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2011

Radio broadcast for RGI 150th celebration, 31st May 2011

Past Convenor Simon Laurie and Kelly Gallery Curator and Project Manager Lynne Mackenzie were on BBC Radio Scotland's The Culture Cafe.

A message from Gordon Macpherson, RGI President

Help us celebrate the RGI’s 150th anniversary by coming along to the various events planned throughout this year.

The RGI Kelly Gallery is hosting more exhibitions than ever now that our new Curator and Project Manager, Lynne Mackenzie, and Curatorial Assistant, Amy Marletta, are well and truly settled in. We also have Heather MacLeod working as press officer to raise awareness of the RGI.

The Council is as active as ever, with the Tuesday Talks proving a sell-out, so it’s worth checking the website and our newly created Facebook for details.

Special thanks must go to Simon Laurie who has been the convener of the last six Annual Exhibitions.

The profit from last year’s successful Crinan Exhibition has again helped to cut the deficit of The Mitchell Exhibition. Our thanks to Frances Macdonald and her family at the Crinan Hotel for this important link with Argyll. The strong support of Inverarity One to One at all our events has once more been fantastic.

These activities are all overshadowed by the problems of high achievements but poor sales especially, in the RGI Kelly Gallery, although the poor sales of 2009 at the Mitchell were marginally reversed last year. Consequently income has fallen, and as with everyone, we have to look at our position.

What can we do to help?

By supporting functions, visiting the gallery and meeting our new staff.

Buying a work of art from one of the many events to mark the 150th.

As we want to double our membership, there is now a special scheme to for birthday, anniversary and special membership gifts.

If you can help with imaginative sponsorship, please contact individual Council members, or Lesley, or the Gallery Staff.

To those who have the RGI over the years, I would ask you to consider joining us who annually forego our exemption. Although many organizations have recently altered their constitutions and changed the subscription details of those over 65, we do not intend to do such a thing.

Join the small band of voluntary Friends of the RGI Kelly Gallery.

Whether it’s an exhibition at the RGI Kelly, Tuesday Talk, major public lectures, mid-summer founding celebration party, or Annual Exhibition this September, we look forward to welcoming you during this our 150th year.

New Appointments

The RGI are delighted to announce the new appointments of Lynne Mackenzie as our Kelly Gallery Curator and Project Manager, and also Amy Marletta as Curatorial Assistant. Both appointments commenced on 11.1.11.

2010

RGI congratulates latest Turner Prize winner, December

RGI president Gordon Macpherson congratulated Glasgow born artist Susan Philipsz, click here to view newspaper article.

2009

Photo courtesy Dr Leonard Esakowitz

John Byrne HRGI

After the Fall

73" x 73"

2001 Annual Exhibition

John Byrne Spills the Beans to Sandy Moffat

Monday 16th November 2009, 7pm

The Mitchell Theatre

A special event celebrating this year's Annual Exhibition was held in the Mitchell Theatre on 16 November when an enthusiastic audience welcomed painter, playwright and Honorary RGI, John Byrne to 'spill the beans' to Sandy Moffat, former Head of Drawing and Painting at the Glasgow School of Art.

Their conversation illuminated the extraordinary talents of the Paisley-born all-round artist and the influences, experiences and backdrops that directed and defined his work, whether by chance or by singlemindedness, making him a giant of contemporary creative media. Perhaps best-known for his plays 'The Slab Boys' trilogy, 'The Cheviot, the Stag and the Black, Black Oil', 'Writer's Cramp' with its quintessential character, Francis McDade, and his television series 'Tutti Frutti', his writing is underpinned by his keen wit and social and political comment. First and foremost a visual artist, he is also distinguished for his portraits and self-portraits - and of course for taking gable-end graffiti into the realm of fine art!

AN AWARD FOR AN AWARD - Arts & Business Scotland 2009 Awards

Probably the most imaginative award for an Artist in Scotland is the Inverarity One to One Travel Award supported by Arts and Business Scotland with a cash prize, a visit to the Champagne House of Louis Roederer in Champagne country at the time of the grape harvest, one of their works adorning the label of an Inverarity wine, and an exhibition in the RGI Kelly Gallery. Details can be seen in the section of prizes available to those who are selected for our open exhibitions in The Mitchell.

This AWARD was itself nominated by Arts and Business Scotland for an AWARD sponsored by the Bank of Scotland. On Thursday 1st October 2009 at a ceremony in the Usher Hall, Edinburgh, when eight categories were recognised the Partnership between Inverarity One to One and The Royal Glasgow Institute of the Fine Arts won their category.

RGI President Gordon Macpherson

Hamish Martin MD of Inverarity One to One and enthusiastic sponsor of the RGI and our President Gordon Macpherson each received a hand made and decorated ceramic pot by Helen Beard of London as seen in the illustration to a splendid fanfare from the Orchestra of Scottish Opera and video presentation of the reasons for the award. This was based not just on imagination, but on quantifiable outcome and measurable impact. This is perfectly accurate. Inverarity's impute has galvanised the RGI to increase its efforts to champion contemporary art and acted as a catalyst for artists to submit in an open exhibition. The award has been accompanied by very welcome publicity.

→Arts & Business Scotland 2009 Awards

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