The Maclaurin Art Gallery News

Winter Season 2025

The Maclaurin Gallery • October 6, 2025

Our winter season is off to a racing start with the launch of the 31st Annual Save the Children exhibition over the weekend.


We had very busy galleries and plenty of sales and interest in the huge array of hanging work on display. In addition, there is a wall of miniatures artworks for sale, a raffle prize of a dazzling abstract painting from local artist Sandra Ratcliffe, a children's competition and a silent auction for a chance to bid on a commissioned animal portrait by Lynne Johnstone.


The show runs until 2 November and this year the Save the Children Committee have organised an exciting additional treat!


We look forward to welcoming Ozzy the barn owl to the courtyard on SUNDAY 12 OCTOBER from noon til 3pm. This is a free family event and also an opportunity for artists to sketch from life!


Ozzy will be there with some of his feathered friends and his handler, Gillian Borland of Hoots Owls and Wedding Wings. Look out for the painting of Ozzy in the exhibition!

Coming up on Saturday 18 October will be the launch of PETER FOYLE SOLO EXHIBITION in gallery one.


Peter is well known in Ayrshire, working from his studio and framing gallery in Troon, a well established Scottish artist, whose paintings capture warmth, atmosphere and light.


We look forward to welcoming Peter to the gallery along with his latest work.

Saturday 25 October sees the launch of another annual event here at the gallery… the latest collection of award winning photography from the talented members of Ayrshire Photographic Society.


The latter exhibitions will take us through to our 2026 programme and we look forward to welcoming you in to see them. A special mention to our partners in Rozelle House who have just completed an amazingly spooky transformation of their downstairs galleries into a chilling graveyard and creepy house for the month of October. Free family fun and activities await in this immersive Hallowe'en exhibition. No booking required

RSA200: Celebrating Together Opening

By The Maclaurin Gallery • July 3, 2026
There was a huge amount of preparation for these two exceptional exhibitions, celebrating RSA200 years and we enjoyed a joint launch event, kindly opened by Councillor Alec Clark, Portfolio holder for Tourism and Culture, along with Gallery Engagement Officer Erin Crossan and Trustee Michael Clark. In addition to the RSA200 shows, Michael and Ian McNicol got together and curated the excellent PRINTMAKING: A RECENT HISTORY exhibition which is hanging in gallery one. Using the words of Dianne Gardner, we have 3 exhibitions for Ayrshire and a real spirit of cooperation in the making. Call in and see these special shows, here throughout the summer. It’s a fantastic opportunity to see selected works from the Maclaurin and South Ayrshire Council’s permanent collections, enhanced with fabulous artwork on loan from the Royal Scottish Academy. Guest RSA artists include Bronwen Sleigh, Ade Adesina and Frances Walker.

Well Connected: The Royal Scottish Academy and The Maclaurin Collection

By The Maclaurin Gallery • May 28, 2026
Saturday 20 June - Sunday 30 August 2026 Founded in 1826, the Royal Scottish Academy supports art and architecture in Scotland. It is an independent, non-governmental institution, governed by Members to operate on a charitable basis.

Private View for Future Folklore: The Art and Craft of Storytelling

By The Maclaurin Gallery • March 31, 2026
We were delighted to host the Private View for Visual Arts Scotland on Saturday afternoon and what a turn out it was!  This exhibition FUTURE FOLKLORE: THE ART AND CRAFT OF STORYTELLING has over 300 pieces of contemporary art on display and, as a result, we also had a very busy Private View! The exhibition was opened by Chair of the Maclaurin Trust, John Walker, along with Amanda Airey, Trustee of Visual Arts Scotland. Visual Arts Scotland supports over 1400 artists and makers in and around Scotland and we are very fortunate that VAS brings this major show across to Ayrshire. Please take advantage of it being right here on your doorstep! As always, entry is free to the gallery and all artworks for sale. Keep an eye out for some of our Ayrshire artists taking part as well.