GLASGOW.- Scotland Office Minister Andrew Dunlop today saw works from Glasgow’s Burrell Collection which are set to be part of an ambitious loan scheme to some of the world’s most prestigious galleries and museums.

From October 2016, the Burrell Collection will embark on plans to refurbish the building and redisplay its unique collection. An entirely new visitor experience will be created with basement stores open to the public for the first time, and a new central core greatly increasing access to the many artworks.

An exhibition of the works from The Burrell Collection will be on display at Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, Glasgow during that time, whilst a number of works will be sent on loan to some of the world’s most important museums and galleries, partly as a way to highlight the fundraising effort and encourage donations towards the redevelopment from overseas benefactors, but also to make a statement about the depth and excellence of the art on display in Scotland.

During his visit to the Burrell Collection, which recently received £5million from the UK Government to help fund the Burrell’s ambitions, Lord Dunlop was shown some of the works which will be on offer to the world-class museums.

He said: “We in Scotland already know how blessed we are to have such an abundance of artistic treasures at our disposal – it is now time to show the rest of the world as well.

“Collections like the Burrell are the equal of any to be found in the major museums and galleries worldwide. By taking works to those centres of excellence, we can showcase some of the cultural jewels we have here.

I hope this tour will not only encourage visitors to come to Scotland to see our major works for themselves, but also help raise funds for the Burrell Collection.

“I am delighted the UK Government was able to help the process with the £5 million which was announced in last month’s Spending Review. This money will not only go towards the overhaul of the building, but will also help support the wider ambitions of the Burrell Renaissance.

“It shows our enduring commitment to Scotland’s cultural heritage and to its future; protecting what we have at home, promoting it to the wider world.”

Sir Angus Grossart, Chair of Burrell Renaissance said: “The Burrell Collection is of world-class quality, and reflects the outward looking confidence of a very great collector. Our national and international lending programme allows us to take these great works to galleries and major institutions across the world, reaffirming the Collection’s international status.”

Councillor Archie Graham, the Depute Leader of Glasgow City Council and Chair of Glasgow Life, added: “To be able to share works from the Burrell Collection with audiences within the UK and internationally, not only strengthens the international reputation of the Burrell, but also of the city to which Sir William gifted this outstanding Collection.”

In a separate initiative, works by one of the country’s most accomplished yet lesser known artists, Joseph Crawhall (1861–1913) are also set to go on display outside of Scotland as part of the Burrell Collection’s expanded loans programe.

The exhibition Joseph Crawhall: Masterworks from The Burrell Collection which will take place at the Fleming Collection, London, from 4 February – 12 March 2016, is the first time in twenty-five years that the works, on loan from the Burrell, will be seen in London. It offers a rare opportunity to see 23 of the finest works by one of the country’s most accomplished yet lesser known artists who is sparsely represented in the UK’s large national collections, but who during his lifetime exhibited alongside Degas and Whistler.

Identified as a leader of the radical group of young Scottish painters known as the Glasgow Boys, the works offer a unique opportunity to trace Crawhall’s development and range as an artist, one whose technical brilliance was so admired by shipping magnate and collector Sir William Burrell, that there are more works by Joseph Crawhall in the Burrell Collection than by any other painter.