Art for All - The Pioneering Story of Public Art in Dundee
Lamb Gallery, Tower Building, University of Dundee
3 August – 26 October 2019
Mon-Fri 9.30am-7pm Sat 1-5pm
Dundee has an exceptional collection of over 500 sculptures, murals, mosaics and other forms of public art. Since 2018, the University of Dundee Museum Services have been leading a major project to research, catalogue and promote this unique resource. This exhibition showcases photographs of artworks past and present as well as unique behind-the-scenes material such as models, design sketches and installation images.
In particular, the exhibition explores the pioneering history of the Blackness Public Art Programme of the early 1980s, which attracted international attention for its ground-breaking approach. This marked the beginning of the local council’s investment in culture-led regeneration, which has continued to this day. Its success led to the expansion of the scheme to become the Dundee Public Art Programme. This was the first city-wide programme of public art in the country and would remain the largest programme in Scotland throughout its existence.
The Public Art Dundee project has been led by the University of Dundee with support from Dundee City Council, the Menzieshill Photography Group, Art UK and Historic Environment Scotland. The exhibition will be accompanied by a series of talks, tours and workshops, including:
- Sat 24 Aug, 2.30pm – City Centre tour – meet in the Lamb Gallery
- Sun 1 Sept, 2.30pm – Stobswell tour – meet outside Arthurstone Community Library
- Sun 8 Sept, 2.30pm – Lochee tour – meet outside Lochee Community Library
- Wed 11 Sept, 6.30pm – Talk by curator Matthew Jarron on the history of public art in Dundee, in association with Abertay Historical Society – Lecture Theatre 2, Dalhousie Building, University of Dundee
- Sun 15 Sept, 11am – Broughty Ferry tour – meet outside Broughty Ferry Library
- Sat 21 Sept, 11am – Hilltown tour – meet at the back entrance to Dundee Central Library, Victoria Road
- Sat 28 Sept, 2.30pm - City Centre tour featuring artist David F Wilson
- Sat 5 Oct, 11am-3pm – workshop with artist J Keith Donnelly
- Fri 18 Oct, 2.30pm – Blackness tour in association with Festival of the Future – meet in the Lamb Gallery
- Sat 26 Oct, 10am-5pm – study day featuring talks by artists and researchers
Open/Close Dundee also run regular tours of their street art trails on the first Saturday of every month.