Past 2011 Exhibitions

Browse past exhibitions in the Exhibitions Archive

BP Portrait Award 2011
12 November 2011 - 21 January 2012
Aberdeen Art Gallery
The world's most prestigious portrait competition and one of the Gallery's most popular exhibitions, returns to Aberdeen for its only Scottish showing. Exhibition organised by the National Portrait Gallery. Supported by BP.

My Future Aspirations
1 December 2011 - 14 January 2012
Aberdeen Art Gallery
An exhibition showcasing portrait work by S1 and S2 pupils from across Aberdeen city and shire.

With Scott to the Pole
24 September 2011 - 8 January 2012
Aberdeen Maritime Museum
This exhibition of historic photographs of this ill-fated Antarctic expedition taken by 'camera artist' Herbert Ponting tell an unforgettable tale both epic and human in scale. In 1910 Captain Robert Falcon Scott set out for the Antarctic.

Jingle Bell Rock - 1950s Partywear
29 October 2011 - 7 January 2012
Provost Skene's House
A sparkling array of ball gowns and cocktail dresses from the permanent collection feature in this fun and festive display.

Stage Directions
9 July 2011 - 19 November 2011
Aberdeen Art Gallery
This display will explore the long relationship between the visual arts and the theatre.

Breath Taking
3 September - 29 October
Aberdeen Art Gallery
Breath Taking features cutting-edge work in blown glass by 22 makers. The selected makers illustrate a contemporary and lyrical approach to this age-old process through the presentation of exciting new works, many of which are conceptual and non-functional forms that breath a new life into a traditional practice.

CC41 Utility Fashion
13 August - 15 October
Provost Skene's House
The distinctive CC41 label was used to mark all goods which met the Government's Utility Scheme which was intended to help wartime Britain face the increasing shortage of raw materials.

Broad Street Over the Years
9 August - 11 September
The Tolbooth Museum
These images illustrate how the street's appearance has radically changed over the centuries.

Building Scotland
4 June - 11 September
Aberdeen Maritime Museum
This touring exhibition from Historic Scotland introduces 14 different materials and tools used to work and build with them, while complementary displays from Aberdeen Art Gallery & Museums Collections look at what Aberdeen was built from through the ages.

Wildlife Photographer of the Year
11 June - 20 August
Aberdeen Art Gallery
From spectacular, sweeping landscapes to intimate portraits of animal behaviour, the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition offers an unequalled insight into the beauty, drama and diversity of the natural world.

A Creative Intervention
7 May - 13 August 2011
Provost Skene's House
Over the last few months second and third year students from the 3D Design Course at Gray's School of Art have been developing a project based on 16th century Provost Skene's House.

Aberdeen and the Jacobites
1 July - 7 August
The Tolbooth Museum
An exploration of Aberdeen's links with the Jacobite Rebellions.

Anniversary of the Battle of Harlaw
22 - 31 July
Aberdeen Art Gallery
To mark the 600th anniversary of the Battle of Harlaw which took place near Inverurie on the 24 July 1411, we play host to a magnificent model of the battle site, created by Aberdeen Wargames Club.

Fairytale Weddings
21 May - 30 July
Provost Skene's House
On show are dresses worn by local brides from the 1920s through to the early 1980s. Some are close copies of Royal gowns while others bear similarities to those worn by Royal brides to their Fairytale weddings.

True to Life - Drawings from Sir William Allan's Sketch Book
26 March - 2 July
Aberdeen Art Gallery
This display presents a selection of drawings alongside reproductions of the oil paintings that were to result from them.

What Might Have Been
19 February - 11 June 2011
Aberdeen Maritime Museum
A unique chance to see never-realised plans from the rich collections of Aberdeen Art Gallery & Museums Collections and the Aberdeen City Archives.

Aberdeen Artists Society 77th Annual Exhibition
30 April - 28 May
Aberdeen Art Gallery
This major annual 'open' exhibition provides professional, established, amateur and emerging artists with a platform to show an exciting range of work including painting, sculpture, printmaking, jewellery, textiles and film.

Seamarking
19 February - 21 May 2011
Aberdeen Maritime Museum
Seamarking is vital for the preservation of mariners across the world.

Aberdeen's Designer Wardrobe
26 February -7 May 2011
Provost Skene's House
This display showcases ensembles by iconic designers from Aberdeen Art Gallery & Museums Collections, alongside garments and accessories borrowed  from the wardrobes of the best dressed ladies in the city.

An Early copy of Raphael's Madonna Della Sedia
1 March - 26 April
Aberdeen Art Gallery
On loan from a private collection this copy of Raphael's Madonna della Sedia, of 1513-14 Pitti Palace once belonged to Annie Cass, 1st Viscountess Cowdray.

Diane Arbus ARTIST ROOMS
5 February - 9 April
Aberdeen Art Gallery
A major selection from the comprehensive holdings of Diane Arbus's work held in the ARTIST ROOMS collection.

Fashion Drawings by James Hayden Fettes
11 December - 19 March
Aberdeen Art Gallery
James Hayden Fettes was a freelance commercial artist who produced fashion illustrations for many Aberdeen stores including Watt & Grant, Falconers and Esslemont & Macintosh.

Collected: Applied Art Past Present Future
10 March 2010 - 6 March 2011
Aberdeen Art Gallery
The first of a number of exhibitions which celebrate the 125th anniversary of the opening of Aberdeen Art Gallery showcases a selection of exciting and intriguing objects from the Applied Art collection.

Nasty Piece of Stuff
27 January - 24 February
Aberdeen Art Gallery
Nasty Piece of Stuff by Jordan Baseman features Alan Wakeman, a founding member of the Gay Liberation Front. We hear Alan describe his first sexual experience in early 1960's London. His compelling story is accompanied by frantic London-based visuals that have been created using stop-frame animation techniques.

Teapots
2 November - 26 February
Aberdeen Art Gallery
A small display of teapots from the Decorative Art collection that charts the changing shape of this functional and decorative object. From early 18th century teapots by Aberdeen silversmiths to ceramic examples made by modern makers including Wally Keeler.

What Might Have Been
19 February - 11 June 2011
Aberdeen Maritime Museum
A unique chance to see never-realised plans from the rich collections of Aberdeen Art Gallery & Museums Collections and the Aberdeen City Archives.

A Touch of Silk
4 December - 12 February
Provost Skene's House
Silk has always been one of the most precious and expensive fabrics used for making clothes. Even today, with advanced processing techniques, silk is still viewed as a status symbol and usually used for clothes worn for best. 

Life on the Rocks
20 November - 30 January
Aberdeen Maritime Museum
Life on the Rocks Photographs by Keith Allardyce
This is a fascinating display of photographs by acclaimed photographer Keith Allardyce giving a pictorial representation of the life of the lighthouse keepers and their families on rock lighthouses.

BP Portrait Award 2010
27 November 2010 - 22 January 2011
Aberdeen Art Gallery
A much anticipated return to Aberdeen for the world's most prestigious portrait competition and its only Scottish showing. Promoting the very best in contemporary portrait painting the exhibition features fifty-eight selected works drawn from a record 2,177 entrants, submitted by artists from around the world. Also on display is the BP Travel Award 2009.
A National Portrait Gallery Touring Exhibition.