University of Aberdeen: Report by Neil Curtis
Exhibitions and education
Among the exhibitions in Marischal Museum during the last year was a display of the paintings bequeathed to the University by the Scottish Arts Council and an exhibition of 20th century Austrian art Die andere Seite: the other side. A new temporary exhibition area was created and inaugurated with Inuit and Aberdeen, a display of some of the museum's Inuit collections which coincided with the holding of the Inuit Studies conference in Aberdeen. Subsequently, the donation of a collection of Seaton ware - a distinctive style of pottery made in Aberdeen in the later 19th and early 20th centuries - was marked by an exhibition. A regular programme of changing displays in four cases in various parts of the university has continued, advertising specific exhibitions in Marischal Museum as well as highlighting the range and quality of the collections and the museum's activities.
The SCRAN project was completed and saw the provision of 600 full records of items in the collections, mainly drawn from the Scottish and North American collections. This coincided with the start of a three-year project funded by JISC, LEMUR (LEarning with MUseum Resources), which will provide wider access to the University's historical collections. At the heart of the project is the creation of a digital collection, a database of over 3000 images and accompanying texts, which will be put onto the World Wide Web and incorporated into undergraduate teaching at the University and elsewhere through the Distributed National Electronic Resource. Academic staff from Physics, History of Art, Cultural History and History and Philosophy of Science have been working with IT specialists and museum curators from the start; selecting objects, deciding how they will be photographed, updating catalogues, writing captions and developing new teaching packages. This project has enabled the appointment of a Curatorial Assistant, Anne Taylor.
The museum's school service has continued, with classes taking part in object handling workshops on a range of topics. From January 2001, most of the classes have been taught by Hilary Murray, appointed as Curatorial Assistant as a result of the LEMUR project, who has also been improving resources for schools, notably in conjunction with the SHEFC-funded University for Children and Communities project which is aiming to increase access to Further and Higher Education in the North-East.
Two major research projects are currently being undertaken by PhD students in the University - one on the history of the Art Collection and the other a cultural history of Marischal Museum in the 20th century. Members of the museum staff have contributed to teaching in Cultural History, History of Fine Art, Geography, Anthropology, Women's Studies and Continuing Education, while academic staff and students in the University have continued to make increased use of the collections for teaching and research. Funding by the University's Independent Learning Project enabled the creation of a database of objects with digital images to be used in the teaching of a course on 'Gendering Violence'. The collections continue to be used a research resource by scholars from other institutions, making particular use of the collections of local archaeology and Egyptology. Historic Scotland continues to use the museum for their Internship programme, while a student from De Montford University was also on placement in the conservation laboratory. A training course on 'Moulding and Casting of Museum Objects' was hosted by the laboratory during the summer of 2000, with a tutor from Denmark and participants from throughout the UK and elsewhere in Europe.
Collection management
As well as the substantial gift of Seaton ware mentioned above, acquisitions have included a number of archaeological items and assemblages acquired through the Treasure Trove procedure. Work has continued transferring material to the new store, which has relied heavily on the generous help offered by the team of volunteers. Documentation of the collection has also continued to rely heavily on volunteer staff, who have worked on the collections of numismatics, militaria, North America and New Guinea material. The LEMUR project is also having a significant effect on the enhancement of the catalogue, while secretarial support is leading to the transfer of the 1912 published catalogue to a database and the transfer of other paper-based records onto the main database.
University of Dundee: Report by Matthew Jarron
Thanks to temporary assistant Donna Lovell, the Museum Collections office was kept ticking over during a five month gap between curators. Nevertheless the new curator Matthew Jarron still had a lot of catching up to do upon taking up the position in January. Matthew came to the the University from St Andrews, where, as curator of the St Andrews Preservation Trust museum, he succeeded in increasing visitor numbers by over 100%. Increasing access to and awareness of the University museum collections is theefore one of his main priorities and he has already made plans for several exhibitions in various locations around the campus. These include a display of old teaching charts and models, an exhibition of drawings and cartoons from the Fine Art collection (including work by Gainsborough, Rossetti and Tenniel) and a collaborative project with a local creative writing group.
Donna, meanwhile, continued her work on re-mounting the prints from the Scottish Arts Council bequest, ready for a major launch at the University's Visual Research Centre in the autumn. Her help has proved invaluable and it was greatly hoped that the University would be able to extend her contract after the summer. Unfortunately, this has not happened.
