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17/4/2007

Glasgow Art Fair 2007

Glasgow City Centre, Glasgow

Scotland's national art fair Glasgow Art Fair 2007 will take place from Thursday 19th April until Sunday 22nd April 2007. Located within its trademark white tented pavilions which dominate George Square in the heart of Glasgow’s city centre, this eagerly anticipated annual art buying extravaganza offers its 16,000 visitors four days of buying, selling and discovering art. Having firmly established itself as the UK’s most prestigious contemporary art fair outside of London since its inception in 1996, Glasgow Art Fair 2007 will showcase 43 selected galleries from Scotland, the UK and Europe exhibiting work by over 1000 artists.

The City’s outstanding reputation for the visual arts; Glasgow Art Fair’s status as a platform for encouraging and developing Scotland’s art buying market, together with the City’s position as a European shopping and style capital, make Glasgow an ideal platform to present the best of contemporary art for sale and to encourage its residents and visitors alike to invest in new pieces. With sales figures regularly in excess of £1million and individual purchases ranging from as little as £50 to over £30K, occasional art buyers and dedicated collectors alike recognise Glasgow Art Fair as the place to view and discover quality work by established artists and cutting edge talent across a wide range of media. Of the 43 galleries selected to exhibit this year, eleven are from Glasgow, nine from elsewhere in Scotland, thirteen from London, seven from elsewhere across the UK and three from Europe.

Of these galleries, nine will be exhibiting at Glasgow Art Fair for the first time. New galleries include three from Glasgow, one from Edinburgh as well as galleries from Bristol, Devon, Ireland and Spain. Highlights this year include a first for brand new gallery owner, Victoria Cassidy. As new proprietor of Mansfield Park Gallery, Glasgow, and an artist in her own right, Cassidy is looking forward to showcasing the new look gallery featuring work by Charles Jamieson, Kirsty Wither, Simon Laurie and Cassidy herself at Glasgow Art Fair for the first time this Spring. Commenting on her selection to take part in the Fair, Cassidy said: ‘I have been a visitor to the Glasgow Art Fair since it began, and I have exhibited there as an artist on several occasions, but this year is a special year for me as it will be the first time I have attended as a gallery owner. It comes right at the end of my first year in charge of the Mansfield Park Gallery, and as everyone in Scotland with an interest in art will be there, I can think of no better opportunity for the artists I exhibit to have their work seen, and for me to promote my gallery.’

Further highlights include new work by rising artist, Catriona Millar. Following a sellout, 2004 degree show at Gray's School of Art in Aberdeen, Millar’s work won the support high profile art collector, Charles Saatchi. Having asked permission to upload images of eight of her paintings to his own website, six sold within weeks. Represented by Aberdeenshire’s Riverside Gallery, at last year’s Glasgow Art Fair, 14 of her paintings were sold. Since then, Millar has been invited to exhibit her work at galleries in Barcelona, Montreal and Japan and is now producing new work for sale at this year’s Glasgow Art Fair. Speaking about the work she is producing for this year’s Fair, Millar said: ‘Exhibiting at art fairs with the Riverside Gallery has meant my work has quickly reached a wider, more cosmopolitan audience. On a personal level it’s particularly exciting to exhibit at the Glasgow Art Fair as it offers my family a rare opportunity to see my work in reality. My new collection of paintings draws again on people and mood and specific personalities. Some of the works have a certain serenity which I hope people will find appealing.’

Meanwhile, Kathleen Leiper, Director, Riverside Gallery, Aberdeenshire said: ‘Glasgow Art Fair has become a very important date in our show calendar as it gives us the vital opportunity (due to our area’s demographics) to showcase our gallery artists at an extremely high profile event. This year, by electing to show four painters, including Catriona Millar and one sculptor, in what will be a small catalogued exhibition within the art fair, we hope to allow patrons the opportunity to view a larger selection of their work. ‘ Internationally acclaimed artist, David Mach is also producing new work for sale through Jill George Gallery, London at this year’s Fair. Recently made a member of the Board of the Royal Scottish Academy; the availability of Mach’s new work at Glasgow Art Fair coincides with presentations of major international solo shows in Los Angeles and Paris this Spring. With a major project underway in Dundee where he holds the position of Professor of Inspiration and Discovery at Dundee University as well as beginning work on a mammoth four year project to realise 66 books of the Bible through collage and sculpture, Mach’s presence at Glasgow Art Fair offers art patrons an opportunity to experience his work first hand. Peter Irvine, Director of Glasgow Art Fair said: ‘We’re delighted once again to be able to produce Glasgow’s beautiful Art Fair in George Square, the heart of the City. Galleries from all over UK and Europe will show the very best of contemporary visual art. There are lots of new galleries this year as before assembled by a Selection Panel to ensure a diversity and quality not seen anywhere in the UK outside of London.’

Lord Provost, Liz Cameron said: ‘The Glasgow Art Fair has been an essential part of Glasgow's thriving cultural life for over a decade now. Once more, the Art Fair will bring a wide range of galleries to the city presenting a fantastic selection of contemporary art for sale to buyers of every budget. I am certain that this, the biggest event of its kind in the UK outside of London, will yet again be very successful.’ The Glasgow Art Fair informal Guided Tours will offer visitors the opportunity to meet gallery owners and chat about works on show.

The Glasgow Art Fair is a Glasgow City Council initiative produced by UZ Events.

Opening 18 april 2007

Glasgow Art Fair
George Square - Glasgow
Hours: Thursday 19 April, 10.30am-8pm; Friday 20 April, 10.30am-8pm; Saturday 21 April 10.30am -6.30pm Sunday 22 April, Noon-6.30pm
Admission: Adults: pound 6; Concessions: pound 4

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