Well worth waiting for

Mark Nicholls welcomes the re-opening of Scotland's most popular museum

The building is stunning, the collections diverse and the artwork sublime. As an institution, the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum has been missed by the people of Glasgow and visitors alike over the past three years while it has been closed for refurbishment. But from July 11 it re-opens with an array of delights, old favourites nestling next to items that have not been seen in public for years and some which have never been on show before.

The £27.9m refurbishment has seen the collections re-positioned and themed in a way that stimulates the imagination and provokes questions. The galleries have been opened up and allowed to ‘breathe,' sucking in natural light that gives the building a new ambiance. Before its closure, the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum was the most visited museum in the United Kingdom outside London. With its long-awaited re-opening, the authorities in Glasgow are convinced it will attract even more visitors in the future.

There will be several popular exhibits back on display such as in the animal galleries, including the elephant affectionately known as Sir Roger, plus new attractions with the immaculately restored Spitfire LA198, 602 (City of Glasgow) Squadron, suspended from the ceiling of the West Court.

Other highlights are Egyptian treasures on loan from the British Museum, and Kelvingrove's world-famous impressionist collection along with masterpieces such as Rembrandt's Man in Armour and works by Van Gogh, Whistler, Monet and Botticell...

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• By : Mark Nicholls
• In : Best of Scotland
• Issue : 27
• Page : 42
• Words : 833