Among the student population, word is finally starting to get around about the collections and the last few months have seen a huge increase in the number of art students particularly, who have come seeking inspiration from bones, beetles and bottles!. We are also beginning to reach students from nearby institutions such as the University of Abertay and Angus College.
A considerable amount of of re-organising has been going on in the main collections storage area, in anticipation of a number of important new acquisitions. The most eagerly awaited is the Alan Woods bequest, a collection of 260 works of art left to us by a late member of staff at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art. Also being accessioned is a collection rescued from a major re-furbishment of the Department of Physiology, and a variety of object from Dundee's mental hospital, a home for many years to the Department of Psychiatry, and soon to be closing down.
Some hopeful news to end on: the University's new Principal Sir Alan Langlands has made clear to us his wish that Dundee should have a permanent University Museum. A potential site has already been identified but it will inevitably involve a large amount of external funding and is therefore a good few years away yet ...
University of Glasgow: Report by Ewen Smith
Work in the Hunterian over the past year, and for the foreseeable future, has been characterised by change. The stereotype of an unhurried, dust-gathering environment, beloved by cartoonists, is only that - a stereotype, with no basis in fact. Staff turnover has been extensive, as have our efforts at fund-raising, and building development and maintenance work. That is the context in which the Hunterian is operating. However, this is not a negative message, but one that reflects the need to change, simply to stay in business. As such it is a healthy confirmation of "the Life of Museums".
Against that background, work has continued apace, in all the traditional areas of museum and gallery activity. Conservation work, documentation and collections managament, research and teaching at tertiary level, and education to conform with secondary and primary school curricula, and of course the building and promotion of exhibitions for the public. Newer activities have probably grown even faster, with the growth in income generating activities, for example through our shops, through venue hire, and through the royalty income associated with parts of the collections. Particular mention should be made of the operning of the Hunterian's digital imaging studio; this facility, fully funded from earlier income-generating activities, was developed with the advice and support of the Smithsonian Institution and of the University's own Department of Computing Science. It is fully integrated into the Hunterian and, tellingly, into the wider academic structure.
Considerable effort has been put into increasing our visitor numbers, and we have enjoyed some notable success with our exhibition programme. I will mention here just two; "Whistler and Holland" in the Art Gallery, and "Walking with Dinosaurs". The former represents the first stage in our accelerating programme of activities as we approach the Whistler centenary in 2003, while the latter is the "blockbuster" event used to launch the new Kelvin Gallery. In this respect it has been staggeringly successful, with visitor numbers after 8 weeks surpassing total Museum visitor numbers for the whole of our previous reporting year.
The construction of a lift, to aid access to the Museum, coincided with the opening of the Kelvin Gallery as a public exhibition space, and it is noticeable how many people with wheelchairs, baby buggies, or weary limbs (staff included!) have had their visit to the Museum enhanced because of it. This focus on improving access to the collections generally is reflected also in work at our store in Thurso St. Improvements are currently in progress to upgrade access to a new seminar room there.
Amongst our successful funding applications, I should like to draw attention particularly to an innovative project in our Art Gallery, supported by Heritage Lottery Funds, and aimed at taking art into schools. Once again, approval was based on access arguments, and particularly when combined with education provision and support.
Glasgow School of Art: Report by Peter Trowles
Collections & Archives
The academic year 2000/01 has seen a number of important developments finally come to fruition. The most significant event was the opening of the School's new Research Centre, located within the basement of the Mackintosh Building. Here, within a former studio, the School's curator and archivist relocated their services providing, for the first time, a centralised resource for much of the School's collections and archives. The Research Centre also boasts a small study area that is open to all researchers and scholars by prior arrangement.
Coinciding with this opening, the School also learnt of its success in gaining Full Museums Registration. The pursuit of Museums Registration had taken some considerable time and thanks are due to Susie Hillhouse and her colleagues at the Scottish Museums Council for their help.
Recent additions to the GSA collections and archives include the Gillespie Kidd & Coia architectural archive (an extensive collection of material including some 15,000+ drawings, together with photographs and other ephemera documenting the work of this influential post Second World War Glasgow-based architectural practice. Also gifted in March 2000 was The Glasgow 1999: City of Architecture & Design archive that has already proved popular with researchers. Another welcomed addition was the provision of two large-scale models of the School's Mackintosh Building gifted by Donald and Eleanor Taffner of New York. The models had been commissioned in 1996 for inclusion within the Charles Rennie Mackintosh exhibition at Glasgow's McLellan Galleries.
