MUSIC HATH CHARMS – ART SEEN IN A NEW SETTING Four young musicians from the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama gave a recital in the Gallery on Sunday, October 17. Scottish-born mezzo soprano Laura Margaret Smith, currently working for her masters degree, has gained several scholarships and appears on the concert platform THE NEWSLETTER OF THE GLASGOW ART CLUB WINTER 2010 No. 34 and in the opera house. Violinist Rachel Spencer (at back) has led both the RSAMD’s chamber and string President’s column orchestras and last year took part in a tour of Scotland. Laura Gabriella Gemesi, viola, has performed chamber Wanted – the next music in her native Hungary, Britain, Austria, Italy, Norway and Indonesia. Japanese pianist Ayako Kanazawa, an hundred members accomplished accompanist, has been engaged as a repetiteur for Scottish The most significant development since the last edition Opera in 2011. has been the successful completion of the Drawing Room project on budget and on time. My thanks to Paul Dowds and Connie Simmers and everyone else including our professional advisers and the contractors who made it happen – not least our Trustees who enabled it to be financed. If you have not yet had a look at this new facility please do. It is a handsome addition to our accommodation and makes superb use of a redundant space. It will replace the Peter Graham’s A Morning Room Study Gallery for the duration of its Peter Graham writes: refurbishment but in the meantime is a Planning for the future space from which we must generate Over the last year I was fortunate to income. Council proposes if at all have been granted permission to possible to reserve the revenue earned LAURA produce a series of paintings at the The artist John Mackechnie with his wife to compensate for the loss from not Garrick Club in Covent Garden. Since Sue at the opening exhibition. being able to host the larger functions BRINGS it is one of our reciprocal clubs, during the refurbishment period. A NEW members of the Glasgow Art Club can An ongoing issue is that our frequent this illustrious establishment recruitment of new members is just LOOK when in London. The Garrick has a sufficient to compensate for deaths wonderful theatrical tradition with Welcome to the Drawing Room and resignations. I would like to A new face will be seen in the Club many members coming from the world The new first-floor Drawing Room (which used to be the billiard room) was increase the membership by 100 net. most Thursdays and Fridays. Laura of the stage. formally inaugurated in September with an exhibition of photo and digital-prints Council will be embarking on a Donnelly has been recruited on a part- From my paintings the Garrick Club by John Mackechnie, director of the Glasgow Print Studio – images seen to significant marketing strategy for new time basis to help boost the Club’s expressed an interest in A Morning advantage in the bright ambience of the room, complementing and contrasting members and to sell our facilities. If we marketing. Her primary aim will be to Room Study (above) which I was with the members’ Autumn Exhibition in the Gallery a floor below. Pictured had that extra subscription income increase membership, and beyond that delighted to donate for their above: Sheriff Iain Macmillan declaiming in best senatorial style at the dinner and the revenue new members would to devise fund-raising schemes and to collection. bring we could transform what we raise public awareness of the Club and This watercolour shows the entrance held to mark the opening of the new space. Right: scenes from the private view. A scene from the opening show could offer. what it stands for. She says that an to the Morning Room flanked by a Our sister club in Edinburgh, the important aspect of her work will be bust of Sir Squire Bancroft, who ran Pittendrigh Scottish Arts Club, which was heading programming events for both Club the Haymarket Theatre in London (continued from page 7) CONGRATULATIONS... for closure, has just done precisely members and outside organisations, from 1880. The white marble bust was An ardent Scot, Pittendrigh spoke …to Robert Kelsey on being awarded standing in the community and his that. With a much more handsome including corporate events. More exhibited at the Royal Academy in lowland Scots vernacular, writing poetry, the honorary degree, Master of the achievement in art, but also his property in Bath Street I cannot believe prominent use of the Club logo is also 1881. essays and plays in this tongue. He wrote University of the West of Scotland, contribution to charity through the that what Edinburgh has done likely – for