Scotland’s first lesbian and gay bookshop grew out of several years of LGBT+ bookselling in the city which started with Open Gaze bookstall in 1976 as part of Edinburgh’s Gay Information Centre. This talk explores the history of queer bookselling in Edinburgh, from the early bookstalls to the opening of Lavender Menace and West & Wilde to the resurgence of independent bookshops. Lavender Menace Queer Books work with a wonderful team of volunteers to create and maintain a free and welcoming community archive space for research and socialising. We have a mission to: · Bring together the queer community in Edinburgh and beyond · Celebrate LGBT+ authors and their works · Collect and preserve LGBT+ books published between 1970 and 2000 Edinburgh is 900 Years Old! In 1124 King David I introduced a new system of local government into Scotland by creating royal burghs as part of his efforts to reform the nation’s economic and political structures. Edinburgh was one of his first royal burghs, along with Berwick, Dunfermline, Roxburgh and Stirling. While there is no surviving founding Edinburgh charter, an 1127 Dunfermline Abbey royal charter refers to ‘my burgh of Edinburgh’. In 1128, Canongate Burgh was created for Holyrood Abbey. After the Reformation, Edinburgh spent considerable effort acquiring the former abbey’s lands over the following 200 years. It acquired Canongate then created a new burgh for South Leith in 1636. The burghs of Broughton, Calton and Portsburgh were also acquired and run by Edinburgh. This complex system of governance was abolished in 1856 when all burghs under the management of Edinburgh were merged into a single burgh. In 1833, Portobello and Leith were made independent parliamentary burghs under the Burgh Reform Act. They ran their own affairs until amalgamated into an expanded Edinburgh in 1896 and 1920, respectively. 1975 saw the last expansion of the city’s boundaries, including Queensferry, which had been made a royal burgh in 1636. Edinburgh has selected 2024 to mark the start of the 900th anniversary of our city, and to tell the story of Edinburgh’s journey through the centuries from the 12th century City of David right up to the 21st century, the City of Diversity. Our talks at the City Art Centre will celebrate the 10 themes and will span a period of summer 2024 until August 2025.

Focusing on growing up in 20th century Scotland, Sara Sheridan (The Fair Botanists and Where are the Women) and Amina Shah (Chief Executive of the National Library of Scotland) explore their personal local sheroes from the professions to the arts, in this conversation which will cover various aspects of Edinburgh’s women’s history, and how women’s lives inspire each other. Our speakers Sara Sheridan is a Scottish activist and writer who works in a variety of genres, though predominantly in historical fiction. She is the creator of the Mirabelle Bevan mysteries. Sara is particularly interested in women's history and has written over 20 books. Amina Shah is the National Librarian and Chief Executive of the National Library of Scotland. Amina has a strong interest in the role libraries, culture and storytelling have in empowering and connecting individuals and communities. The National Library of Scotland will be celebrating its own anniversary in 2025 with special programming in Edinburgh and further afield to mark its Centenary year. Edinburgh is 900 Years Old! In 1124 King David I introduced a new system of local government into Scotland by creating royal burghs as part of his efforts to reform the nation’s economic and political structures. Edinburgh was one of his first royal burghs, along with Berwick, Dunfermline, Roxburgh and Stirling. While there is no surviving founding Edinburgh charter, an 1127 Dunfermline Abbey royal charter refers to ‘my burgh of Edinburgh’. In 1128, Canongate Burgh was created for Holyrood Abbey. After the Reformation, Edinburgh spent considerable effort acquiring the former abbey’s lands over the following 200 years. It acquired Canongate then created a new burgh for South Leith in 1636. The burghs of Broughton, Calton and Portsburgh were also acquired and run by Edinburgh. This complex system of governance was abolished in 1856 when all burghs under the management of Edinburgh were merged into a single burgh. In 1833, Portobello and Leith were made independent parliamentary burghs under the Burgh Reform Act. They ran their own affairs until amalgamated into an expanded Edinburgh in 1896 and 1920, respectively. 1975 saw the last expansion of the city’s boundaries, including Queensferry, which had been made a royal burgh in 1636. Edinburgh has selected 2024 to mark the start of the 900th anniversary of our city, and to tell the story of Edinburgh’s journey through the centuries from the 12th century City of David right up to the 21st century, the City of Diversity. Our talks at the City Art Centre will celebrate the 10 themes and will span a period of summer 2024 until August 2025.