The School was also successful in its bid for money to enable it to be part of the JISC Higher Education archival hub, along with Glasgow Caledonian University, the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama and Strathclyde University.
Exhibitions
During 2000, the School participated in various exhibitions both at home and abroad and contributed loans to the successful Art Nouveau exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and its subsequent tour to Washington and Tokyo. It also participated in a major Mackintosh and the Glasgow Style exhibition that toured Japan.
Mackintosh Building
Improvements to the fabric of the Mackintosh Building have continued with the financial support and assistance of Historic Scotland. Recent work has included the repair of various leaded-glass door panels and the restoration of the decorative archway and light fitting above the main entrance to the Mackintosh Building.
Glasgow Caledonian University: Report by Alastair Ramage
The latter part of 2000 was a time for celebration at Heatherbank Museum. The first year in the new premises was completed successfully and on October 13th the 25th Anniversary of the Museum's founding was celebrated. Many guests were present, including some who had been present at the Museum's opening in 1975. The main guests were Mark O'Neill, Director of Museums and Galleries for the City of Glasgow, following in the direct line of his predecessor, Trevor Walden, who had declared the Museum open; and the Principal of the University, Dr.Ian Johnson.
Most of the Winter months were spent in researching and ultimately mounting 'The Golden Bridge', an exhibition highlighting and exploring child migration from Scotland to Canada. The work involved the whole staff of the Museum, both voluntary and waged, and the design work was done in-house by the University design staff. Sponsorship was raised from various bodies including the Canadian High Commission in London. Considerable help was given in the research by people in Canada, many of whom entrusted their own stories to Heatherbank.
The exhibition opened for a two month run at the beginning of May and there are already plans to reshow it in Edinburgh in the Autumn. Media coverage was good with a major article being printed in The Scotsman as well as several mentions on TV. Public response has been good, particularly as part of the exhibition is in the University's Recreation Centre.
As well as the Canadian research, work has continued. There has been an ever-increasing number of parties, including a school party of 52 children and 11 adults , which in a Museum of under 100 square metres was rather a crowd!
The Museum has completed the application for final registration with Re-source and is awaiting the answer. Alastair Ramage, the Curator, is moving into the final stages of his Leicester University Masters in Museum Studies and will shortly be commencing research for his dissertation. Basic museum skill straining is offered to volunteer staff and the Museum has been able to offer a placement to a volunteer seeking to return to the workplace after a lengthy absence owing to illness.
Last summer the museum produced a promotional video with the assistance of the audio-visual department of the University, and copies were distributed to all Corporate members and to potential members. This has helped in the continuing income generating process which is necessary for the existence of the Museum at the University.
Heriot-Watt University: Report by Angela Edgar and Ann Jones
The past year has been a busy one for Heriot-Watt University. The University Archive, Records Management and Museum Service successfully applied for a Heritage Lottery Fund grant to enable the purchase of three Raeburn portraits of members of the Gibson-Craig family. Riccarton House, which stood on the site of the University Library until 1956, was the home of the Gibson-Craigs for many years.
The rich textile archive at the Scottish Borders Campus, Galashiels, has been moved to more spacious accommodation, which will improve access and help untap its considerable research potential.
A number of items associated with Bernat Klein, the textile designer, have been conserved by the Scottish Universities Conservation Service, Dundee University and a conservation survey of the textile archive is being carried out with the assistance of the SMC.
The University continues to take part in a range of collections projects including the two consortial projects funded under the Research Support Libraries Programme: Navigational Aids for the History of Science, Technology and the Environment (NAHSTE) and Gateway to the Archives of Scottish Higher Education (GASHE).
Archivist Pamela McIntyre, now the proud mother of baby Jed, has returned from maternity leave part time and job shares with the new Curator, Angela Edgar.
Rachael Vincent, who in the role of Records and Collections Assistant made a substantial contribution to the documentation, care and interpretation of the University's collections, returned briefly to work on a project investigating the establishment of an image database. She has now moved on to take up the post of Local Studies Officer at North Lanarkshire Council.
New displays have included Interact with the Past, which looks at the work of the two consortial projects funded under the Research Support Libraries Programme.
