Find your perfect work of art at Paisley exhibition
More than 500 artworks are now in place at Paisley Museum – in time for the opening of a major show.
The Paisley Art Institute’s annual exhibition will open on Sunday, May 20, and will give people the chance to view, or buy, top-quality art.
It is the last show by the PAI at the museum for four years as the venue is due to close in the autumn for a major refurbishment.
David Sutton, PAI president, said:“It’s all hung and ready to go. “We’ve got more items on show than last year. “I think it’s 535 works, and last year was 463, so it’s a big exhibition.
“The quality is very good – I think we’re very pleased with that.
“Informal comments so far have been very, very positive.
“For example, our guest assessors who do the judging were very impressed with the quality.”
Featured in the show are works by PAI artists and diplomate members, as well as open entrants.
The image on the show’s catalogue and posters is one of a young woman.
“It is by the late Karen Scopa, who was a very bright girl who tragically died on Boxing Day,”Mr Sutton said.
“So we used one of her images as a tribute and we’ve got the memorial prize as well as some of her works on display.”
Mr Sutton is encouraging as many people as possible to go along to the exhibition once it opens.
“People say that in terms of art they know what they like,”he said.
“And I think there will be something for them to like.
“I would say we’ve got a good mix of traditional work and cutting-edge pieces because we like to think it’s the latest in contemporary art in Scotland from a lot of the entrants.
“So, yes, there’ll be abstract work, there’ll be traditional work and portraiture and figurative work.
“Some visitors might find some of them challenging but it’s always interesting.”
Most of the work will be for sale, giving people the chance to take home a favourite work.
“They range from about £100 to £25,000 but most of the work on show, I would say, would be under £500,”Mr Sutton said.
The PAI is currently in discussions with Paisley Museum bosses Renfrewshire Leisure about finding a venue for next year’s exhibition.
“This will be the last one here for some years, so we were keen to put on a new show in the current galleries,”Mr Sutton said.
“We have a sub-group from Paisley Art Institute in consultation with Renfrewshire Leisure about next year and we are hoping to find a venue in Paisley – that’s our number one object, to try to have a show in the town next year and over the interim period.”
The PAI exhibition will run from Sunday, May 20 until Sunday, June 24.