Gray's School of Art
Encyclopedia
Gray's School of Art is an integral part of the Robert Gordon University
in Aberdeen
that is one of the oldest established fine art institutions in Scotland
. One of Scotland's four art school
s, Gray's is located in the Garthdee grounds of the University.
, Gray had risen from humble beginnings as a carpenter to become partner in McKinnon & Co., a firm of engineers and iron founders in Aberdeen. In 1859 he was appointed director of the Aberdeen Mechanics Institution, a forerunner of Robert Gordon University.
In the early 1880s, John Gray offered to finance and build a new school of science and art in Aberdeen, on the condition that the governors named it Gray's School of Science and Art. His offer stemmed partly from the difficulties he himself had experienced obtaining adequate training. The school opened in 1885 with 96 students enrolled for the day classes and 322 for the evening classes. The original building, sited at Schoolhill, gave architectural coherence to the neighbouring Aberdeen Art Gallery
, as was Gray's wish.
Following on from this development, in 1966 Gray's School of Art was relocated to a function-built Modernist building on the Garthdee Estate, which marked the beginning of the redevelopment of Garthdee by Robert Gordon's Institute of Technology. The Gray's School of Art building has three floors and is designed in a U-plan with a large front facade and two wings.
The ground floor on the main facade houses the printmaking
studios and workshops as well as administrative offices, a computer lab, photocopiers and textile
-printing workshops. The East Wing houses a photographic studio, the school art shop, refectory
and the large First Year Studio Hall. The West Wing houses ceramics, jewellery and 3D design workshops as well as life model changing rooms and two large open-plan sculpture
studios. Both wings have only one floor, although underneath the sculpture and first year studios, which are built into the hill on which the school stands, there are two general woodwork and metalwork workshops.
The first floor houses second and third year painting
studios, visual communication
studios, textiles studios, life drawing rooms, the head of school's office in the east wing and the printmaking staff room in the west. The second floor until recently exclusively housed the fourth year painting studios. However, in the last two years two rooms have been reallocated to the new photography and electronic media (PEM) course.
In the early 1990s, "temporary" cabins were put in place to house the growing number of students. These are still in use, housing 3D design studios, design for industry studios, critical and contextual studies, and the MFA
programme studios.
Design & Craft Programme
Fine Art Programme
Design for Industry Programme
Postgraduate Programme
and Edinburgh College of Art
Degree Shows.
Robert Gordon University
Robert Gordon University is located in Aberdeen, Scotland. Building on over 250 years involvement in education, it was granted university status in 1992. Robert Gordon University currently has approximately 16,407 students at its two campuses at Garthdee and the City Centre, studying on over 145...
in Aberdeen
Aberdeen
Aberdeen is Scotland's third most populous city, one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas and the United Kingdom's 25th most populous city, with an official population estimate of ....
that is one of the oldest established fine art institutions in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. One of Scotland's four art school
Art school
Art school is a general term for any educational institution with a primary focus on the visual arts, especially illustration, painting, photography, sculpture, and graphic design. The term applies to institutions with elementary, secondary, post-secondary or undergraduate, or graduate or...
s, Gray's is located in the Garthdee grounds of the University.
History
Gray's was founded in 1885 as Gray's School of Science and Art, in recognition of the generosity of its founding father, John Gray (1811–1891). A local businessman and philanthropistPhilanthropist
A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...
, Gray had risen from humble beginnings as a carpenter to become partner in McKinnon & Co., a firm of engineers and iron founders in Aberdeen. In 1859 he was appointed director of the Aberdeen Mechanics Institution, a forerunner of Robert Gordon University.
In the early 1880s, John Gray offered to finance and build a new school of science and art in Aberdeen, on the condition that the governors named it Gray's School of Science and Art. His offer stemmed partly from the difficulties he himself had experienced obtaining adequate training. The school opened in 1885 with 96 students enrolled for the day classes and 322 for the evening classes. The original building, sited at Schoolhill, gave architectural coherence to the neighbouring Aberdeen Art Gallery
Aberdeen Art Gallery
Aberdeen Art Gallery is the main visual arts exhibition space in the city of Aberdeen in Scotland. It opened in 1885, in a building designed by Alexander Marshall Mackenzie....
, as was Gray's wish.
Garthdee Campus
In the early 1950s, Thomas Scott Sutherland (1899–1963), an Aberdeen architect who had attended the School of Architecture at Robert Gordon's Technical College, gifted his Victorian mansion Garthdee House and its surrounding estate on the southern outskirts of Aberdeen, to the School of Architecture, along with a substantial endowment. The relocated school opened at Garthdee in 1956 as the Scott Sutherland School of Architecture.Following on from this development, in 1966 Gray's School of Art was relocated to a function-built Modernist building on the Garthdee Estate, which marked the beginning of the redevelopment of Garthdee by Robert Gordon's Institute of Technology. The Gray's School of Art building has three floors and is designed in a U-plan with a large front facade and two wings.
The ground floor on the main facade houses the printmaking
Printmaking
Printmaking is the process of making artworks by printing, normally on paper. Printmaking normally covers only the process of creating prints with an element of originality, rather than just being a photographic reproduction of a painting. Except in the case of monotyping, the process is capable...
studios and workshops as well as administrative offices, a computer lab, photocopiers and textile
Textile
A textile or cloth is a flexible woven material consisting of a network of natural or artificial fibres often referred to as thread or yarn. Yarn is produced by spinning raw fibres of wool, flax, cotton, or other material to produce long strands...
