Royal Glasgow Institute of Fine Arts has new exhibitions launched

The Royal Glasgow Institute of the Fine Arts (RGI) is celebrating its renaissance with exhibitions at the RGI Kelly Gallery in Glasgow and Fidra Fine Art in Gullane, East Lothian.

The institution supported the early careers of renowned Scottish artists such as Charles Rennie Mackintosh and the Glasgow Boys.

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The RGI Kelly Gallery will host the New Voices exhibit running from 5th – 28th April. 

The exhibit will showcasing the work of newly elected members.

Fidra Fine Art will host Work on Paper which is set to feature 25 RGI members including Will Maclean, Elspeth Lamb and Ade Adesina.

The RGI, founded in 1861, was known for hosting the largest open exhibitions outside London and once had more than 2000 members.

It provided a platform for the work of top Scottish artists such as the Glasgow Boys, the Scottish Colourists, Charles Rennie Mackintosh, the Glasgow Girls ,and Joan Eardley.

The RGI Kelly Gallery will host the New Voices exhibit, (Image: Supplied)

The RGI also provided Scottish audiences a chance to view work by renowned artists such as Turner, Whistler, Monet and Degas.

In recent years, the organisation faced challenges with declining membership and the closure of its flagship venue, the McLellan Galleries.

Now a generation of new artists is striving to bring it back to life.

Michael Durning, artist and administrator at RGI, said: “The RGI has a great history, and we hope to revive that energy.

“Having exhibitions on both sides of the country shows that we are committed to working across the whole of Scotland, not only in Glasgow.

“We want to revitalise the RGI and celebrate the great artistic heritage that we have.

The RGI has promoted the work for contemporary painters and sculptors for more than 150 years, and it’s as important as ever for artists to have a platform like this to come together and show their work.”

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Michael hopes that the revival of the RGI Kelly Gallery in Douglas Street, Glasgow, will aid the cultural regeneration of the area around Sauchiehall Street.

He said: “This area has been designated a cultural heritage district by Glasgow City Council.

“Reinvention is almost always led by artists, and we are well placed, with our colleagues at Paisley Art Institute, now based at Glasgow Art Club, and other local galleries to build foundations for new things to happen in this part of the city centre.”