and staff, the City Art Centre has introduced a range of safety measures and procedures throughout the venue, including a one-way system, installation of screens at reception, hand sanitiser stations, extra barriers and signage. Staff will be wearing face coverings while offering visitors a very warm, socially distanced welcome.
Reflections: The Light and Life of John Henry Lorimer at the City Art Centre opens on Saturday 6 November 2021, and runs until 20 March 2022.
Admission is free.
Reflections: the Light and Life of John Henry Lorimer has been generously supported by The Lorimer Society, The Inches Carr Trust, The Binks Trust, The East Fife Members Centre and all those who contributed to our crowdfunding campaign.
This summer the City Art Centre and Ann Lanntair, Stornoway present, Eileanach: Na dealbhan aig Dòmhnall Mac a’ Ghobhainn / Islander: The Paintings of Donald Smith. Running from 29 May to 26 September
This landmark display, part of the Edinburgh Art Festival 2021, is the first major retrospective of the work of Scottish artist Donald Smith (1926-2014).
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.
In 2011, five of Donald Smith’s ambitious paintings of Stornoway harbour were exhibited at the City Art Centre in ‘Window to the West’, an examination of the relationship between the visual arts and Gaelic language and culture.
In the accompanying catalogue, Professor Murdo Macdonald suggested that a full evaluation of Donald Smith’s prolific and focused work was overdue.
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 Donald Smith.
“Islander” will allow visitors to discover the man behind the works celebrating the power of the human spirit.”
Councillor Amy McNeese-Mechan, Edinburgh’s Vice Convener of Culture and Communities said: “This is a really exciting opportunity to showcase a Scottish artist whose work will be new to many people. It’s been fantastic to welcome our visitors back to the centre and this is another great exhibition for them to explore.
Curator David Patterson said: “The City Art Centre has made a deliberate attempt in recent years to showcase Scottish artists who have largely been overlooked in the story of Scottish art.
“We are therefore delighted to be partnering with An Lanntair in Stornoway to shine the spotlight on another unheralded painter. Donald Smith may not be well known by many, but hopefully this exhibition will go some way to rectify this and draw attention to a unique talent.”
Donald Smith was uniquely placed to connect the Gaelic world of the West with the English-speaking mainstream. He left the island to study at Gray’s School of Art in Aberdeen, continuing to live and work in Aberdeenshire until his return to the island in 1974.
While working as a portrait painter and teacher, Smith developed a structured, contemporary approach to painting. Being one of a number of post-war Scottish artists responding to swift social and cultural change, he saw himself as an outward looking Gael, with one foot in the culture of mainland Scotland, and one in the Hebrides. As a teacher he was dedicated and inspiring.
“…it was Donald Smith who guided our first steps and when, decades later I saw his paintings, I was delighted that they more than measured up to the man and the impression he had made on my younger self.” Arthur Watson PPRSA
Based in a crofting community on the West Side of Lewis from 1974 to his death in 2014, alongside extensive local commitments including teaching, crofting, grazings committee and community council, a steady flow of portraits, large oil panels and works on paper emerged from his studio. Island fishermen and women were transformed into iconic images of working people. Working from many hundreds of drawings and photographs, balancing the competing demands of three-dimensional space and painted surface, these are intensely lyrical paintings, celebrating the indomitability of the human spirit.
The writer and educationalist R F Mackenzie, visiting Bragar in the late 1980s found “….an artist struggling to present how he sees the earthly sojourn of fishermen, big hands deftly mending nets, a grey hard life, and the primary colours of their boats and the magnificent variety of their tackle and trim, the expression on their faces like those of the Rodel tombs and the ancient Chessmen.”
The work of Donald Smith has been exhibited at the Royal Scottish Academy, the Society of Scottish Artists, Aberdeen Artists, and many other locations. In 2019 An Lanntair staged a major display of his work to great local acclaim, although sadly a wider tour had to be curtailed due to the pandemic.
He is represented in public collections including the Nuffield Foundation, the BBC, and Art for Hospitals, with many works held in private collections. This exhibition celebrates the work of Donald Smith and attempts to address the evaluation that Professor Macdonald sought.
