The Maclaurin Art Gallery News
Ayr Sketch Club Annual Exhibition 2024
The Maclaurin Gallery • January 24, 2024
Saturday 27 January until Thursday 7 March 2024
Our first exhibition of the year and what better way to start it than with this popular show; always a crowd pleaser! In fact, Ayr Sketch Club has been exhibiting with us since our doors opened back in 1977, some 47 years ago!
They currently have around 50 active members and their work (for sale) will be shown in 3 of our galleries. For those who would like more information about the Club, hop onto their website at www.ayrsketchclub.com.
We look forward to your visit here at the gallery.
Improvements to the Courtyard Things are happening in the courtyard thanks to some amazing volunteers who have given up their time to help Friends of the Maclaurin maintain the planting area in the courtyard. Over the last few years the Friends have renewed the seating outside the gallery, providing benches and picnic tables for visitors to sit out in the sunny weather. This year we lost our plant supplier and so a group of green fingered volunteers kindly stepped up and planted a new herbaceous border in our big trough on Thursday! They’re a hardy bunch too, with all the work done in the rain! It's an amazing job and huge thanks to the newly formed Courtyard team, Pattie Kewney, Geoff Caldwell and Kayte Mapes. When we spoke with Pattie on Thursday she summed up the day’s efforts, explaining, “We’re soaked to the skin but pleased with the result! There is always a good feeling about volunteering and contributing what we can for the enjoyment of the community.” Yes indeed, everyone benefits from this and we all appreciate the team’s sterling effort. A few photos, before and after, and, in case you wondered how many potted plants you can fit into a compact car...
More excitement at the weekend, along with some good weather, when we launched the CELEBRATING JOHN BYRNE exhibition on Saturday. We were delighted to welcome John Byrne’s daughter Celie, to open the show.
This vibrant selection of predominately new work by Scottish artist Lex McFadyen, adorns gallery one. Most of his work was completed in his sunny French studio at Noyers-sur-Serein, Burgundy. Each one a shining jewel on the canvas and, so far, has proved a popular show with visitors. Images here are from launch day on 24 May and show Lex alongside the gallery’s curator Dianne Gardner. McFadyen grew up in Ayrshire before completing his degree at Glasgow School of Art and he went on to have a successful career in fashion. Now he has come full circle, returning to his first love of painting and we are delighted that he has returned to Ayrshire for a solo show! This exhibition runs until 30 June. There’s still time to see it… or call in again for another look! All artwork is for sale and affordably priced, original artwork. The perfect statement piece to transform any wall in your home.