Latest News
New Art Exhibition Highlighting Ocean Sound Pollution Coming to The McManus
Starting at the end of May, a unique ceramic artwork called Sounding Line by Mella Shaw will go on display at The McManus: Dundee's Art Gallery and Museum.
The first UK institutional solo show from artist Mella Shaw is designed to raise awareness of how man-made underwater sound, like sonar, can harm whales. Sound pollution can deafen and confuse marine animals, making them come up to the surface too quickly and wash up on shore.
Mella was inspired to make this artwork after almost a 100 whales were found dead on beaches across Scotland and Ireland in 2018. This was largely unreported at the time.
Sounding Line includes large clay sculptures that were inspired by the tiny ear bones of whales. With permission from NatureScot, Mella made her own clay using whale bone.…
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McMarras Dnudee
Lovely to try new things and get surprised at how well I can do!
Across 2024, The museum’s Learning Team delivered an ambitious eight-week engagement project called ‘McMarra’s Dnudee’ alongside THAT (Tayside Healthcare Arts Trust) and their participant groups within The McManus. We're so proud of what was achieved that we're now entering the project into the Seriously Social Awards 2024. The awards celebrate the social value & social impact of organisations like ours across the UK.
The project was co-designed to provide person-centred learning experiences and creative participation for people marginalised by their long-term health conditions such as; Stroke, Acquired Brain Injury, Dementia, and others.
Inspiration from the developing archive of Dundee singer-song writer…
Bronze Age jewellery restored for the first time in thousands of years
An early Bronze Age necklace and bracelet have been painstakingly restored by experts at National Museums Scotland. The jewellery can be seen in its original form for the first time in over 4000 years and is now on display at The McManus: Dundee’s Art Gallery & Museum.
Forty-two jet beads and nine jet ‘plates’ were discovered in a Bronze Age burial at the former Balgay Estate, near Dundee in 1870. At the time, the Balgay Estate extended as far as the shoreline of the River Tay. For over a century the loose beads were thought to come from a single piece of jewellery, but recent research by Dr Alison Sheridan, Research Associate at National Museums Scotland, has revealed they belong to a matching necklace and bracelet set. In-depth analysis has allowed conservators…
International Cat Day!
International Cat Day!
Ameeowse yourself with these cat themed treasures from Dundee City’s Collection this #InternationalCatDay!
This little kitty is hoping for some porridge in this charming scene by John Burr from 1867. ‘Breakfast’ is on display in our Broughty Castle Museum.
This smiling cat ceramic by Katie Horsman (1975) was made in a press mould, which was used over and over again to make many cats. Though all had an identical shape, Horsman used different clays, experimented with firing techniques and used assorted glazes to create diverse feline characters. This one has a jaunty ear chain and glittering green eyes. On display in our Long Gallery at The McManus.
Here is a very dapper ‘Puss in Boots’ by the Pre-Raphaelite artist John Everett Millais…
Dogs of The McManus: Five Four-legged Friends in the City’s Collection
Dogs of The McManus: Five Four-legged Friends in the City’s Collection
For 'take your dog to work day' we'd like to introduce you to five of our four-legged friends in the City's collection!
#TakeYourDogToWorkDay #DogsOfTheMcManus
Wally DugsA sure sign of Spring, these vibrant tulips are a joy to behold, painted by Ann Patrick, daughter of the beloved Dundee artist James McIntosh Patrick. She was born in Dundee and studied at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and at Hospitalfield, Arbroath and her teachers included Alberto Morrocco and David McClure. #springflowers #tulips #flowerart #womenartists
PawprintDealing with a dog's mischief is not just a 21st century problem! Excavated from Carpow legionary fortress, Abernethy, this floor tile fragment shows…
The Art of Spring
The Art of Spring
Hop along with us as we look at some works from Dundee’s Fine Art collection that will get you in the mood for all the joys of Spring!
