Past 2010 Exhibitions

Browse past exhibitions in the Exhibitions Archive

Voices of the Lewis Chessmen
3 December - 8 January
Aberdeen Art Gallery
P6 of Charleston Primary in Cove visited The Lewis Chessmen: Unmasked in October. They were invited to create short radio dramas inspired by what they saw and their own research. Back at school they worked with drama artist Fiona Milligan Rennie and sound artist David Goodall to write, perform and record their plays.

The Lewis Chessmen Unmasked
7 October 2010 - 8 January 2011
Aberdeen Art Gallery
The Lewis Chessmen represent one of the most important archaeological discoveries ever made in Scotland. This major exhibition casts fresh light on their significance and considers their possible origins.

Sophie Ingleby Known/Unknown - Work in progress
31 July - 4 December 2010
Aberdeen Art Gallery
Using selected works by the society painter Philip de László, this photographic exhibition considers the legacy of a portrait.

Seascapes and Waterways
Throughout September, October, November
Aberdeen Art Gallery
This display explores artists' depictions of water in paintings of the sea, rivers and canals. It includes works by Alfred Sisley, SJ Peploe, JD Fergusson and LS Lowry.

Edwardian Splendour
11 September - 20 November
Provost Skene's House
On the 6th May 1910 exactly 100 years ago King Edward VII passed away bringing to an end the brief but heady years of the Edwardian period. Like its King, Edwardian society was larger than life, with a swirl of balls, dinners and weekend-long country house parties.

Celebrate 125 Years of Aberdeen Art Gallery
4 September - 13 November 2010
Aberdeen Art Gallery
This exhibition celebrates the 125th anniversary of Aberdeen Art Gallery and shows a selection of the most significant items in the collections.

Scottish Glass: A Celebration
Until 31 October 2010
Aberdeen Art Gallery
This display coincides with 2010's celebration of 400 years of glass making in Scotland.

North Sea Passenger Lines
3 July - 26 September 2010
Aberdeen Maritime Museum
This exhibition tells the story of the North Sea passenger lines over a period of more than 150 years to the present day. 

Crime and Punishment at Sea
3 August - 12 September 2010
The Tolbooth Museum
An examination of crime and punishment at sea: including a chance to see unique documents from Aberdeen City Archives dealing with cases of piracy.

Bee Inspired - The Influence of Bill Gibb
26 June - 28 August
Provost Skenes House
Using the Bill Gibb archive as a source for inspiration, Fashion and Textile Design students from Gray's School of Art have created fabric and garments for this exhibition. Their designs will be showcased alongside Gibb's own creations.

Roger Fenton and Julia Margaret Cameron -
Early British Photographs from the Royal Collection
12 June - 21 August 2010
Aberdeen Art Gallery
This exhibition demonstrates the exceptionally important patronage of Prince Albert and Queen Victoria at an early stage of the medium by highlighting two of the most important people in the history of photography.

Burgesses of Aberdeen
2 July - 1 August 2010
The Tolbooth Museum
An exploration of the sometimes controversial people who have became burgesses of the City of Aberdeen.

Alphonse Legros 
3 March - 24 July 2010
Aberdeen Art Gallery
The existence of Aberdeen Art Gallery - which celebrates it 125th anniversary this year - is due in no small part to the famous French artist and Slade Professor of Art Alphonse Legros (1837-1911).  His generous gift of his own work and that of his pupils later the same year was one of the first donations to the public art collections.

Hard Graft on the Grey North Sea
10 April - 10 July 2010
Aberdeen Maritime Museum
Edward Smith first began making model boats thirty years ago and has developed them into a range for collectors. His range of Fishing Boat Models and Prints together provide a lasting tribute to history and craftsmanship of the fishing industry in North East Scotland.

Titian Diana and Actaeon
A major acquisition on tour
28 May - 27 June 2010
Aberdeen Art Gallery
Aberdeen Art Gallery is delighted to be part of a special tour to mark the first anniversary of the nation's acquisition of Titian's Diana and Actaeon. The painting will go on public display at Aberdeen Art Gallery from 28 May to 27 June.

1885: Industrial Aberdeen
3 April - 20 June 2010
Aberdeen Maritime Museum
Celebrating the founding of the museums and galleries collections 125 years ago, this exhibition sets the scene on Industrial Aberdeen in 1885.  Showcasing some of our earliest collections, this exhibition explores the great industries which brought wealth and prosperity to the Granite City in the Victorian era.

