Callendar House: Falkirk-born artist Barbara Rae free exhibition opens this weekend

Artist Barbara Rae’s exhibition will be the third by a Royal Academician linked to the Falkirk area with the work of Grangemouth-born Alan Davie and Falkirk-born Elizabeth Blackadder previously displayed within the building’s galleries.

An acclaimed contemporary painter and master printmaker, Barbara’s exhibition which opens to the public on Saturday, will be her first in Callendar House and is entitled East and West. It draws from her Scottish roots and is inspired from Leith Docks in the east and the Atlantic coastline in the west.

She holds three honorary doctorates from various Scottish universities, as well as receiving a CBE in 1999, and a Fellowship from the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 2011. Barbara is also an Associate of the Royal Scottish Academy.

Speaking ahead of the opening, Barbara said: “It is a great honour to be invited to exhibit in my hometown, especially at Callendar Park which played a big part in my childhood. Although my family moved to Crieff when I was two, I maintained strong links with Falkirk, regularly visiting my grandmother and aunt at their home close to Callendar Park.

“I recall doing paintings there inspired by the bus trip from Crieff to Falkirk which passed through mining areas. That interest has continued to this day. The places where people work, create and change their environment.”

Lesley O’Hare, cultural manager at Falkirk Council said: “This exhibition is the latest in a series from notable artists with autobiographical connections in Falkirk. Barbara’s art and many of her paintings can be found in public collections around the globe, so this is a fantastic opportunity for local residents to feel proud of Falkirk’s culture and connections in the art world.”

The exhibition which is free to enter, runs from Saturday, May 20 to Sunday, September 10 and is open daily from10am until 5pm except on Tuesdays.

It takes place over both the temporary exhibition spaces in Callendar House – the Park Gallery and also the second-floor galleries. A fully illustrated catalogue will accompany the exhibition.