A group of final year Painting students from Robert Gordon University’s (RGU), Gray’s School of Art, will host an exhibition of their work at The Edinburgh Palette Gallery in St Margaret House in Edinburgh this month.
The interim exhibition gives the students the chance to showcase their work ahead of the Gray’s Degree Show, which takes place at the Art School, Aberdeen in June.
As well as displaying their work, the exhibition gives the year four students invaluable experience in the management and set up of an exhibition.
The exhibition will run from Saturday March 4, to Saturday March 18, and is open to the public from 10am to 4pm.
Jessica Barrie, one of the students organising the exhibition, commented: “The interim exhibition we hold each year in Edinburgh allows us to spread the word about the Painting department at Gray’s outside of Aberdeen.
“For many of us it is our first opportunity to hold a formal exhibition and we organise everything ourselves. This has proven to be a challenge on top of our already demanding course, but one from which we have already learnt a great deal.
“It's great at this stage to get our work out of the studio. Seeing it in a gallery space allows us to see it with fresh eyes which is especially valuable before our Degree Show.
“We look forward to seeing you all in Edinburgh next month and at Gray’s in June!”
Jack Dunnett, also exhibition at the show believes putting on the show has given the students an important chance for us to work together as a group of artists, organising the all the logistics and fundraising to cover the costs.
“It's an invaluable insight into what lies ahead for contemporary artists who intend to exhibit after graduation, and to be able to do this while studying at Gray's gives us the independence and responsibility of organisation while also working in an environment where help is always at hand.
“The experience has been stressful at times, with deadlines for dissertations, examinations and study trips all seeming to come at the same time, but altogether the challenge has been rewarding.”
Annie Mulvey, another of the exhibiting students, added: “Edinburgh Palette is a great establishment to have this interim with as they have a great community ethic and a beautiful space up for grabs in St. Margaret's House.
“It's been a long process really, the work exhibited here today really started 4 years ago, and this constant flux of development and research has geared us up for it, we really want to make the best out of it, and push ourselves.”
Keith Grant, head of painting at Gray’s School of Art, added: “This year marks the seventh year in a row that the exhibition has been installed at The Edinburgh Palette in St Margaret’s House, Edinburgh.
“The exhibition is organised in its entirety by the students, from logistics and marketing to curation and installation.
“19 honours year students will present a body of work that explores a diverse range of subject matter while exploring the possibilities inherent within the medium of Paint.”