Glasgow Society of Lady Artists
Encyclopedia
The Glasgow Society of Lady Artists was founded in 1882 by eight female students of the Glasgow School of Art
Glasgow School of Art
Glasgow School of Art is one of only two independent art schools in Scotland, situated in the Garnethill area of Glasgow.-History:It was founded in 1845 as the Glasgow Government School of Design. In 1853, it changed its name to The Glasgow School of Art. Initially it was located at 12 Ingram...

 with the aim of according due recognition to women in the field of art.

The eight founding members were successful business women, active in many enterprises, and by 1895 had accumulated sufficient funds to allow the purchase of a house at No. 5 Blythswood Square. It had the distinction of being the first Women Artists' Residential Club in Great Britain and was known as The Glasgow Society of Lady Artists' Club. By 1897 the partnership of George Henry Walton
George Henry Walton
George Henry Walton , was a noted Scottish architect and designer of remarkable diversity. George was the youngest of twelve talented children of Jackson Walton, a Manchester commission agent and himself an accomplished painter and photographer, by his second wife, the Aberdeen-born Quaker Eliza...

 and Fred Rowntree
Fred Rowntree
Fred Rowntree , a Scottish Arts and Crafts architect, was the son of John Rowntree, a master grocer and Ann Webster. His brother, John Rowntree, traded in tea and coffee...

 had designed and constructed a gallery for the Club's fourteenth Annual Exhibition.

A disastrous fire on 27 May 1901 destroyed the Gallery and pictures for a special Summer Exhibition mounted in conjunction with the International Exhibition at Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum
Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum
The Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum is a museum and art gallery in Glasgow, Scotland. The building houses one of Europe's great civic art collections...

. The Gallery was rebuilt to the design of George Henry Walton and the first exhibition was held on 25 October 1902.

In 1907 a Decoration Committee commissioned Charles Rennie Mackintosh
Charles Rennie Mackintosh
Charles Rennie Mackintosh was a Scottish architect, designer, watercolourist and artist. He was a designer in the Arts and Crafts movement and also the main representative of Art Nouveau in the United Kingdom. He had a considerable influence on European design...

 to carry out certain interior work and the striking black pedimented neo-classical front door. The Club thrived over the following 64 years until 1971 when it was sold to the Scottish Arts Council
Scottish Arts Council
The Scottish Arts Council is a Scottish public body that distributes funding from the Scottish Government, and is the leading national organisation for the funding, development and promotion of the arts in Scotland...

.

Some members were determined to revive the Society , which duly happened in 1975 when it was renamed The Glasgow Society of Women Artists with a Centenary Exhibition being held in the Collins Gallery in 1982.
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