example it will be The bench seen on the right-hand songs and played them on a violin made earlier this year at a ceremony in gift of paintings, by which he has Glasgow cannot match or better. displayed on the windows facing Bath side, with carved ornamentation in the by his own hands. Hugh MacDiarmid Paisley. This recognises not only his raised many thousands for various All members have their part to play. Street. Marketing will be active but Greek style, belonged to the poet admired his writing and the two were charitable organisations. Robert has Please sell the Club and its facilities to not ‘in-your-face’, in keeping with the Byron and was among his possessions linked in the Scottish Renaissance been a member of Glasgow Art Club your friends and encourage them to character of the Club – ‘No neon at Missolonghi. movement. for more than twenty years, serving on join. lights,’ she says. The Chippendale-style chair in the Elected to the Royal Scottish Academy its council and for two years recently Laura, who is 24, has been working centre of the painting, one of a pair, in 1901, Ll.D in 1909, Pittendrigh as honorary secretary. part-time with the Prince and Princess belonged to the actor Sir Henry Irving, became King’s Sculptor in Ordinary for He graduated at Glasgow School of of Wales hospice in Glasgow, where the first actor to be awarded a Scotland in 1921. He died in 1938 and Art in 1970, and after a spell in Bon appetit! she has a similar remit. Born and bred knighthood. He was one of the first was buried in Edinburgh, his home for education he became a full-time artist in Glasgow, she is a graduate of actor managers of the British stage, many years. In an obituary, James in 1995. He exhibits regularly with, Glasgow firm En Croute has taken Strathclyde University and has a supervising sets, lighting, direction and Pittendrigh Macgillivray was acclaimed amongst others, the RGI and Paisley over catering services for the Club. degree in French and Spanish. She also casting as well as playing the leading as being ‘in the front rank of Brisith There will be new faces in the kitchen runs her own online business for hand- roles. He is thought to have been the sculpture of all time’. Art Institute. Last year he was elected a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. but our own management staff will made wedding and greetings inspiration for the Bram Stoker continue to provide cheerful service. stationery. character Dracula! 8 CLUB NEWS Full house celebrates the life Stagestruck and Coming events The winter exhibition of members’ of Jimmy working for Bridie work (opening on Saturday, December 4 at 12.30) runs until January 15. In the last issue of the Newsletter I went to see shows and plays in the A recital by the Song Studio of the Robertson recalled how I became secretary to Dr Glasgow theatres, and then hurried back RSAMD is scheduled for the afternoon Mavor – otherwise ‘James Bridie’ – and to Buchanan Street where I typed my of Sunday, December 12, preceded by my rather unusual interview for the post, notices on yellow copy paper and optional lunch from 12.30. The popping of champagne corks gave when we sang the 30th Paraphrase handed them to the sub-editors, who It’s party time on Friday, December 17 a fine introduction to the Art Club’s together – ‘Come, let us to the Lord our turned my prosy sentences into – ‘7.30 till late’. Victorian fancy dress evening of commemoration of Jimmy God…’ The job turned out, as I said at something short and snappy. But the is welcome but not essential. Actor Robertson on October 15. The Gallery the end, to be ‘a remarkable experience’. smell of printers’ ink was getting to me. James Bridie – detail from a painting in John Cairney is billed to appear, but in was full and the mood relaxed but I was nineteen at the time, not long Dr Mavor’s plans for the Citizens’ the Club’s collection, hanging in the reception room. Bridie just manages to what guise? Something Dickensian, sharp enough to respond with arrived in the big city from Oban, and Theatre were well advanced by the time perhaps. A feast from the buffet is unsure of myself. He was the same age as I came to work for him. He was keek into Robert Eadie’s painting of a acclamation to president Raymond Glasgow street scene on a rainy day promised, plus parlour games and Williamson’s invitation to applaud my father; an established author with determined that Glasgow should have a carols by candlelight. What frolics! Jimmy’s work, and his stature in and plays running in the West End. He had theatre where the best modern plays served in the First World War, for would be performed – even in war-time.