Napier University: Report by Graeme Forbes
The University's Craiglockhart campus is to be redeveloped to accommodate a new business school and learning centre. As a result the The War Poets exhibition has been disassembled, and the collection has been relocated to the University's Merchiston Learning Centre.
During May a small exhibition of material from the Edward Clark Collection was mounted to mark the visit of Viscount Younger, Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. Works displayed included including books of hours, early Bibles, religious works from the private presses, and fine bindings. The University's Learning Information Services continues to contribute to the BOOKHAD project providing a web-based gateway for researchers in the areas of book history and book design.
During April the John Napier 450th Anniversary Original Print Edition Exhibition was held at the Dundas Street Gallery, Edinburgh. The exhibition was organised to raise funds for scholarships for talented students who have the ability but not the finance to study in the Faculty of Arts & Social Science at the university. The exhibition and sale was a unique and relatively low-cost opportunity for people to buy work by some of Scotland's leading artists. Ten artists - William Baillie, Elizabeth Blackadder, John Byrne, Stuart Duffin, John Houston, Peter Howson, Frank Pottinger, Barbara Rae - who is an Honorary Doctor of Arts of Napier, Ian McKenzie Smith, and Fiona Watson - each produced a limited edition print. The Glasgow Print Studio produced the limited editions, which were sold in portfolio sets of ten for £2000 as well as individually. The scholarships were created as a more permanent contribution to the celebrations marking the 450th anniversary of the university's namesake, John Napier of Merchiston.
University of Paisley: Report by Stuart James
The Paisley Windows paintings by Marie Hay were received and installed safely in the autumn of 2000, with a small unveiling reception held shortly before Christmas. While visitors are most welcome to come and see them, they may also be viewed on our website. Click on the link in our news page at:
http://library.paisley.ac.uk/news/paisley_doors.htm
This will take you to thumbnail images which may then expanded to full-screen. Not available (yet) on our website, but a feature of interest to visitors and members of the University alike is a poster compiled by a temporary research assistant in connection with the University's centenary showing an aerial view of the campus. Each building then has a link to information and portraits around the margins explaining after whom (and why) it was named.
The project funded by SLIC and the University of Paisley Library Trust to employ a Research Assistant to work on our expanding archives collections has been successfully completed, although inevitably with a large amount of work still to be done. The post will be revived when further funds can be made available; in particular, the archive of the West of Scotland Community Relations Council, our most recent acquisition, remains to be properly organised. Details of special collections and archives and their catalogues (where completed) are to be found on our website at:
http://library.paisley.ac.uk/specialcoll/special.htm
In June 2001 we will celebrate the formal unveiling of a statue of John Witherspoon. He was a theologian and educationalist, and pastor in Paisley in the 18th Century (his former church is now home to the Paisley Arts Centre), before he left Scotland to take up the presidency of New Jersey College (now Princeton University); he became a Member of Congress, and was a signatory of the American Declaration of Independence. The University Library has in its collections a commemorative medal of Witherspoon as a signatory. The statue has been created by Alexander Stoddart, and it will stand at the front entrance to the University's Paisley Campus.
University of St Andrews: Report by Helen Rawson
Our new University Museum, which was due to open in July 2000, fell victim to the financial failure of the Company responsible for constructing and operating the new Gateway building. At present, the building, which has been on the market since last summer, remains unsold, and so the museum project remains on hold.
One positive aspect of the new museum project was the increased activity it caused in our conservation programme. Artefacts which had been in need of cleaning or conservation for some time were promoted to the front of the queue, and extra resources were mobilised because of the pressure to bring objects to displayable condition. Works conserved include caich balls, an early 19th century model beam engine, the Thomas Chalmers stained glass window, a bust of Laura, after Canova, several artworks and their frames and a terrestrial globe, dated 1806. The programme continues next year: funding has already been secured for the restoration of three oil paintings, a celestial globe, a group of sculptures by Czech artist Jan Koblasa, a 17th century telescope associated with James Gregory and a board, listing the staff of the University, dated 1699.