The phenomenal success of Scotland’s gardening men has been well documented throughout history, but what of the women? Until now, there have been only glimpses of the extraordinary women who went ‘beyond their garden gates’ - women who cultivated, collected and made substantial contributions to horticulture within Britain. In-depth biographies of a selection of Scottish gardening women reveal how they were effectively marginalised and why their work has largely been forgotten within the narrative of Scotland’s garden history. Deborah Reid promoted London’s Historic Royal Palaces and the Edinburgh International Conference Centre before swapping a career in Marketing and PR for plants. Having retrained in horticulture at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, she was awarded a PhD from the University of Edinburgh in 2015 for her thesis entitled Unsung heroines of horticulture: Scottish gardening women, 1800 to 1930. She is a visiting lecturer at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh where she lectures on the social history of gardening and has mentored apprentice gardeners working within historic gardens at English Heritage properties. She is also a working gardener and serves as a trustee for Jock Tamson’s Gairden, a community garden in the heart of Edinburgh. Free but booking is essential. Please book on link or by ringing reception on 0131 529 3993. Please note the location of this event is at the City Art Centre.

Reading from her critically acclaimed memoir, The Restless Wave, Helen Bellany will talk about her enduring relationship with the artist. Helen Bellany was born in Golspie in Sutherland, in 1943 and studied at Edinburgh College of Art from 1961 to 1965. It was there that she met John Bellany. They married in September 1964, divorced in 1979, before remarrying in 1986. They have three children; Jonathan, Paul and Anya. She is the author of The Restless Wave: My Two Lives with John Bellany published in 2018 by Sandstone Press.

Sandy Moffat will discuss his friendship with John Bellany which began in 1960 when they both enrolled as students at Edinburgh College of Art. Bellany’s boyhood in Port Seton, his turbulent London years, his liver transplant and his final years in Italy will all be explored in this illustrated talk. Sandy Moffat is an artist and teacher. Born in Dunfermline in 1943, he studied painting at Edinburgh College of Art. From 1968 to 1978 he was the Director of the New 57 Gallery in Edinburgh. In 1979 he joined the staff of The Glasgow School of Art where he was Head of Painting from 1992 until his retirement in 2005. His portraits of the major poets of the Scottish Renaissance movement now hang in the Scottish National Portrait Gallery and his paintings are represented in many private and public collections, including the Yale Centre for British Art, USA and the Pushkin Museum in Moscow. He was elected to the Royal Scottish Academy in 2004 and awarded an OBE for his services to the arts in 2006. Facing the Nation, by Bill Hare, a survey of Moffat’s portraits from the 1960’s onwards was published in 2018 by Luath Press.

This illustrated talk will investigate the way the painting of John Bellany draws from, and feeds off, the history of European art through pictorial quotation and personal re-presentation. Bill Hare was born in Edinburgh in 1944 and studied at the University of Edinburgh and the Courtauld Institute, University of London, in the 1970s. He has taught art history at the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh College of Art and the Open University. In 1985 he was appointed Exhibition Organiser at Talbot Rice Gallery, University of Edinburgh, working with many Scottish and international artists.Since 1995 he has concentrated on teaching and freelance curating, focussing on Scottish art since 1945. He has curated a number of important exhibitions both in Scotland and abroad, and has published books and catalogues on a range of different aspects of historical, modern and contemporary Scottish art. He was previously the Curator of The University of Edinburgh’s Fine Art Collection and is currently an Honorary Fellow in Scottish art history at the University of Edinburgh.

