The Clare Henry Arts Oscars
Until the year 2000, when I left for New York, each year I wrote The Clare Henry Oscars, my most popular Herald column! Right now we need recognition of success as well as failures, so today I am, (mostly) celebrating!
PAI, Paisley Art Institute: artists Joe Hargan, Eslyn Barr and Marie Louise defied bureaucracy, relocating the 150 year old PAI from Paisley to Glasgow Art Club, a move to revitalise both organisations. Helping create new vibe and new menu is restrauteur Gordon Yuill, while Hargan has created their new display of distinguished Scottish paintings, including works from PAI.
EXHIBITION: Sir John Lavery show at the Scottish National Gallery for the Edinburgh Festival, a triumph.
NEW MUSEUM: The Wyllieum, Greenock. Designed by award winning architect Richard Murphy to house works of local hero George Wyllie, whose quirky sculptures have delighted audiences for the last 50 years.
PERTH ART GALLERY J D Fergusson 1874-1961 & Margaret Morris, 1891-1980. Marking Fergusson’s 150th anniversary, Perth opened a permanent exhibition Fergus and Meg: A Creative Partnership. They lived in a top floor flat at Glasgow’s Botanics where I visited Meg in 1970.
FOUR WOMEN important to Glasgow’s worshops: new director, Claire Forsyth has improved things at Glasgow Print studio. Glasgow Ceramic Studio founded by Susan O’Byrne in 2001, is a lively home for ceramic artists, interns and international residents. It offers kiln hire too. Hanson Street Pulp set up by Alison Newman makes handmade paper using fibres like hemp and kyoto. Jo Kinnersley's Workshop runs workshops for fabric screen-printed art.
PUBLIC SCULPTURE. Kelpies creator Andy Scott installed a giant, majestic, monumental metal bird in Minnesota: 62 sections 30ft high, with 90ft wingspan covered in 50,000 shimmering steel feathers, made in his LA studio, transported there on a dozen 52ft trucks!
EXCITING & UNIQUE. THE REVELATOR, the world’s only arts venue located in a home-made circular wall of death, is jam packed with ideas, artists, inspiration and exhibitions.
VIDEO. Smith/Stewart collaborators since the 1990s, make the most memorable videos I know. They teach at Glasgow Art School where their exhibition Present Tense included installation and early videos.
My GOOD NEWS is that my Clare Henry Archive, from 1978 to today, is going to the Scottish National Galleries.
Failures/Tragedies:
MACKINTOSH: Glasgow was famous for its iconic Mackintosh buildings. After 2 fires, the GSA lies under a white shroud with no sign of progress. Mismanagement forced GSA into arbitration re insurance. Mackintosh’s neglected Martyrs School is also up for sale.
WASPS, with 22 buildings across Scotland containing thousands of artists have doubled rents of many of their studios. Disaster for many.
CLARE HENRY
clrhenry@aol.com
