From stunning illustrations by Roald Dahl’s frequent collaborator Sir Quentin Blake to a special exhibition dedicated to Aberdeenshire artist James McBey, Aberdeen Art Gallery 2023 exhibition calendar is already packed.
Here, we look at all the exhibitions locals and visitors alike will be able to see at the popular Schoolhill venue.
These include exhibitions which opened in 2022 but will remain in the gallery for some part of 2023.
Pavlovka Pinhole Photography Festival (until February 12)
The Pavlovka Pinhole Festival was established in 2017 in Kyiv, Ukraine, to celebrate the playfulness, surprise and magic of pinhole photography. Organised by curator Yuliia Belska, the festival aims to unite international photo artists who use the world’s oldest photographic tradition in their work.
Jerwood Art Fund Makers Open (until March 5)
A collaboration between Jerwood Arts and Art Fund in partnership with Aberdeen Art Gallery, the exhibition celebrates work by early-career artists and makers Anna Berry, Cecilia Charlton, Jahday Ford, Vicky Higginson, Francisca Onumah and Helena Russell.
Showcasing a broad range of material disciplines, including glass, textiles, silversmithing and sculptural installation, the five commissions provide a snapshot of some of the most exciting new work being produced by UK-based artists and makers.
Lilli Geissendorfer, Jerwood Arts’ director, said: “Jerwood Art Fund Makers Open creates a vital space for early-career artists and makers to experiment, learn, and take risks with their work.
“We have been delighted to co-fund a dedicated curatorial role held by Svetlana Panova to guide this project, investing in essential talent development opportunities in the curatorial sector.”
Shadows and Light – The Extraordinary Life of James McBey (February 11 – May 28)
The celebrated Aberdeenshire-born artist and adventurer James McBey (1883-1959) was noted for his etchings and dry point engravings, and was once described as the “heir to Rembrandt”.
This small-scale exhibition is curated by author Alasdair Soussi to coincide with his recently-published biography of McBey.
The author’s research drew on the unparalleled archive of the artist’s personal collection of artworks, sketchbooks, scrapbooks, diaries and letters in the Archives, Gallery & Museums’ collection, a selection of which will be on display.
Alasdair Soussi will give a talk at Aberdeen Art Gallery on Saturday April 15.
Travelling Gallery (March)
The contemporary gallery in a bus will be parked up in Aberdeen with a new two-person exhibition by artist Emmie McLuskey and choreographer Janice Parker which explores movement, bringing dance and people together in different ways and art forms.
Look out for Travelling Gallery in locations across the city in March.
The Testament of Alexander Jaffray (March 4 – September 3)
2023 marks the 350th anniversary of the death of Alexander Jaffray, twice provost of Aberdeen and representative of the burgh in the Scottish Parliament. This prominent member of the community later became a Quaker, at a time when doing so would mean persecution.
This exhibition uses the manuscript of Jaffray’s last testament, acquired by Aberdeen City & Aberdeenshire Archives in 2022, as the starting point for a closer look at the man himself and the persecution.
Where Ideas Are Born – an exhibition by Magnum Photos (April 1 – June 11)
This exhibition brings together works by over 20 photographers from the celebrated Magnum agency, including Inge Morath, Eve Arnold and Robert Capa.
Around 70 photo portraits of internationally renowned artists capture the moment in their studios.
Making a Splash! A Century of Women’s Beachwear (June 10 – January 14 2024)
Seaside fashions have been influenced by social and political change, the film industry and innovations in design and materials.
This exhibition showcases bathing costumes and other highlights from the Archives, Gallery & Museums’ collection of 20th-century beachwear.
Quentin Blake – Illustrating Verse and Book Covers (July 8 – September 17)
Two exhibitions under one roof at the Art Gallery will celebrate the unique talent of Quentin Blake, the UK’s best-loved illustrator, who recently celebrated his 90th birthday.
Illustrating Verse brings together for the first time a selection Blake’s sketches and illustrations for a range of poetry, from comic nonsense poems to poignant ballads by writers including William Shakespeare and Roald Dahl.
Book Covers demonstrates how Blake’s illustrations have grabbed the attention of readers of all ages over the past 60 years. The exhibition includes reproductions of cover artwork and rough sketches which give insights into Blake’s unmistakable and ever-popular way of working.
Constructed Narratives: Lennox Dunbar, Ian Howard, Arthur Watson (October 14 – January 28 2024)
This exhibition brings together three of Scotland’s foremost artists – Lennox Dunbar, Ian Howard and Arthur Watson. The Aberdeen-born contemporaries were educated at Aberdeen Grammar School, where art teacher Charles Hemingway encouraged them to spend time with the collection of contemporary art at Aberdeen Art Gallery.
All three have key early works in the Aberdeen Art Gallery collection, which will be displayed here along with more recent pieces. Over their careers Dunbar, Howard and Watson have exhibited extensively across Europe, the United States and Asia, both together and as solo artists.
Provost Skene’s House in 2023
More than 100 remarkable individuals from Aberdeen and the north-east are showcased in new interactive displays. They include innovators, scientists, live savers, writers, sporting champions and stars of stage and screen.
If you think somebody was missed and should be included in 2023, you can email AAGMcurators@aberdeencity.gov.uk with your nominee’s name, date of birth (and death), and their achievements, along with details of their connection to the north-east (in no more than 500 words).
The Tolbooth Museum – temporarily closed
The museum hasn’t reopened since it was shut at the beginning of the coronavirus lockdown in March 2020. A large crack had been discovered in an archway on the ground floor, risking the health and safety of visitors. As more investigations were carried out, more problems were found, including rusting metal embedded in the stonework.
Councillors gave the go-ahead to all the necessary works, which would total £1.36 million, in early December. Click here for more information.
Aberdeen Maritime Museum – temporarily closed
Aberdeen Maritime Museum tells the story of the city’s long relationship with the sea. The venue closed in late November and will remain closed until spring 2023 while “essential repairs and maintenance” is carried out.
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