Bill Hare and Sandy Moffat, curators of the City Art Centre's summer 2025 Exhibition ‘John Bellany: A Life in Self-Portraiture’, will discuss the life and work of John Bellany and highlight key works in this tour in front of artworks in the gallery. Bill Hare was born in Edinburgh in 1944 and studied at the University of Edinburgh and the Courtauld Institute, University of London, in the 1970s. He has taught art history at the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh College of Art and the Open University. In 1985 he was appointed Exhibition Organiser at Talbot Rice Gallery, University of Edinburgh, working with many Scottish and international artists.Since 1995 he has concentrated on teaching and freelance curating, focussing on Scottish art since 1945. He has curated a number of important exhibitions both in Scotland and abroad, and has published books and catalogues on a range of different aspects of historical, modern and contemporary Scottish art. He was previously the Curator of The University of Edinburgh’s Fine Art Collection and is currently an Honorary Fellow in Scottish art history at the University of Edinburgh. Sandy Moffat is an artist and teacher. Born in Dunfermline in 1943, he studied painting at Edinburgh College of Art. From 1968 to 1978 he was the Director of the New 57 Gallery in Edinburgh. In 1979 he joined the staff of The Glasgow School of Art where he was Head of Painting from 1992 until his retirement in 2005. His portraits of the major poets of the Scottish Renaissance movement now hang in the Scottish National Portrait Gallery and his paintings are represented in many private and public collections, including the Yale Centre for British Art, USA and the Pushkin Museum in Moscow. He was elected to the Royal Scottish Academy in 2004 and awarded an OBE for his services to the arts in 2006. Facing the Nation, by Bill Hare, a survey of Moffat’s portraits from the 1960’s onwards was published in 2018 by Luath Press.

Bill Hare and Sandy Moffat, curators of the City Art Centre's summer 2025 Exhibition ‘John Bellany: A Life in Self-Portraiture’, will discuss the life and work of John Bellany and highlight key works in this tour in front of artworks in the gallery. Bill Hare was born in Edinburgh in 1944 and studied at the University of Edinburgh and the Courtauld Institute, University of London, in the 1970s. He has taught art history at the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh College of Art and the Open University. In 1985 he was appointed Exhibition Organiser at Talbot Rice Gallery, University of Edinburgh, working with many Scottish and international artists.Since 1995 he has concentrated on teaching and freelance curating, focussing on Scottish art since 1945. He has curated a number of important exhibitions both in Scotland and abroad, and has published books and catalogues on a range of different aspects of historical, modern and contemporary Scottish art. He was previously the Curator of The University of Edinburgh’s Fine Art Collection and is currently an Honorary Fellow in Scottish art history at the University of Edinburgh. Sandy Moffat is an artist and teacher. Born in Dunfermline in 1943, he studied painting at Edinburgh College of Art. From 1968 to 1978 he was the Director of the New 57 Gallery in Edinburgh. In 1979 he joined the staff of The Glasgow School of Art where he was Head of Painting from 1992 until his retirement in 2005. His portraits of the major poets of the Scottish Renaissance movement now hang in the Scottish National Portrait Gallery and his paintings are represented in many private and public collections, including the Yale Centre for British Art, USA and the Pushkin Museum in Moscow. He was elected to the Royal Scottish Academy in 2004 and awarded an OBE for his services to the arts in 2006. Facing the Nation, by Bill Hare, a survey of Moffat’s portraits from the 1960’s onwards was published in 2018 by Luath Press.

Join us for a tour of ‘John Bellany: A Life in Self-Portraiture’ which will have a BSL interpreter present with our Curator leading the tour. City Art Centre is proud to present a major exhibition of works by John Bellany, one of the most significant Scottish painters of the modern era. A Life in Self-Portraiture brings together over 80 autobiographical drawings, paintings, prints and sketchbooks, spanning from the early 1960s until the artist’s death in 2013. John Bellany was one of the most prolific self-portraitists in history, obsessively documenting his own image throughout his lifetime. This exhibition captures the wide range of works created across different mediums, from carefully observed student studies, to his epic pictorial narratives where he disguised himself in different roles and fantastical characters. The exhibition contains works on loan from public and private collections across the country, including the artist’s estate, many of which have never been seen publicly before. Please meet at the City Art Centre reception desk on the ground floor. Tour will last one hour. Please note this tour is strictly restricted to our visitors who require a BSL guide.

Join artist Tessa Asquith-Lamb for this described tour for visually impaired visitors of key works in the exhibition 'John Bellany: A Life in Self-Portraiture' Learn how John Bellany used self-portraiture throughout his life in this fascinating show incorporating paintings, drawing, etchings and sketchbooks. The exhibition includes over 80 autobiographical works dating from the early 1960s until the artist’s death in 2013, ranging from carefully observed, direct self-portraits to more fantastical depictions of the artist disguised in symbolic animal forms. This tour has full disabled access.

