MUSEUMS
& GALLERIES
WORLD FAMOUS STATUE BY RODIN - THE THINKER, ON DISPLAY
AT THE BURRELL GALLERY IN POLLOK PARK, GLASGOW.
Visitors
to Glasgow, if they arrive at a time of controversy concerning the city’s
splendid array of museums and art galleries, are often taken aback by
the passions aroused. Front-page newspaper stories, editorials and fiery
readers’ letters all pick up the argument. Glasgow is a museum-going
place. All museums and galleries are closed on Tuesdays except Kelvingrove
Art Gallery and Museum.
St Mungo’s Museum in Cathedral Square is the only one of
its kind in Britain, entirely devoted to the world’s religions.
Opened in April 1993, it has in the past provoked furious argument in
a city where religious controversies are certainly nothing new.
Headquarters of Glasgow’s museum service, Kelvingrove Art Gallery
and Museum, (open 7 days) stands among lawns and riverside woodlands
in Kelvingrove Park. The ground floor is the museum section. Upstairs,
much of Glasgow’s immensely valuable collection of paintings is
on display: works by artists like Rembrandt, Van Gogh, the Impressionists
and many now highly regarded local painters of the Glasgow School and
the Scottish Colourists.
The Burrell Gallery in Pollok Park houses Sir William Burrell’s
stunning 8000-piece collection of statuary, ceramics, bronzes, silverware,
furniture, tapestries, stained glass, Dutch and French paintings handed
over to the city in 1944. It also houses a restaurant open for evening
dining Friday and Saturdays. Close at hand, Pollok House is a
mid-18th century mansion retaining much of its original plasterwork
as well as fine furniture and some of the most important Spanish paintings
in Britain.
The
New Gallery of Modern Art is situated in the heart of the city in
the specially refurbished former Royal Exchange Building. It features
work by acclaimed young Scottish artists like Peter Howson, Adrian Wiszniewski,
Alison Watt and Steven Campbell alongside international work by the
likes of Niki de Saint Phalle, Edward Bersudsky and Sebastiao Salgado.
It also has a new restaurant that is open for evening dining Thursday,
Friday and Saturday.
McLellan Galleries are purpose built exhibition galleries which
were originally opened in 1854. They were completely refurbished and
re-opened by The Queen in March 1990 to exhibit the best of both local
and international top class work. The People’s Palace on
Glasgow Green tells the story of the city in terms of the ordinary people
who have lived and worked here, and of the industries which employed
them. While other museums shy clear of partisan politics, the People’s
Palace makes a point of them, celebrating many radical movements of
the past.