-printing workshops. The East Wing houses a photographic studio, the school art shop, refectory
Refectory
A refectory is a dining room, especially in monasteries, boarding schools and academic institutions. One of the places the term is most often used today is in graduate seminaries...
and the large First Year Studio Hall. The West Wing houses ceramics, jewellery and 3D design workshops as well as life model changing rooms and two large open-plan sculpture
Sculpture
Sculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials—typically stone such as marble—or metal, glass, or wood. Softer materials can also be used, such as clay, textiles, plastics, polymers and softer metals...
studios. Both wings have only one floor, although underneath the sculpture and first year studios, which are built into the hill on which the school stands, there are two general woodwork and metalwork workshops.
The first floor houses second and third year painting
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
studios, visual communication
Visual communication
Visual communication as the name suggests is communication through visual aid and is described as the conveyance of ideas and information in forms that can be read or looked upon...
studios, textiles studios, life drawing rooms, the head of school's office in the east wing and the printmaking staff room in the west. The second floor until recently exclusively housed the fourth year painting studios. However, in the last two years two rooms have been reallocated to the new photography and electronic media (PEM) course.
In the early 1990s, "temporary" cabins were put in place to house the growing number of students. These are still in use, housing 3D design studios, design for industry studios, critical and contextual studies, and the MFA
Master of Fine Arts
A Master of Fine Arts is a graduate degree typically requiring 2–3 years of postgraduate study beyond the bachelor's degree , although the term of study will vary by country or by university. The MFA is usually awarded in visual arts, creative writing, filmmaking, dance, or theatre/performing arts...
programme studios.
Expansion
As part of Robert Gordon University's development of the Garthdee Campus, which aims to move all of the University's facilities to Garthdee by 2015, Gray's School of Art is earmarked for refurbishment and expansion. This will include both the Art School and the Scott Sutherland School of Architecture and the Built Environment being co-located on the present Gray's site, with additional floors being built on the East and West Wings at Gray's.Areas of study
Gray's teaches a wide range of fine art and design subjects. It employs a general first year where students get a taster of each subject area before choosing which area they want to specialise in from second to fourth (honours) year.Design & Craft Programme
- 3D Design
- Textile and Surface Design
- Fashion Design
- Visual Communication
Fine Art Programme
- Painting
- Photography and Electronic Media (PEM)
- Printmaking (the only stand-alone printmaking course out of the four Scottish Art Schools)
- Sculpture
Design for Industry Programme
- Design for Digital Media
- Graphic Design
- Product Design
Postgraduate Programme
- Master of Fine Art (MFA)
- Master of Design
- Master of Research in Art & Design
Degree Show
Gray's holds an annual Degree Show in June to publicly showcase the work of the students. The opening night is a significant social event for the students, staff and the local arts community. The Degree Show always runs head to head with the Glasgow School of ArtGlasgow 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...
and Edinburgh College of Art
Edinburgh College of Art
Edinburgh College of Art is an art school in Edinburgh, Scotland, providing tertiary education in art and design disciplines for over two thousand students....
Degree Shows.
Notable alumni
- See also: :Category:Alumni of Gray's School of Art
- Josephine BroekhuizenJosephine BroekhuizenJosephine Broekhuizen is a Dutch artist living in Scotland, known for work with distorted perspectives.-Start of her career:...
(born 1956), artist - Robert BroughRobert BroughRobert Brough was a Scottish painter born in Invergordon, Ross and Cromarty.He was educated in Aberdeen, and, whilst apprenticed for over six years as lithographer to Messrs Gibb & Co., attended the night classes at Gray's School of Art...
(1872–1905), painter - Joe EdwardsJoe Edwards (painter)Joseph B. Edwards was a Scottish painter.Edwards trained at Gray's School of Art, in Aberdeen, from 1950 to 1954, under Robert Sivell, then head of the school...
(1933–2000), painter of rural life - Edith HughesEdith Hughes (architect)Edith Mary Wardlaw Burnet Hughes was a Scottish architect, and is considered Britain's first practising woman architect.-Early life:...
(1888–1971), Britain's first practising woman architect - Callum InnesCallum InnesCallum Innes is a Scottish abstract painter and former Turner Prize nominee.-Life and work:Callum Innes was born in Edinburgh. He studied at Gray's School of Art and graduated from Edinburgh College of Art in 1985....
(born 1962), Turner PrizeTurner PrizeThe Turner Prize, named after the painter J. M. W. Turner, is an annual prize presented to a British visual artist under the age of 50. Awarding the prize is organised by the Tate gallery and staged at Tate Britain. Since its beginnings in 1984 it has become the United Kingdom's most publicised...
-nominated painter - John MennieJohn MennieJohn George Mennie, A.R.M.S. D.A.. ARMS., was a Scottish artist who came to public attention in 2011 for his many contemporaneous drawings of his life as a prisoner of war during the Japanese occupation of Singapore and Thailand in World War II...
(1911-1982), paintings of 'prisoner of war' camps in Singapore, Thailand and Malaya during WWII - Donnie MunroDonnie MunroDonnie Munro is a Scottish musician, and former lead singer of the band Runrig.A native speaker of Scottish Gaelic, much of his work is in that language.-Early life:...
(born 1953), musician
- Josephine Broekhuizen