EDINBURGH.- 40 years of the Travelling Gallery is celebrated and showcased in a new exhibition at the City Art Centre, forming part of Edinburgh Art Festival. The new exhibition, Travelling Gallery at 40 charts the history of the contemporary art gallery in a bus which forms a unique and integral part of Scotland’s cultural provision and its commitment to making art inclusive and accessible.

From Lerwick to Dumfries and Renfrew to Dunbar, Travelling Gallery has taken art to every part of Scotland so that people from every background and community have had the opportunity to engage with excellent, experimental and inspiring art practices.

In this its fortieth year an exhibition over two floors at Edinburgh’s City Art Centre celebrates Travelling Gallery’s journey – past, present and future, and take pride in Scotland’s commitment to take art out to communities.

Housed within a newly commissioned and site-specific installation by Scottish artist Mike Inglis entitled ‘Settlement’, an active programme of talks and events provide a platform for bigger discussions on the accessibility and diversity of contemporary art in Scotland. The programme not only celebrates the important and integral work of Travelling Gallery but explores and test its values within todays contemporary context, advocating for its vision that Scotland is a nation in which everyone has the opportunity to experience and engage in the arts.

Travelling Gallery’s rich and socially important archive is also being shown for the first time alongside some of the original artwork from its incredible exhibitions history. The presentation celebrates the enjoyment and excellence that has embodied the organisation since its inception in the late 70’s and allows the viewer to reflect on the last forty years of the Scottish visual art scene.

The artists who have contributed to the Travelling Gallery over the years include Christian Marclay, Lucy Skaer, Tania Kovats, Tessa Lynch, Rob Churn, Torsten Lauschmann, Charles Avery, Rachel Maclean, Ilana Halperan, Christine Borland, Ross Sinclair, Nicolas Party, Ciara Philips, Douglas Gordon, Mandy McIntosh, Dalziel + Scullion, Jonathan Owen, Charlie Hammond and Henry Coombes to name but a few.

Claire Craig, curator of the Travelling Gallery said, 'Everyone involved in the Travelling Gallery over the last forty years is so excited to celebrate and shout about the incredible work the organisation has done and continues to do. Not just in providing access to contemporary art but making it fun, enjoyable and inclusive. The wealth of artists Travelling Gallery has worked with over the years should also be noted, commissioning work by exciting Scottish artists and exhibiting work which is reflects the best of international visual art.'

Elizabeth Ann Macgregor OBE, Director Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, previous Travelling Gallery Curator and Driver said: “Whenever I am asked to talk about my career, ‘My Days as a Bus Driver’ is a great way to start! It was the Travelling Gallery that ignited my passion for engaging art with audiences - something that has driven my career to this day. Not only organising the exhibitions but being on the bus, talking to the public and hearing their response informed my belief that it’s not art that puts people off – it’s the context in which it’s presented. The bus removes all barriers to access – it was a great learning experience for a young curator.'

A brief history
Travelling Gallery is a contemporary art gallery in a bus. It was initiated by the Scottish Arts Council in 1978 and began as a one-person curator and driver operation.

In 1983 it was considered so successful that SAC invested in a new bus, purpose designed, which went out on the road for the next 25 years.

In 1997 it transferred to CEC with funding to continue its national service. In 2007 the demand for the service and additional funds from the National Lottery and CEC enabled the building of a brand new, improved and inclusive Travelling Gallery bus.

The beautiful new Travelling Gallery bus was launched in Edinburgh on 12th April 2007 and has improved access, more floor space, new hi-tech audio-visual equipment and increased security.

Each year it presents two 16 week exhibitions which tour to remote, rural, urban and suburban communities across the country. Each exhibition has a strong creative learning programme of artist talks, film screenings, workshops, events, learning packs and interpretative materials.