Kelvingrove Bites: Alasdair Gray: Cowcaddens Streetscape in the Fifities - conserving his 'best big oil painting' for the city
- Tickets
-
Free
- Dates and times
-
Friday 28th Feb 2025
12:00PM
- Age
- All ages
For Gray Day 2025 we are
focussing on ‘Cowcaddens Streetscape in the Fifties’ (1964) by Alasdair Gray.
'Cowcaddens' as it is affectionately known, is a stunning example of his
work with Gray noting it as ‘my best big oil painting’ and was acquired for
Glasgow Museums’ collection in 2023. Before it went on display in Kelvingrove
the painting underwent some conservation treatment which revealed materials
Gray used (spoiler alert: not just oil paint!) and an insight into his working
practice.
Join Glasgow Museums’ Conservator Hazel Neil and Producer|Curator Katie Bruce
to find out more about what we have learned and a discussion about Alasdair
Gray’s art making practice.
‘Cowcaddens Streetscape in the Fifties’ captures an area of Glasgow where the
landscape and community would alter radically in the post-war Comprehensive
Development Area programme and conveys the look, rhythm and feel of daily life
in Cowcaddens as well as a sense of change.
Alasdair Gray was born in Riddrie in the east of Glasgow in 1934 and attended
The Glasgow School of Art in the mid-1950s. From this time onwards Gray was a
prolific poet, playwright, novelist, painter and printmaker. His work was and
continues to be celebrated in books, exhibitions, events and most recently the
adaptation of ‘Poor things’ @poorthingsfilm. He was renowned for his use of
Glasgow for inspiration, while moulding it into a place of his imagination, in
both his writing and artwork.
In ‘Alasdair Gray – A Life in Pictures’ - Gray wrote:
“This was painted seven years after leaving Glasgow School of Art, but derives
from many sketches I made when a student of mural painting there. The single
most exciting work of art I knew was the canal across central Scotland from the
Clyde to the Forth, with a branch that passed near my Riddrie home on the way
to the Lanarkshire coalfields…The canal excited me as the ruins of ancient Rome
excited Piranesi, but I could not put the six miles I wanted to commemorate in
a single picture. This oil painting shows a fragment of what I intended.”
Inage credit: Cowcaddens Streetscape in the Fifties, 1964 Alasdair Gray
Courtesy & copyright The Estate of Alasdair Gray
Accessibility guides
Read the accessibility guide for Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum on AccessAble
Further information on accessibility can be found on Euan's Guide website
View the Kelvingrove Floor Plan. Documents can be requested in Braille and large print.
Accessible toilets
The accessible toilets are available on all floors.
Assistance dogs
Guide and assistance dogs are welcome.
Hearing loop
Hearing loop available within venue.
You can also visit our British Sign Language and International Sign Video Library here to watch a welcome video for every Glasgow Museum.
Wheelchair access
There is wheelchair and pram access to all public areas using the lifts.
Baby changing
Baby feeding
Cloakroom
£2 charge - cash only.
Cafe or restaurant
KG Café
Our café is situated in the lower level of the museum with some tables positioned in the conservatory area overlooking the park. The café is operated by table service and is licensed serving spirits, wines, and bottled beers as well as a range of soft drinks. The menu offers options for starters, mains, and desserts but also a range of handmade sandwiches for a lighter option. Hot beverages are available as well as a range of home baking. Dietary requirements are well catered for, including vegan, gluten and dairy free options. Where possible we work with local suppliers and capture seasonality within the menu.
The KG Cafe opening hours are listed below.
Monday 10:00 – 16:00
Tuesday 10:00 – 16:00
Wednesday 10:00 – 16:00
Thursday 10:00 – 16:00
Friday 11:00 – 16:00
Saturday 10:00 – 16:00
Sunday 11:00 – 16:00
KG Coffee Shop
The coffee shop situated in the main hall on the upper ground floor is a more casual option with counter service but offers a magnificent view of the main hall. The coffee shop offers a range of hot and cold drinks, sandwiches, light bites and home baking. Dietary requirements are catered for, including vegan, gluten and dairy free options. Where possible we work with local suppliers and capture seasonality within the menu. Seating can occasionally be limited due to daytime events taking place in the hall.
The KG Coffee Shop opening hours are listed below:
Monday 10:00 – 16:30
Tuesday 10:00 – 16:30
Wednesday 10:00 – 16:30
Thursday 10:00 – 16:30
Friday 11:00 – 16:30
Saturday 10:00 – 16:30
Sunday 11:00 – 16:30
Parking information
There are 142 parking spaces in the car park, 10 of which are for blue badge holders and 2 are for Electric Vehicle charging.
Payment can be made either by coins, no notes or cards, or by the RingGo phone /app.
For more information about the RingGo process, please visit the RingGo Cashless Parking page on the Glasgow City Parking website.
Up to 1 hour £3.00
• 1-2 hours £5.00
• 2-3 hours £7.50
• 3-4 hours £10.00
• 4-5 hours £10.00
• 5-6 hours £10.00
• 6-7 hours £10.00
• 7-8 hours £10.00
• 8-9 hours £10.00
• 9-10 hours £10.00
• Overnight Flat rate 6pm - 8am £3.00
Please note these machines take coins only and no change can be given.