10.30am - 3.30pm Join us for a drawing day inspired by 'John Bellany: A Life in Self-Portraiture'. Inspired by the self-portraiture and sketchbooks of John Bellany we will explore how to use small scale images to explore aspects of our own image and emotions. Like diary entries sketchbooks record our moods and hold powerful messages in small dimensions and are fascinating and direct stores of images for future larger scale work. Led by artist Tessa Asquith-Lamb, a great user of sketchbooks, we will explore mark-making and different materials including ink, pencil, watercolour and collage. Please bring a small mirror and/or portrait photos of your own head along to the class.

"Drawing is the artist's most direct and spontaneous expression, a species of writing: it reveals, better than does painting, his true personality." - Edgar Degas It is often said sketchbooks are the eye into the true souls of artists. Join Helen Bellany for an exclusive exploration of the sketchbooks of John Bellany giving insight into Bellany's artistic development and practice. Helen Bellany was born in Golspie in Sutherland, in 1943 and studied at Edinburgh College of Art from 1961 to 1965. It was there that she met John Bellany. They married in September 1964, divorced in 1979, before remarrying in 1986. They have three children; Jonathan, Paul and Anya. She is the author of The Restless Wave: My Two Lives with John Bellany published in 2018 by Sandstone Press.

Join Jenny, Nico and Vicky from our Curatorial & Engagement team as they look back at a year of behind-the-scenes work at the Museum Collections Centre. From exhibition preparation to conservation, workshops to object transportation, get a rare glimpse into the work that happens outside of our exhibition spaces and venues. This will be a panel presentation packed with images of objects and work in progress, and there will be plenty of time for questions and discussion as we review the end of 2024 and 2025 together.

Join us for a free described tour of our summer exhibition ‘Out of Chaos: Post-War Scottish Art 1945-2000’. The post-war era was a period of seismic shifts – political and social, scientific and cultural. Emerging from the events of the Second World War, communities lived with the legacies of conflict while looking ahead to the future. Contemporary artists responded to these changing times, addressing both traditional and modern themes in their work as they pushed the boundaries of creativity. By the end of the century, the artistic landscape was entirely transformed. Scheduled to complement John Bellany: A Life in Self-Portraiture, this survey exhibition examines the wider context of post-war Scottish art. Charting the years between the late 1940s and late 1990s, it showcases evolving approaches to figurative and landscape subjects, the growth of abstraction and pop art, and the development of new media. Out of Chaos presents a range of artworks from the City Art Centre’s permanent collection, featuring key pieces by William Johnstone, Joan Eardley, Eduardo Paolozzi, Ian Hamilton Finlay, Elizabeth Blackadder and Maud Sulter.

10.30am - 3.30pm Imagining the sea air around us we will create landscape images inspired by the work of Joan Eardley and other post-war artists in the exhibition ‘Out of Chaos: Post-War Scottish Art 1945-2000’. Choose either to create a work on canvas or paper and incorporate deep, textured brushstrokes in acrylic. All materials provided and lots of support and ideas from Artist Tessa Asquith-Lamb.

To complement our art exhibition exploring post-war art join our archival lecture to look at social and historical aspects of the City during this period. Using archive material which documents aspects of Edinburgh during the 1940s & 50s, we'll have a look at life in the city as it recovered in aftermath of World War Two. In these years much new housing was needed for the growing population, as were schools. Rationing remained for some time but there was growing hope, as the capital began to boom. Jackie Sangster is a Learning Manager at Historic Environment Scotland who works with archival records.

11am - 12pm Join photographer Carla van de Puttelaar in the exhibition Facing the Law: Portraits Past & Present and hear her talk about her works, how they interact with each other and with the historical portraits on display.

2pm - 3pm Join artist Tessa Asquith-Lamb for a described tour specifically designed for visually impaired visitors focusing on the exhibition Carla van de Puttelaar; Facing the Law: Portraits Past & Present. This tour has full disabled access.

11am - 12pm Join photographer Carla van de Puttelaar in the exhibition Facing the Law: Portraits Past & Present and hear her talk about her works, how they interact with each other and with the historical portraits on display.

2pm - 3.30pm In this lecture artist Carla van de Puttelaar will talk about her practice as a photographer, explain her approach, outline her experience, and share her sources of inspiration.

2pm - 3.30pm In this lecture art historian and photographer Carla van de Puttelaar will talk about her research interest in 17th and 18th century Dutch and Scottish portraiture and how this influences her practice as a contemporary photographer.

