Art comes in all shapes and sizes and in all sorts of unusual venues. None more so than Scotland’s contemporary art gallery in a bus, which is visiting Aberdeen this week. Around 100 S1 pupils at the city’s Lochside Academy enjoyed visits to the bus today (Friday) when it was parked up at the school.
This is the third year the Archives, Gallery & Museums team has worked with the Travelling Gallery to bring this custom-built mobile art venue to the doorsteps of people in Aberdeen. As well as visiting Lochside Academy today (Friday), the Travelling Gallery was at Northfield Community Centre on Thursday and will be at Union Terrace Gardens tomorrow (Saturday).
This year’s Travelling Gallery programme is themed around the environment and climate emergency, with participating artists exploring ecological issues which will in turn encourage visitors to think about their own relationship with, and connection to, nature. The current exhibition, After Glass, is a collaboration by artists Rachel McBrinn and Alison Scott. The work was made following a period of research and development at St Andrews Botanic Garden and centres around the recent demolition of the glasshouses and the ideologies and histories these structures represent.
Louise Briggs, Travelling Gallery Curator, said: “It’s fantastic to have the support of Aberdeen Archives, Gallery & Museums again to bring the Travelling Gallery to audiences in Aberdeen. Taking the Gallery to schools is a huge part of the work we do to engage with and inspire the younger generations. The Travelling Gallery often introduces young people to contemporary art for the first time, with the artists and artwork we present having the ability to show them the potential and the possibilities for working in the creative industries. We so often hear from artists and members of the public that the Gallery visited their school and that they went on to pursue a career in the arts. This even happened today at Lochside Academy, with the art teacher reminiscing about her own experience visiting the Travelling Gallery as a pupil back 2014.”
Councillor Martin Greig, Aberdeen City Council’s culture spokesman, said: “We all know that art can change lives and the Travelling Gallery is a great example of presenting art in an unusual and engaging way. This unique gallery space offers an open and welcoming environment for people of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities to discover and enjoy contemporary art in their own communities. Thanks to the Travelling Gallery team and the Expressive Arts staff at Lochside Academy for giving the pupils this great live experience as part of their art and design studies.”
The Travelling Gallery will be a Union Terrace Gardens (10am-4pm) on Saturday 22 March. The exhibition is free and everyone is welcome.