Over the past year we have looked creatively at improving access to the collections through the uses of IT. March saw the completion of a SCRAN project on fifty 'treasures' of the University's collections: items selected ranged from our unique medieval maces to sugar samples produced through the carbohydrate research of Professor James Irvine in the early 20th century. We also participated in a collaborative SCRAN project on 'treasures' of Fife museums, organised through Fife Museums Forum. Three postgraduate IT students, seconded to the Collections Office for a 10 week placement, created a digital tour of the University's Senate Room, focusing on the artworks and furniture. This can be viewed through our website, which has been redesigned and expanded.
Postgraduate Museum and Gallery Studies students and a volunteer, Erin Sehorn-Elwell, undertook valuable work, variously cataloguing, re-storing and creating displays on the collections of fine art, decorative art, archaeology, anatomy and pathology and textiles. This year's exhibitions, organised by MGS students, focused on the architecture of the town and university.
Significant acquisitions include five prints by Scottish artist Will Maclean, 'The Tanera Suite' and Bird Altar, which were purchased through the Boswell Art Collection.
Finally, the year saw the removal of the subject to action clause from our Full Registration, Phase II status and the departure of Assistant Curator Jilly Boid to a new post as Collections Management Officer at Rozelle House Gallery.
University of Stirling: Report by Valerie Fairweather
Fire at Airthrey Castle
A serious fire broke out at Airthrey Castle in July 2000 which caused severe damage both to paintings and to the fabric of the building. Conservation work was carried out on four paintings ,including a Jack Knox and a Henryk Gottlieb, by Norman Aiton from Crieff. There was severe smoke damage to the fabric of the castle and the following items needed specialist treatment. AOC has done an excellent job on the Spanish painted leatherwork frieze, the carved oak panelled hall, the alabaster plaques, the white marble fireplaces and the intricately carved Eastern doors. The building has recently been re-opened after a long closure which involved much moving of staff, equipment and teaching facilities.
Work with the Art Collection
A quiet year of consolidation for the collection - attending to outstanding documentation issues and loan work.We have produced a full colour leaflet for visitors which is to be provided free of charge.The Collection has undergone its first Review as part of a wider Information Services Review and I have great hopes that a small but dedicated acquisition fund might be one of the outcomes for the Art Collection. Creating a link 1970s gallery One major project to create a 1970s area in the Pathfoot Building linking the two halves of the gallery has just been completed. The wonderful John Craxton tapestry ,woven at the Dovecot Studios in Edinburgh, is the centrepiece and is now surrounded by many large abstract works including two striking pieces by Patrick Heron. This area , and indeed the tapestry itself, is designed as a tribute to Tom Cottrell, Stirling's first Principal.
Decision time for the Howietoun Collections
The University has decided that it cannot fund and maintain a visitor centre at our Victorial fish farm and negotiations are underweigh to gift the artefacts involved to Elspeth King at the Stirling Smith Art Gallery and Museum. Elspeth has plans for these interesting pieces and the transfer has the blessing of SMC!
University of Strathclyde: Report by Laura Hamilton
The Collins Gallery places much emphasis on the Applied Arts and the programme for 2001 features an exciting and diverse range of craft and design related exhibitions and educational events. These include satirical, life-size sculptural figures in paper and wire by the inimitable Peter Rush and dazzling textiles by members of the international "Quilt-Art" group.
Artists and Craftspeople employ new technology alongside more traditional techniques to explore the influence of the Romantic Movement on contemporary perceptions of the landscape in " Get Real ", while Kate Robinson, inspired by Renaissance writer Guillio Camillo's conceptual "The Theatre of Memory", provides an installation of drawings, digital imagery and bronze sculptures.
Working in collaboration with the University of Aberystwyth Arts Centre and Tullie House Museum, the Collins will present a comprehensive exploration into contemporary developments in international slipware in the touring exhibition "The Snake in the Garden". Collaborative projects also include a solo exhibition of expressionist paintings and carved wooden sculptures by Scottish artist Margaret Hunter accompanied by commissioned dance-work by Spanish dancer Olga Tragant.
"Treasure Trove" scheduled for July will present an array of historic scientific instruments from the permanent collection alongside, for the first time, contemporary 3D designs by new graduates from the Department of Design, Manufacture and Engineering Management. Selected by colleagues and clients, the historic material will include a new acquisition of a bronze bust of John Logie Baird by Donald Gilbert as well as instruments which have inspired the mysterious backgrounds of Glasgow artist Alan King's most recent paintings.
Educational activities include three series of practical workshops for schools, three weekend sculpture workshops and an international conference on slipware.
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