Renowned artist subject of royal talk
05/03/10
Renowned local artist Frances Walker will be the subject of this year's prestigious Royal Scottish Academy Sir William Gillies Bequest Lecture, which will take place at 7pm on Wednesday, 17 March at the Cowdray Hall.
The lecture by eminent art historian and critic Duncan Macmillan HRSA will give a broad perspective of Frances Walker's work and coincides with the exhibition Frances Walker, Place Observed in Solitude, currently on show at Aberdeen Art Gallery until Saturday, 10 April.
The exhibition celebrates the artist's 80th year and marks the first public showing of works from all periods of her prodigious career, including her most recent series of breathtaking landscapes of the Antarctic.
Aberdeen Art Gallery & Museums manager Christine Rew said: "It is a great honour to have been asked by the Royal Scottish Academy to host this year's Sir William Gillies Bequest Lecture, in this the Gallery's 125th anniversary year.
"There has been a great response to Frances Walker's exhibition since it opened [Saturday, 06 February]. We hope that those interested in the exhibition and Scottish art will take advantage of hearing such an eminent speaker as Duncan Macmillan."
The Royal Scottish Academy is a beneficiary under the Will of the Late Sir William Gillies, former President of Edinburgh College of Art and distinguished academic. To commemorate the generosity of their late colleague, members of the Academy agreed to arrange where possible on an annual basis, a prestigious public lecture in the name of Sir William.
The first lecture in 1978 was given by the Rt Hon Lord Clark of Saltwood. As part of the Academy's national remit, in 2008, the lecture left Edinburgh and was held in Lanntair, Stornoway and given by Murdo Macdonald, Professor of History of Scottish Art, Dundee University. Aberdeen is only the second venue out with Edinburgh to host the lecture.
Other lectures have been delivered by Sir Alan Bowness, Yehudi Menuhin, Jeremy Isaacs, Jean Muir, Pru Leith, Neil MacGregor, Lord Putman and Mark Jones.
The lecture is free but advance booking is essential. Telephone Aberdeen Art Gallery on (01224) 523700 or drop in past the Gallery shop to sign up.
Aberdeen Art Gallery, Schoolhill, AB10 1FQ
Tel + 44 (0) 1224 523700
Email info@aagm.co.uk
Website www.aagm.co.uk
Opening hours
Tuesday – Saturday 10am – 5pm
Sunday 2pm – 5pm
Closed Monday
Admission Free