Joined up exhibiting

Saturdays are days for linking with the other components of the Whysman Festival, and today it was a visit to the exhibition in preparation for school parties coming in next week.

It was a delight to see visitors coming in, taking their time, taking their photographs, smiling at many of the exhibits.

The school parties visiting next week are at different stages of their educational journey. On Thursday, a P5 class will be coming up from Gourock and on Friday, pupils taking Advanced Higher Art & Design will be in from Strathaven. Different stages, different schools, different authorities. Even today, at just a random time on a Saturday afternoon, there was a wide range of visitors, and one of the strengths of George Wyllie's work has to be the way it appeals to so many, operates on different levels, and is open to a range of interpretations. It also lacks pretension and pupils see that.

We're looking forward to welcoming school parties, whatever stage they're at in their educational journey, and seeing what they make of it, what they take from it.

"I think - I believe - that few artists have actually ever touched such a canvas of people as George Wyllie did."

First Minister, Alex Salmond opening the exhibition, 01 November 2012


Now there's an interesting thought, an interesting ambition.