The exhibition is accompanied by a varied programme of public events and activities, including tours, lectures and creative workshops. All events must be booked in advance. To book please visit www.edinburghmuseums.org.uk
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 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
Islander: the Paintings of Donald Smith opens on Saturday 29th May 2020, and runs until Sunday 26th September. Admission is free, pre-booking essential.
Visitors to the gallery can also enjoy the free mini display Joan Eardley (1921-1963). The works included are: Girl in a Striped Cardigan, Tenement, Old Woman Sewing and July Fields. It is part of the nationwide programme of events marking the centenary of the birth of Joan Eardley.
Marine: Ian Hamilton Finlay 22 May – 3 October 2021 – Free admission, pre-booking essential
Edinburgh’s City Art Centre presents Marine, a two-floor exhibition of artworks by Ian Hamilton Finlay (1925-2006).
Finlay was an internationally renowned Scottish artist and Britain’s most significant concrete poet of the 20th century. Opening on 22 May, this major exhibition focuses on the maritime theme in his work. It was a central element of Finlay’s 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, Marine: Ian Hamilton Finlay 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, capturing Finlay’s interest in nautical themes across a variety of media.
On show, alongside Marine: Ian Hamilton Finlay, will be photographs from the series Ian’s Fleet by Robin Gillanders, which the City Art Centre has recently acquired for its collection.
This sequence of seven black and white photographs capture a fleet of wooden model boats made by Finlay, floating on Lochan Eck, the pond at Little Sparta. Little Sparta is the garden at Stonypath, in the Pentland Hills, where Finlay lived and worked for 40 years and is now considered one of Scotland’s greatest 20th century artworks.
The show is accompanied by an exciting events programme and a catalogue with an insightful essay by Stephen Bann, CBE, Emeritus Professor of History of Art, and Senior Research Fellow at Bristol University.
Marine: Ian Hamilton Finlay has been co-curated with Pia Maria Simig, Executor of the Estate of Ian Hamilton Finlay, and is presented as part of the Edinburgh Art Festival 2021 and Scotland’s Year of Coasts and Waters 20/21.
To coincide with the City Art Centre’s exhibition, the Scottish Poetry Library presents a small display of works by Finlay, drawn from its archive. From Sea to City: Ian Hamilton Finlay runs from 25 May to 9 October 2021.
City Art Centre Curator Maeve Toal said: “The marine theme was an early source of inspiration for Finlay and continued to be a recurring influence throughout his life. Indeed, boats proved to be an inexhaustible subject.
“Taking its title from the earliest work in the exhibition, Marine (1968), this show brings together artworks which span Finlay’s entire artistic output, stretching from the 1960s through to the 2000s.
Councillor Donald Wilson, Edinburgh’s Convener of Culture and Communities said: “We are delighted that the City Art Centre is able to showcase this extensive exhibition of works by Ian Hamilton Finlay.
“Finlay was one of the most versatile artists of his generation. With the assistance of collaborators, Finlay translated his ideas into artworks in a wide range of media. I am sure visitors will be inspired by this diverse body of work.
Councillor Amy McNeese-Mechan, Edinburgh’s Vice Convener of Culture and Communities said: “We’re all very much looking forward to welcoming visitors back when we reopen this weekend and this is another fantastic exhibition to look forward to.
“Marine promises to be a fascinating exhibition and visitors can also enjoy the accompanying programme of events which includes special tours, family craft sessions and talks by Findlay’s collaborators.”
Marine: Ian Hamilton Finlay 22 May – 3 October 2021 Free admission, pre-booking essential
Edinburgh’s City Art Centre presents Marine, a two-floor exhibition of artworks by Ian Hamilton Finlay (1925-2006).
Finlay was an internationally renowned Scottish artist and Britain’s most significant concrete poet of the 20th century. Opening on 22 May, this major exhibition focuses on the maritime theme in his work. It was a central element of Finlay’s 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, Marine: Ian Hamilton Finlay 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, capturing Finlay’s interest in nautical themes across a variety of media.
On show, alongside Marine: Ian Hamilton Finlay, will be photographs from the series Ian’s Fleet by Robin Gillanders, which the City Art Centre has recently acquired for its collection.
This sequence of seven black and white photographs capture a fleet of wooden model boats made by Finlay, floating on Lochan Eck, the pond at Little Sparta. Little Sparta is the garden at Stonypath, in the Pentland Hills, where Finlay lived and worked for 40 years and is now considered one of Scotland’s greatest 20th century artworks.
