Sh(OUT) - Gallery of Modern Art, Glasgow Museums - background and update
Since 1999 the Gallery of Modern Art in Glasgow have acquired a substantial collection of the Glasgow artists that are known world wide within the contemporary art world. Also, every other year, starting in 2003 we have put on a "Social Justice - Contemporary Art and Human Rights" exhibition.
The first was a group show called "Sanctuary". It touched on many aspects of human rights, with an emphasis on asylum at the time. Artists represented included Louise Bourgeois, Leon Golub, Anthony Gormley, Hans Haacke, Jenny Holzer, Alfredo Jarr, Vik Muniz, Shirin Neshat, Nancy Spero, Bill Viola, Kara Walker and.Mark Wallinger. It was a very successful show and I was very proud of it!
In 2005 my colleague Ben Harman (the other Contemporary Art Curator for Glasgow Museums) responded to the topic of 'violence against women' with a solo show of new work by Barbara Kruger - it was amazing.
In 2007 the topic was 'sectarianism'. This needed a local response and I ran a solo show of new work by Glaswegian Roderick Buchanan - part of the Douglas Gordon generation.
In 2009 from 8 April to 1 November we will have the fourth show, "sh(OUT)" in the series on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender culture. This will be a group show.
All of these shows have the backing of Amnesty International (with their logo on all publicity). We also have an Advisory Board for each show that meets every 2 months in year preceding the show. This is made up of folk from local organizations that deal with the topic. They do not make curatorial decisions.
In addition we also have 5 full time education and access staff at GoMA. Over a period of 18 months (starting now) they do workshops and outreach on the topic. We will also have an artist in residence working on the topic. The show/project is called "sh(OUT)" - chosen by a Glasgow LGBT youth group. The theme is Pride, so trying for optimistic works. I have found lots of art on L, G and T but no B - apparently very little out there on that topic.
Work on offer for loan so far includes work by Grayson Perry, David Hockney, Chad McCail, Holly Johnson, Lizzie Rowe, Felix Gonzalez Torres, Sunil Gupta, Catherine Opie, Pierre et Gilles, Pattie Cronin, Deb Kass, Jack Pierson, Robert Mapplethorpe, Della Grace Volcano, Nan Goldin, Andy Warhol and maybe Keith Haring and Robert Indiana. There will be a catalogue.