Institution Profile

The City Art Centre is part of Museums & Galleries Edinburgh, which manages the historic, artistic and cultural collections belonging to the City of Edinburgh Council. Based in the heart of Edinburgh, the City Art Centre aims to champion historic and contemporary Scottish visual and applied arts. It stages a rich programme of temporary exhibitions and events, and is also home to the City’s permanent collection of Fine Art, which is showcased in a series of changing displays.

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Collection Interests

The City Art Centre’s Fine Art collection is one of the most significant collections of Scottish art in the country. It consists of almost 5,000 artworks in a range of media, including painting, drawing, printmaking, sculpture, photography, tapestry and installation art. The collection traces the development of Scottish art from the 17th century to present day, covering key historical periods and artistic groups. Holdings related to the Scottish Enlightenment, Glasgow Boys, Scottish Colourists and Edinburgh School are particularly strong. The collection is a Recognised Collection of National Significance, under the Scottish Government’s Recognition scheme. It continues to grow every year through new purchases, donations and bequests.

 

The City Art Centre aims to address the historic gender imbalance in the collection by acquiring more works by women artists. Among those currently represented are:
 

Phoebe Traquair, Mary Cameron, Bessie MacNicol, Katherine Cameron, Jessie M. King, Ottilie Maclaren Wallace, Penelope Beaton, Josephine Haswell Miller, Cecile Walton, Dorothy Johnstone, Anne Redpath, Wilhelmina Barns-Graham, Margaret Mellis, Joan Eardley, Ann Henderson, Bet Low, Elizabeth Blackadder, Pat Douthwaite, Barbara Rae, Victoria Crowe, Kate Downie, Carol Rhodes, Maud Sulter, Lizzie Farey, Alison Watt, Louise Hopkins, Christine Borland, Flannery O’kafka, Ruth Ewan and Rachel Maclean.

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Further Reading

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https://www.edinburghmuseums.org.uk/venue/city-art-centre

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