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

The Collaboration Process - John Byrne

By The Maclaurin Gallery • August 20, 2025
We are delighted with the feedback from visitors to our current exhibitions and in particular the ‘Celebrating John Byrne’. All down to our special collaboration with The Glasgow Print Studio, The Royal Scottish Academy, The Fine Art Society, Edinburgh and of course, John’s daughter Celie Byrne. All resulting in this unique collection of Byrne’s work, some of which is being displayed in public for the first time. Whilst the exhibition has been running, we have been able to host 2 sessions of print demonstrations relating to Byrne’s work, thanks to Master Printer Ian McNicol, revealing the collaborative process between artist and printer. The audiences were given a fascinating insight into life in the Glasgow Print Studio when Byrne was around. Ian himself, creating many of Byrne’s prints, some of which form part of the exhibition. With etching plates from the Byrne archive, Ian talked us through the preparation and went on to print off a few of the familiar images on an etching press. These hour long sessions were well attended and enjoyed by all. Here are some photos from the sessions. The Byrne exhibition continues until 31 August, there’s still time if you haven’t been in yet!

Improvements to the Courtyard

By The Maclaurin Gallery • July 7, 2025
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...

Cultural Icon - John Byrne

By The Maclaurin Gallery • July 4, 2025
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.