Annual display to open next week
Paisley’s historic art institute will next week launch its first annual exhibition since it officially moved out of the town.
The town’s loss is Glasgow’s gain however as the Paisley Art Institute has set up shop within the renowned Glasgow Art Club.
The annual exhibition is a staple of Scotland’s art scene; the long-running showcase returns for its 135th edition this year. It will be held at the art club on Bath Street from Tuesday, April 16 until Saturday, June 8.
In recent years the exhibition has been hosted at different locations while its historical home, Paisley Museum and Art Galleries, is being refurbished.
Anne Hargan, secretary of PAI, (pictured right) said: “The exhibition will run for ten weeks and will coincide with attempts to regenerate the area as part of the Glasgow Blythswood Festival, which runs for four weeks while we are there, and so there will be quite a lot of other events on for attendees of the exhibition to see too.
“It will be a little art zone. “We’re hoping it will help bring an upturn to the area.
“There will be a chance for people to see some wonderful artworks. We’ve received hundreds of submissions and will give out 20 awards to artists for the best pieces.”
The Glasgow Blythswood Festival is described as a “cultural renewal” for the area.
Anne says the institute would have preferred the benefits of the exhibition – such as increased footfall – would be Paisley’s to claim, but adds they’ve been left with no choice but to set up in Glasgow following the disagreement with Renfrewshire Council over the size of exhibition space at the soon-to-becompleted museum.
“We had no choice really, we had to move,” Anne added.
“Our committee checked out every building in the area that was lying unused and none of them were suitable. It’s very sad for Paisley.”
PAI – which was set up in 1915 with the support of the Coats family – has been based at Paisley Museum and Art Galleries for the majority of its existence, but this year it announced it would be moving its entire collection to the Glasgow Art Club.
The works include paintings by the Glasgow Boys and prestigious works that have been loaned and displayed all over the world including Yale University in America and the Tate Modern in London.
The institute had been offered a space at the museum, which they described as nothing more than a thoroughfare.
Renfrewshire Council however said the institute would have room to display 43 artworks from its collection at the refurbished cultural landmark and rejected the notion that the art space is insufficient, arguing it is a “prominent gallery”.
Now its £4million collection is being prepared for the move to Glasgow.
The Paisley Art Institute Annual Exhibition at Glasgow Art Club will be open Tuesday to Saturday from 11am-5pm, April 16 - June 8.