“William Scott in Ireland” at the F.E. McWilliam Gallery & Studio, Banbridge

The F.E. McWilliam Gallery & Studio and Banbridge District Council are pleased to announce that the next exhibition at the gallery will be of paintings by the celebrated twentieth century artist William Scott. The 39 works are selected from public and private collections in Ireland and many have rarely been shown before.

This exhibition follows the large exhibition of sculptures by F.E. McWilliam. William Scott and F.E. McWilliam were close friends and both were at the forefront of British Art for a large part of the twentieth century. The “William Scott in Ireland” exhibition is a logical follow-up to the gallery’s highly successful inaugural exhibition and will open on Saturday 7th March continuing throughout the summer until 20th September.

William Scott is best known in Northern Ireland for his large 45 foot long mural painted for Altnagelvin Hospital. It was completed almost fifty years ago and when it was unveiled its abstraction generated local media controversy. The mural is currently being cleaned and restored, following restoration it will be shown at the F.E. McWilliam Gallery and Studio during July, August and September. Outside in the Sculpture Garden, McWilliam’s statuesque “Princess Macha”, also from Altnagelvin Hospital, will continue to be on show.

William Scott was born in Greenock, Scotland but, aged 11, he moved to his father’s hometown Enniskillen. When growing up in Enniskillen he had the good fortune to be encouraged by a gifted art teacher, Kathleen Bridle. She was also a talented artist and introduced her young pupil to modern French painting. At the age of 15, Scott entered Belfast College of Art and at 18 moved to London to study at the Royal Academy Schools. There he was recognized as an outstanding student and won many awards and scholarships which enabled him to travel to France and Italy after graduation.

As a young artist he quickly established a formidable reputation and from the 1940’s, and for the next four decades, his work was regularly selected by the British Council for touring exhibitions abroad. These exhibitions were shown at galleries and museums in North and South America, in Russia, Japan, Australia and through-out Europe. He represented Britain at the prestigious Venice Biennale in Italy, twice at the famous São Paulo Bienal in Brazil and three times in Germany at Kassel’s renowned Documenta Exhibition. As a result, his works are now included in public art collections worldwide.

Retrospective exhibitions of his work were shown at the Tate Gallery, London in 1972 and in 1986 at the Ulster Museum, Belfast, the Guinness Hop Store, Dublin and at the National Galleries of Scotland Gallery of Modern Art, Edinburgh. In 1998, a large retrospective exhibition of his work was also shown in Dublin at the Irish Museum of Modern Art. William Scott was made an Honorary Doctor of Literature by Queens University, Belfast in 1976 and by Trinity College, Dublin in 1977. In 1985, Channel 4 broadcast a full-length documentary drama on the artist’s life and work, entitled “Every Picture Tells a Story”. This film, directed by Scott’s younger son James, will be played during the exhibition.

The F.E.McWilliam Gallery & Studio is located at 200 Newry Road Banbridge Co.Down (beside The Outlets at Bridgewater, just off the A1) and further information can be obtained by calling the Gallery T: +44 (0)28 4062 3322.