Tulips in a Glass (1984), oil on board by Ann Patrick (b. 1937)A sure sign of Spring, these vibrant tulips are a joy to behold, painted by Ann Patrick, daughter of the beloved Dundee artist James McIntosh Patrick. She was born in Dundee and studied at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and at Hospitalfield, Arbroath and her teachers included Alberto Morrocco and David McClure. #springflowers #tulips #flowerart #womenartists
© The Artist
Springtime, oil on canvas by Jane Elizabeth Spindler (1856-1939)Take a moment to immerse yourself in this tranquil scene - complete with ducks, cows and…
Eight Women Artists spanning four centuries in Dundee's Collections'
Eight Women Artists spanning four centuries in Dundee's Collections'
The McManus: Dundee's Art Gallery and Museum offers a fascinating insight into Dundee and with 8 galleries to explore, there is a wealth of information to discover in our exhibitions of art, history and the environment.
To celebrate #WomensHistoryMonth, we want to shine a spotlight on some of the wonderful works by women artists that we have in Dundee City’s collection. Join us as we travel through time from the days of powdered wigs to the age of cutting-edge silver sculpture in these great works of art by pioneering and creative #womenartists. #ScottishArt #ArtHistory #ScottishArtHistory
18th century: Katherine Read (1723-1778) – Portrait of Willielma Campbell, Lady Glenorchy (1762…
McManus Creative Learning Outreach Programme Connects with Ukrainian Families
The McManus Creative Learning Team has begun distributing their free ‘McManus Connects’ Activity books and art resource packs to Ukrainian families as part of an engaging outreach initiative. The creative book is a direct lead on from our 2021-22 Reconnect project; in this previous project the team created a creative book for families, working with Home-Start Dundee during lockdown, and are now using this book as a template for the Ukrainian version. The project at the museum has translated art and craft activities into Ukrainian for those who have arrived in Dundee since 2022.
An associated programme of in-house and outreach workshops designed to foster creativity and community integration, and welcome Ukrainian families to the museum, is now taking place as part of the…
Successful Summer School at The McManus
This Summer at The McManus: Dundee's Art Gallery & Museum, the Creative Learning team worked in partnership with Comics Youth SCIO to deliver a free comic summer school targeted at age groups 8-13yrs and 14-18 yrs.
The project' Building Stories' has been subsidised by the National Lottery Fund and provided 16 young people with the opportunity to create, design, and publish original comics and zines themed around their lived experiences, using the museum's extensive collection as a creative stimulus for their ideas and artwork.
The participants engaged in a range of high-quality workshops to develop their creativity whilst developing new transferrable skills. Each workshop consisted of digital presentations, collaborative exercises, illustration, graphic…
Next edition of Small Steps Dundee Women's Trail launched
A second edition of 'Small Steps' Dundee Women's Trail leaflet has been launched to allow children and families to learn more about some of the notable women connected to Dundee.
Between February and April 2023, The McManus’s Creative Learning Team worked alongside Dundee Libraries and Dundee Women’s Trail to provide 92 primary 5/6 pupils from Blackness Primary school and Ancrum Road Primary School the opportunity to create a second addition of a child-friendly leaflet, based on the existing ‘Small Steps’ leaflet launched summer 2022.
The project involved the delivery and creation of a second resource to help young people investigate a further seven women from the existing Dundee Women’s Trail who have made significant contributions to society in Dundee and beyond.…
Celebrating Latent taLent, ST/ART at the McManus
The McManus: Dundee's Art Gallery & Museum has released a film artwork to celebrate the project Latent talent, which has been produced in partnership with Tayside Healthcare Arts Trust’s ST/ART Project. Taking inspiration from the temporary exhibition Hidden Histories and the theme of generosity, the project focuses on shining a light towards the personal stories and lived experiences of artists living with a long-term health condition.
In collaboration with the museum’s Creative Learning Team and the online exhibition Fruits of the Spirit, developed by the National Gallery in London, ST/ART group participants have explored a pairing of two paintings, Dundee’s ‘Two Auld Wifies’ by Robert Stenberg and ‘The Arnolfini Portrait’ by Jan Van Eyck, and explored ideas around…
