| 148TH ANNUAL EXHIBITION 2009 |

 

 

 

Annual Exhibition 2009 - introduction from Catalogue

 

This Catalogue is full of information on the RGI itself, the Artists, Award Donors, Award Winners, our Advertisers and our Volunteers.

 

Purchases can be made at the Desk and OWN ART terms are available.

 

If you are viewing in the evening do come back in the daytime when the light is shining through the magnificent ceiling onto the works of art below.

 

Great excitement No 1. On 1st October in the Usher Hall amid fanfares eight categories of Awards were made by Arts and Business Scotland. The partnership between the Sponsor Inverarity One to One and the RGI itself was shortlisted and won the Small Business Award category demonstrating quantifiable outcomes and measurable impact. This is perfectly accurate as Inverarity's impute has galvanized the RGI to increase its efforts to champion contemporary art and acted as a catalyst for artists to submit in an open exhibition. Hamish Martin, who has done so much for us, and your President were each presented with decorated ceramics handmade by Helen Beard of London which are on display in the Exhibition.

 

Great Excitement No 2. A newly designed website which is easily managed and updated is launched. There is a NEW NAME. Call up www.royalglasgowinstitute.org. As they become available more features, photographs and links will be added.

 

Great Excitement No 3. Our Meeting on Monday 16th November in the Mitchell Theatre with John Byrne when he is interviewed by Sandy Moffat. We want to fill the whole theatre and funds go the cost of this Exhibition. Details are advertised in the catalogue. It will be a fascinating event. Other RGI activities, the Luncheon lecture and demonstrations, Christmas Postcard Exhibition, and Wine Tasting sponsored by Inverarity are also advertised there.

 

Last year I recorded the death of John Houston OBE RSA RSW RGI and our condolences were sent on behalf of all members to his widow Dame Elizabeth Blackadder. She has kindly allowed us to exhibit a memorial tribute together with sketchbook. We thank them for their support of the RGI over many years.

 

The Inverarity One to One award by Inverarity Vaults Limited is open to all who have a work selected. The cash prize of £2000, a commission to produce work for an own label Inverarity Vaults wine, a week with the Champagne house Louis Roederer at their chateau in France with a further week in the champagne region, the work purchased for the Inverarity Vaults Collection. The first winner was Margaretann Bennett and she has just held her very successful exhibition of works derived from her visit at her solo exhibition in the RGI Kelly Gallery - also part of the prize. This is supported by an Arts & Business Scottish Executive New Arts Sponsorship Award which also helps us in administration and promotion. Our most grateful thanks to all these and especially Inverarity who have continually helped us throughout the year with wines at all our functions. Look out for the details in 2010 of the exhibition of last year's winner Ronnie Smith.

 

Council thanks on behalf of the membership every one of the many Donors of awards. They give the exhibition a wonderful cutting edge and added incentive to reach for high standards. These generous individuals and institutions give their annual prize in many cases for years. The award builds up renown and prestige, and they become beacons in the curricula vitae of the winners.

 

We continue our quest for sponsors of the Exhibition which, despite the generous help from Glasgow City Council, is a massive expense. If you are contemplating sponsorship of an award, or the exhibition as a whole, or part of it such as the catalogue, or the photography or the printing, then please contact myself or the office.

 

We welcome our new RGI John Inglis PRSW who was elected by his peers in April. We have enjoyed his work in the past and look forward to seeing it in this and future exhibitions.

 

My thanks to our our Secretary Lesley Nicholl, the entire Council for unstinting work, and our Convenor Simon Laurie and his team of Selectors and Hangers. Neil McIntosh and his team of professional handlers, partition builders, and quality executors of all practical jobs, have created with them and all the artists, whether they have been selected or not, an Exhibition I hope you will discover is a thoroughly enjoyable, varied and interesting visit to The Mitchell.

 

Be you an admirer or a creator of art why not join the RGI for a modest sum and contribute to the long history it has in supporting contemporary art. Entries and award winners come from all airts!

 

Gordon C Macpherson

President