The University of Stirling Art Collection is extremely delighted to be able to announce that it has been awarded ‘Recognised Status’. This means that it has been recognised as a collection of national significance. This award has been bestowed by Museums Galleries Scotland (MGS) on behalf of the Scottish Government after a lengthy application process, followed by strict judging by a panel of experts in the field. The scheme recognises and supports collections of national significance held across Scotland, promoting their role in research, learning and public engagement, and supporting their long term development and sustainability.
In their award letter to the Art Collection, MGS stated that they were
especially struck by the founding philosophy of art as part of everyday life on [Stirling] campus, which shapes the collection in a deliberate and sustained way. It is this ethos that gives the collection its distinctive identity among university collections, and which provides a compelling basis for understanding its national significance.
And they continued
We also noted the strong integration of the collection into teaching, research, student experience and interdisciplinary work, supported by an active exhibition programme aligned with university research themes. These activities reinforce and extend the founding ethos, demonstrating how it continues to inform the use and development of the collection. Taken together, this represents a model for how a university collection can function effectively within a wider institutional context.
gifted to the University by the Scottish Arts Council
Recognised status confers the Art Collection with a distinctive mark of quality. This accolade provides an assurance to all visitors that the artworks held at the University of Stirling are of the highest value. The year 2027 marks the 60th anniversary of the University and to achieve Recognition status for this anniversary presents an ideal opportunity to celebrate the Collection which provides a unique experience for local, national and international visitors.
are performed at the annual Open Day, during the ‘Inspired’ exhibition (2022-23)
The Art Collection plays a core role in life at the University of Stirling, through object-based learning interventions in a range of classes, a robust public and outreach programme, and the commitment to art being part of the everyday. The Collection works to create opportunities for students, staff and visitors to take inspiration from this significant collection and provides a centre for the study and appreciation of Scottish art, outside of the major economic centres of Glasgow and Edinburgh. It is our hope that this significant collection will continue to grow, through acquisition and continued collaboration with other Recognised Collections, community groups and academics.
with Mary Martin ‘Wall Construction’ (Aluminium on wood panels, 1968/9) on permanent display above.
Upon its foundation in 1967, the University of Stirling made a commitment that students would be surrounded by art as they went about their studies and it is this ethos that has encouraged collecting, exhibiting and public engagement ever since.
Initially with a broader collecting remit, in more recent decades acquisitions have become specifically Scottish in focus, and the Art Collection therefore now holds a unique combination of important seminal pieces representing British modernism, collected in the 1960s and 70s, alongside a strong core of Scottish art, acquired throughout. The majority of works are on display in the Pathfoot Building, with sculpture on display all around the campus
The Art Collection today provides a key resource for understanding artistic endeavour and societal change in Scotland, within the broader British context, in the 20th and 21st centuries. It includes works which are unique and the best examples of artists and their creative practice,
We will end this blog with two of the wonderful quotes received in letters of support for our application :
Stirling has a long and dedicated tradition of acquiring work by living artists. This close contact and shrewd stewardship has enabled Stirling to boast one of the finest collections of contemporary Scottish and modern art in the country.
The Stirling Art Collection embodies a rare and humane vision: one in which art is understood not as a decorative adjunct but as a vital dimension of intellectual and emotional life. It remains a beacon of what universities can and should aspire to – an open, democratic, and enriching environment in which art, learning and architecture come together for the common good.
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