Celebrate Scotland’s female artists at new exhibition

February 23, 2020 | Culture

A new exhibition that showcases a range of extraordinary work by women artists working in Scotland throughout the 20th century has opened at Clydebank Museum and Art Gallery.

Ladies First: A Celebration of Women Artists brings together work by an array of well-known artists including Elizabeth Blackadder, Anne Redpath and Joan Eardley, alongside paintings by a number of their lesser-known, but equally notable, contemporaries.

Highlights of the display include a selection of Blackadder’s Japanese inspired works that play with colour and form; a varied series of works by Joan Eardley that illustrate an artistic journey of changing style, form and medium; and two rarely seen works by Hilda Goldwag, an artist who made Scotland her home after fleeing Austria in the lead up to World War II.

With illustrations, drawings, and paintings, the exhibition demonstrates the key contribution these artists made to the story of British art, while also documenting the evolution of the 20th century female artist.

Bailie Denis Agnew, convener and spokesperson for West Dunbartonshire’s Cultural Services, said: ‘This exhibition will display a number of outstanding and important pieces, including rarely seen works by Hilda Goldwag, who saw Scotland as a safe haven after fleeing Austria during World War II.

‘The loss of her parents in the Holocaust really resonates in her art and I would urge the public not to miss the opportunity to see her work, and those other Scottish artists included in the exhibition. This will lead to a permanent exhibition of 20th century Scottish women artists to be housed in the Town Hall.’

Councillor Jonathan McColl, Vice Convener of Cultural Services, said: ‘I am extremely pleased that such an important exhibition has come to West Dunbartonshire. These female artists played a vital role in the history of British art and it is right that they get the celebration and recognition they deserve.’

The exhibition, which will run until 9 May, is open from Tuesday to Saturday between 10am and 4.30pm. Entry is free.