The show is accompanied by an exciting events programme and a catalogue with an insightful essay by Stephen Bann, CBE, Emeritus Professor of History of Art, and Senior Research Fellow at Bristol University.
Marine: Ian Hamilton Finlay has been co-curated with Pia Maria Simig, Executor of the Estate of Ian Hamilton Finlay, and is presented as part of the Edinburgh Art Festival 2021 and Scotland’s Year of Coasts and Waters 20/21.
To coincide with the City Art Centre’s exhibition, the Scottish Poetry Library presents a small display of works by Finlay, drawn from its archive. From Sea to City: Ian Hamilton Finlay runs from 25 May to 9 October 2021.
City Art Centre Curator Maeve Toal said: “The marine theme was an early source of inspiration for Finlay and continued to be a recurring influence throughout his life.
“Indeed, boats proved to be an inexhaustible subject. Taking its title from the earliest work in the exhibition, Marine (1968), this show brings together artworks which span Finlay’s entire artistic output, stretching from the 1960s through to the 2000s.”
Councillor Donald Wilson, Edinburgh’s Convener of Culture and Communities said: “We are delighted that the City Art Centre is able to showcase this extensive exhibition of works by Ian Hamilton Finlay.
“Finlay was one of the most versatile artists of his generation. With the assistance of collaborators, Finlay translated his ideas into artworks in a wide range of media. I am sure visitors will be inspired by this diverse body of work.
Councillor Amy McNeese-Mechan, Edinburgh’s Vice Convener of Culture and Communities said: “We’re all very much looking forward to welcoming visitors back when we reopen this weekend and this is another fantastic exhibition to look forward to.
“Marine promises to be a fascinating exhibition and visitors can also enjoy the accompanying programme of events which includes special tours, family craft sessions and talks by Findlay’s collaborators.”
Charles H. Mackie: Colour and Light 15 May 2021 – 10 October 2021 City Art Centre, 2 Market Street, Edinburgh EH1 1DE Free Admission, pre-booking online essential
Edinburgh’s City Art Centre is to re-open its doors to the public on Saturday 15th May 2021 with a full range of safety measures in place to ensure the safety of visitors and staff.
Visitors will be able to enjoy two exhibitions – the brand new retrospective Charles H. Mackie: Colour and Light, and the continuing collection display Bright Shadows: Scottish Art in the 1920s.
This summer, Edinburgh’s City Art Centre presents the first major exhibition in over 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. A full-scale retrospective, 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 exhibition 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 over 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.
Councillor Donald Wilson Culture and Communities Convener, said: “We are thrilled to be once again reopening the doors to the City Art Centre next week. The centre for our world class collections and exhibitions, we have certainly missed it!
“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.”
Councillor Amy McNeese-Mechan, Culture and Communities Vice Convener, said: “This fantastic exhibition really shows the breadth of Mackie’s talents, and I think ‘Colour and Light’ are something we could all use right now!
“I’d like to reassure people that we continue to take measures to ensure the safety of visitors and our staff, so please follow the latest guidance and avoid visiting if showing any symptoms of coronavirus. We’re all very much looking forward to welcoming visitors back when we reopen next week.”
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 are a number of artworks from private collections, such as Breton Girl Crocheting, which is one of Mackie’s earliest experiments in the Symbolist style, or Study for Pitreavie Mural, which is a rare surviving watercolour depicting part of an original mural scheme that no longer exists.
Most of these privately-owned artworks have not been seen in public for many years. All in all, the exhibition is a wonderful, unique 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.”
Charles H. Mackie: Colour and Light is being presented as part of Edinburgh Art Festival 2021, and it is accompanied by a varied programme of public events and activities.
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 face coverings while offering visitors a very warm, socially distanced welcome.
Visitors are asked to wear face coverings and pre-book free tickets for allocated time slots in advance via edinburghmuseums.org.uk
Charles H. Mackie: Colour and Light opens on 15 May 2021 and runs until 10 October 2021. Admission is free.
Visitors to the City Art Centre will also be able to enjoy the free collection display Bright Shadows: Scottish Art in the 1920s. This exhibition explores the work of Scottish artists during the 1920s – an evocative period of social, political and economic change. Bright Shadows opened in September and will run until Sunday 27 June
