A major new exhibition opening this weekend at The McManus shines a spotlight on artists, performers and creative heritage from across Scotland and beyond.
Centre Stage: Portraits from a Modern World brings together treasures from Dundee’s nationally significant art collection with major loans and a specially commissioned portrait of Claire Mitchell KC by acclaimed Scottish artist Calum Stevenson. Exploring the relationship between portraiture and performance, the exhibition reveals how artists and sitters work together to create images that continue to fascinate long after the moment has passed.
Designed to complement the hugely popular Curtain Call: Costumes from Stage and Screen, Centre Stage explores another kind of performance. Rather than costumes on stage, it focuses on the performances captured in portraiture, revealing how artists and sitters carefully shape the way we are seen, remembered and understood.
Throughout the exhibition, visitors will encounter portraits that each tell a different story. John Johnstone’s vibrant portrait of the Dundee busker Lord Mustard celebrates a born performer who was never far from the spotlight. Stewart Carmichael’s The Housekeeper demonstrates that performance can also be understated, where expression, posture and atmosphere speak volumes.
Storytelling lies at the heart of the exhibition. Alexander Muir’s mysterious The Visitor invites us to imagine the moments before and after the scene unfolds. Gerald Brockhurst’s The Fan and Herman Richir’s Jeunesse reveal how costume, style and gesture shape identity, while Lex Braes’ monumental portrait of Syd Scroggie transforms an ordinary individual into an extraordinary presence.
Among the exhibition highlights is the newly commissioned portrait of Claire Mitchell KC, one of Scotland’s leading advocates and co-founder of the Witches of Scotland campaign. Painted by Calum Stevenson, the work highlights how portraiture continues to celebrate and document contemporary figures whose impact extends far beyond their own time.
Anna Day, Head of Culture & Libraries at Leisure & Culture Dundee, said:
"Centre Stage offers a fascinating opportunity to explore how artists have shaped the way people are seen and remembered. While many of these works were created long before the digital age, they raise questions that feel remarkably relevant today, at a time when social media allows us to present carefully curated versions of ourselves to the world.
We hope it will encourage people to look differently at the artists, faces, stories and performers represented in these works, while celebrating our city, its rich cultural heritage and the remarkable collection we care for."
From dramatic showstoppers to quietly revealing portraits, Centre Stage: Portraits from a Modern World celebrates the enduring power of portraiture to surprise, intrigue and connect us with the people behind the faces.
Centre Stage: Portraits from a Modern World at The McManus: Dundee's Art Gallery & Museum is free to visit and opens Saturday 3 October 2026.
Photography: Alan Richardson
