What? Some good news for a change?
AMONG current wars, tragedies and Trump stupidities, it's good to point out the good stuff: artists' collectives, good teachers, nice surprises. Clare Henry reports
Members of the Glasgow Group - founded 1958
I BEGAN my career as a researcher for the Paul Mellon Foundation into the history of the The Royal Glasgow Institute of the Fine Arts (RGI), founded 1861. Back then it hosted the largest art exhibitions outside London with a membership of 2000 including the Glasgow Boys – and Girls, Scottish Colourists, Mackintosh & Joan Eardley.
It also showed work by Turner, Whistler, Monet and Degas. Lavish dinners and balls were common, and in the 1970s & 80s I attended some legendary annual exhibitions of 1200 works held in the then beautiful McLellan Galleries on Sauchiehall Street.
In recent years the RGI went into decline, so its renaissance is very welcome. Current shows included New Voices at Glasgow's Kelly Gallery, Douglas Street, with 15 newly elected RGIs (including Anderson, Beaton, Ashley Cook, Ian Cook, Dewart, Hargan, Harkess, Scouller, Wegmulller et al), plus Fidra Fine Art in Gullane, East Lothian featuring 25 RGI members including Will Maclean, Lamb, Adesina, Carey, Flockhart, Forbes, Kinloch, Lawless, McMurrough, Nagl, Nevay, Scouller, Tweedie, Wilson.
RGI administrator, Michael Durning says "RGI has a great history. We hope to revive that energy and will be working across all Scotland, not just Glasgow. The RGI has promoted work for contemporary artists for more than 150 years. It's important we continue."
Nearby, the inspirational Paisley Art Institute, (PAI) now based at Glasgow Art Club, 185 Bath Street, (both institutions were founded in 1867) is also celebrating its large-scale 136th Paisley Annual public show of 500 works, until May 31, from 10 am-7pm.
Having recovered its famous collection of 19th century paintings, it continues a great tradition of artists supporting artists. Paisley Government School of Art & Design was set up in 1846 with Paisley's Free Museum & Library following in 1871. Philanthropy and a liberal mindset led to the establishment of Paisley Art Institute in 1876. This lively artists' collective, still run by artists, continues to make its mark.
Durning hopes the RGI Kelly Gallery coupled with the new Glasgow Art Club will aid cultural regeneration in an area which suffered badly due to the Mackintosh fires. Blythswood is now designated a cultural heritage district by Glasgow City Council. Both organisations agree, "Reinvention is often led by artists. We are well placed, with others like Billcliffe Gallery, to make good things happen in this part of the city."
The marriage of GAC and PAI took place in autumn 2024 with a superb show, which uniquely twinned PAI and Club pictures to make an impressive historic display of 100 works by nearly 100 artists. Excellent labels, each with PAI or Art Club logo, made identification easy.
For 133 years the annual show was held in Paisley Art Galleries, till politics intervened. Unexpectedly homeless, PAI found refuge in the Art Club. The Club was going downhill, partly due to old fashioned stuffy, unfriendly, male chauvinist attitudes. The arrival of PAI trailing bold colour, friendly collaboration, female insight and great food with management under Gordon Yuill, formerly of Rogano, has created a new style Club. Win win for both organisations, and the city.
The Glasgow Group, founded in 1958, also continues to mount regular shows with a dozen artists including Ashley Cook, Karen Strang, Rosemary Beaton, Damian Henry and Graham Govan. Also run by artists for artists, its founders included Alasdair Gray. Gray Day is another good thing currently organised by Sorcha Dallas along with her full-on job running the splendid Gray Archive. The annual Gray Day celebrated in February at Oran Mor marked Gray's 90 year.
Last but not least, Glasgow Society of Women Artists, or 'lady artists' as it was known in 1882 when begun by eight female students of Glasgow Art School, and described as "the first residential club in Scotland run by and for women."
By 1895 they bought a house at No. 5 Blythswood Square and in 1907 commissioned Mackintosh to create a gallery, plus striking black pedimented neo-classical front door (left) which you can see today. (behind scaffokding, below!)
In 1971 they sold it to the Scottish Arts Coyuncil for a fiver? (or maybe 100 pounds), so it would continue as an arts venue. The SAC broke its word and sold it on. Now it's empty and behind scaffolding.
Currently the GSWA annual show of 100 lively, colourful works, which I judged, is on view till June 8 at the lovely Maclaurin Gallery in Ayr. Set in a big beautiful park, it's a joy to visit in spring.
From 1985-2006 Sam Ainsley and David Harding created a dynamic community at Glasgow School of Art's pioneering Environmental Art department which produced many award winners. Recently a mega party was held at SWG3 to fundraise cash for a documentary on this generation of key artists who include 11 Tate Turner prizes over 17 years (including winners Douglas Gordon 1996, Simon Starling 2005, Richard Wright 2009 & Martin Boyce 2011) plus 16 Hamlyn Awards and nine Beck's Futures nominees (winners Roddy Buchanan and Toby Paterson).
So what was the secret? When Harding set up the course it was the first based on the premise that "The Context is half the work" so students often worked outside the gallery in collaboration with each other and with outside bodies, encouraged to carry out 'guerilla' works – urban projects with no permissions sought. Often sucessful subversive works resulted!
The only Robert Adam building in Glasgow, is the Trades Hall. Its exterior in Glassford Street (originally a pear tree orchard) hides a long history. Now 231 years old, it took many years to build and only escaped 1885 plans to demolish it due to legal matters.
Of the 14 trades - Bakers, Bonnets, Barbers Weavers Tailors etc, my favourite is the Gardeners. It was all news to me when I received an email I assumed to be a scam or hoax, about a prize from the Incorporation of Gardeners of Glasgow inviting me to an awards ceremony with the Provost. First established around 1605 to protect the craft of gardeners, its motto is - First of Arts. Like other trades, since 1846 it operates solely as a charity and together they raise over a million a year for charities.
Mackintosh continues to have a hard time. Recently two pews from his Queen's Cross Church were dumped at an architectural salvage place, before being listed for sale on Facebook. One got sawn in half, 'because they couldn't fit in the truck', said the chairman.
Hard to believe. Well, not all good stuff then!
CLARE HENRY
clrhenry@aol.com