Printed Fabric Fashions
17 April - 12 June 2010
Provost Skene's House
A selection of costume from the permanent collection demonstrates how printing brings versatility to fabric design. The exhibition includes a roller-printed cotton dress of the early 19th century and shows how Victorian prints influenced the designer, Laura Ashley.

Aberdeen Artists Society 76th Annual Exhibition
1 - 29 May 2010
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.

Sunil Gupta - The New Pre-Raphaelites
14 March - 15 May 2010
Aberdeen Art Gallery
An exhibition of works by the world famous Indian photographer, curator and writer Sunil Gupta. The works explore issues of identity, gender and sexuality, subjects that have occupied Gupta over a large part of his career. Several works by the artist provide an autobiographical account of his experience with homosexuality and since his diagnosis in 1995, with HIV/AIDS. Exhibition courtesy of Grosvenor Vadehra, London.

Journey Through Old Aberdeen
22 March - 24 April 2010
Provost Skene's House
As part of the "Journey Through Old Aberdeen" project coordinated by the Reading Bus, Seaton Primary School pupils have been learning about Seaton Pottery and creating their own pots which we are delighted to display at Provost Skene's House.

Frances Walker - Place Observed in Solitude
6 February - 10 April 2010
Aberdeen Art Gallery
Aberdeen Art Gallery presents a major exhibition of work by one of Scotland's most highly regarded artists, Frances Walker, in celebration of her 80th birthday. This marks the first public showing of works from all periods of the artist's prodigious career and showcases her most recent work - a series of breathtaking panoramic landscapes of the Antarctic.

In the Pink
Until 3 April 2010
Provost Skene's House
For centuries the colour pink has been associated with femininity and romance and is often favoured for wedding ensembles and first-date dresses. A range of garments and accessories from the costume collection are on display illustrating various shades of this popular colour.

A J B Strachan - Aberdeen's Photographer
Until 3 April 2010
Aberdeen Maritime Museum
Commissioned by the City Council and various industries across Aberdeen, the photographer Archie Strachan captured many iconic city scenes at a time of great change. This selection of his photographs from the collections shows the breadth and skill of his work, and presents a unique record of the changing city during the 50s and 60s.

Hall Russell & Company - The Jewel in British Shipbuilding 1864-1992
Until 20 March 2010
Aberdeen Maritime Museum
Hall Russell & Company; The Jewel in British Shipbuilding 1864-1992 For 128 years Hall Russell & Co. built ships of every kind; from yachts to chemical tankers, warships to fishing trawlers and made Aberdeen a name synonymous with engineering excellence around the world.

Winter Wonderland
Throughout December 2009, January, February 2010
Aberdeen Art Gallery
A small selection of paintings and prints which collectively conjure up the icy brightness of winter.

Formed: What Makes Applied Art
Ended 6 March 2010
Aberdeen Art Gallery
The exhibition considers what motivates makers and artists when they create objects and artwork through a featured selection of work from the permanent collections including ceramics, costume, glass, enamelling, jewellery, metalwork and textiles. 

Modern and Contemporary Jewellery
4 November 2009 - 20 February 2010
Aberdeen Art Gallery
A small display illustrating the developments and innovations in jewellery-making from the 1970s to the present day. Examples of gold and silversmithing will be shown alongside pieces made from more unusual materials such as Perspex and driftwood. A bracelet by the renowned jeweller David Watkins is featured.

Winter Wonderland
December 2009, January - February 2010
Aberdeen Art Gallery
A small selection of paintings and prints which collectively conjure up the icy brightness of winter. Shown in the Art Gallery Cafe.

Sir William Gillies
December 2009, January - February 2010
Aberdeen Art Gallery
Although the renowned Scottish artist Sir William Gillies (1898-1973) experimented with portraiture in his early career and painted still lifes throughout his life, it was for his landscapes that he is best known. Frequently depicting the Lothian, Fife and Border regions they offer the viewer a deeply personal impression of the countryside where Gillies lived and worked.

 Keith Henderson Watercolours
December 2009, January - February 2010
Aberdeen Art Gallery
Scottish artist Keith Henderson OBE RWS RSW (1883-1982) was a painter in oils and watercolours and also an author and illustrator. This display of works from the permanent collection showcases his talents as a watercolour artist and includes late paintings of Spanish landscapes.