Maximum stay 10 hours
Cashless parking is available as a payment method via RingGo at our surface pay! We advise downloading or registering for RingGo prior to your visit. To register or find out more please visit https://myringgo.co.uk/.
This car park is operated by Neighbourhoods, Regeneration and Sustainability for more information please visit https://www.glasgow.gov.uk/carparks
Blue badge parking
There are designated parking spaces (10) for Blue Badge holders and parking is free with no time restriction, subject to display of a valid permit. The spaces do not have to be booked in advance. For car park enquiries please contact 0141 276 1830.
Parking
There are 142 parking spaces in the car park, 10 of which are for blue badge holders and 2 are for Electric Vehicle charging.
Payment can be made either by coins, no notes or cards, or by the RingGo phone /app.
For more information about the RingGo process, please visit the RingGo Cashless Parking page on the Glasgow City Parking website.
Up to 1 hour £3.00
• 1-2 hours £5.00
• 2-3 hours £7.50
• 3-4 hours £10.00
• 4-5 hours £10.00
• 5-6 hours £10.00
• 6-7 hours £10.00
• 7-8 hours £10.00
• 8-9 hours £10.00
• 9-10 hours £10.00
• Overnight Flat rate 6pm - 8am £3.00
Please note these machines take coins only and no change can be given.
Maximum stay 10 hours
Cashless parking is available as a payment method via RingGo at our surface pay! We advise downloading or registering for RingGo prior to your visit. To register or find out more please visit https://myringgo.co.uk/.
This car park is operated by Neighbourhoods, Regeneration and Sustainability for more information please visit https://www.glasgow.gov.uk/carparks
Blue badge parking
There are designated parking spaces (10) for Blue Badge holders and parking is free with no time restriction, subject to display of a valid permit. The spaces do not have to be booked in advance. For car park enquiries please contact 0141 276 1830.
Photography and video recording
Please follow this link to read guidelines on photography, filming and sketching in all Glasgow Life Museums.
Free wifi
The building has free WiFi.
View Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum on Google Maps.
Use Traveline Scotland to plan your visit via public transport.
Train - The closest train stations are Partick (PTK), Charing Cross (CHC) and Exhibition Centre (EXG). These stations are roughly 1 mile away from Kelvingrove.
The lines for these stations run through the Low-Level platforms, at Glasgow Central (GLC) for Partick and Exhibition Centre and Glasgow Queen Street (GLQ) for Partick and Charing Cross.
Glasgow Central and Glasgow Queen Street are roughly 1.5 to 2 miles away from Kelvingrove.
Underground - The closest Subway station is Kelvinhall, which is roughly ½ mile away.
Bus - The bus stops at the front of Kelvingrove, on Argyle Street, have regular services from both directions. Services include:
- First Bus- services 2, 3 & 77
- McGill’s - service 17
- The City Sightseeing buses
Please note: If you are coming into Glasgow by train and planning to use a PlusBus ticket, the 100 bus and the City Sightseeing buses are not covered.
Bike Hire - The Next Bike bicycle hire scheme is also in operation around Glasgow, with locations to pick up and drop off around the city.
Car - Please note: the A814 Clydeside Expressway Westbound will be closed due to major roadworks from Monday 26 October for 6 weeks. Diversions will be in place, if you would travel via this route please allow a little extra time for your journey.
Accessibility - In case it is of use to anyone in your party, the AccessAble website has some useful accessibility information.
We have two cafe spaces in Kelvingrove Museum. The KG Cafe on the lower ground floor and the KG Coffee Shop in the Main Hall. The opening hours for both are listed below:
KG Café
Monday 10:00 – 16:00
Tuesday 10:00 – 16:00
Wednesday 10:00 – 16:00
Thursday 10:00 – 16:00
Friday 11:00 – 16:00
Saturday 10:00 – 16:00
Sunday 11:00 – 16:00
KG Coffee Shop
Monday 10:00 – 16:30
Tuesday 10:00 – 16:30
Wednesday 10:00 – 16:30
Thursday 10:00 – 16:30
Friday 11:00 – 16:30
Saturday 10:00 – 16:30
Sunday 11:00 – 16:30
KG Coffee Shop
Monday 10:00 – 16:30
Tuesday 10:00 – 16:30
Wednesday 10:00 – 16:30
Thursday 10:00 – 16:30
Friday 11:00 – 16:30
Saturday 10:00 – 16:30
Sunday 11:00 – 16:30
Access our translated tour guides in Chinese, English, French, German, Italian, Polish, Russian and Spanish for the Kelvingrove Museum and Art Gallery collection.
Translate our webpages
It is easy to translate our webpages to a language of your choice. The Glasgow Life website uses an accessibility toolbar, ReachDeck, which can auto-translate any page into different languages.
Scroll to the very bottom right hand corner of any Glasgow Life webpage and click on the icon of a white figure in a red circle. When the toolbar opens, select the fifth icon along to translate the page into a selected language – then choose your chosen language in the drop-down menu.
Please note this function is currently only available on desktop.