2pm - 3.30pm Artist Carla van de Puttelaar will chair a discussion with some of the women working in the law photographed by her for the show Facing the Law: Portraits Past & Present. This is a unique opportunity to hear these women tell their stories, share their experiences and discuss the opportunities and barriers they face in their profession. To coincide with International Women’s Day.

10.30am - 3.30pm Inspired by the fascinating and atmospheric portraits in the exhibition Carla van de Puttelaar; Facing the Law: Portraits Past & Present, join artist Tessa Asquith-Lamb for a day of paper silhouette cutting and collage. We will create a modern version of the 18th century silhouette layered with personal meanings and details. With artist Tessa Asquith-Lamb.

10.30am - 3.30pm Inspired by the beautiful lighting effects in the photographs in the Carla van de Puttelaar; Facing the Law: Portraits Past & Present exhibition, we will explore the use of soft pastels to create portraits that appear out of the darkness into light. We will blend pastel tones onto dark papers and create subtle blended effects and add details to add interest and character. With artist Tessa Asquith-Lamb.

This major exhibition by Glasgow-born artist Michael Fullerton will feature a new body of paintings, as well as a survey of screen-prints and works selected from the City Art Centre Collections. More details to be announced.

Time: 10:30am – 12:30pm Where: Ground Floor, City Art Centre Facilitated by: Ella and Karla Kintsugi is a Japanese art form that involves repairing broken pottery with gold in a manner that embraces its flaws and creates something uniquely beautiful. We invite you to join us in this collage workshop where you will create your own kintsugi masterpiece, taking copies of artwork from the exhibition. This family friendly workshop is open to all. It is a FREE drop in workshop. Please note: As a drop-in activity you cannot pre-book this event. Attendance at the workshop is on a first come first served basis; you may be asked to come back at a later time during the day if the workshop is at full capacity. City Art Centre reserves the right to cancel or reschedule this event.

Time: 10:30am – 12:30pm Where: Ground Floor, City Art Centre Facilitated by: Ella and Karla In this mixed media workshop you are invited to sift through the chaos of our contemporary society. Using examples from today's newspapers, we will ask you to zoom in, and crop out elements that speak to you. You will be asked to create pieces that focus on real human connection, out of the chaos. This family friendly workshop is open to all. It is a FREE drop in workshop. Please note: As a drop-in activity you cannot pre-book this event. Attendance at the workshop is on a first come first served basis; you may be asked to come back at a later time during the day if the workshop is at full capacity. City Art Centre reserves the right to cancel or reschedule this event.

Time: 10:30am – 12:30pm Where: Ground Floor, City Art Centre Facilitated by: Ella and Karla Kintsugi is a Japanese art form that involves repairing broken pottery with gold in a manner that embraces its flaws and creates something uniquely beautiful. We invite you to join us in this collage workshop where you will create your own kintsugi masterpiece, taking copies of artwork from the exhibition. This family friendly workshop is open to all. It is a FREE drop in workshop. Please note: As a drop-in activity you cannot pre-book this event. Attendance at the workshop is on a first come first served basis; you may be asked to come back at a later time during the day if the workshop is at full capacity. City Art Centre reserves the right to cancel or reschedule this event.

Time: 10:30am – 12:30pm Where: Ground Floor, City Art Centre Facilitated by: Aisha and Karla What do you think the world will look like in 80 years? This workshop will ask you to look at Edinburgh’s past as well as an imagined future. We will ask you to think about how the world you interact with everyday will transform in the next century. You will create simple line drawings of both our post-war past and what you think the future will hold. By overlapping the two drawings, you will see how the ‘in between period’ of your drawings compares to reality. This family friendly workshop is open to all. It is a FREE drop-in workshop. Please note: As a drop-in activity you cannot pre-book this event. Attendance at the workshop is on a first come first served basis; you may be asked to come back at a later time during the day if the workshop is at full capacity. City Art Centre reserves the right to cancel or reschedule this event.

Time: 10:30am – 12:30pm Where: Ground Floor, City Art Centre Facilitated by: Aisha and Karla Artists in the mid-20th century were trained in the classical tradition; however, the explosion of abstract expressionism in the Post-War period caused a chain reaction that led to many modern artists embracing emotion and abstraction over classical realism. In this workshop, we will reimagine classical Scottish artworks simulating the techniques and style of the artists prominent in the post-war period. You will use pastels to create messy imperfect artwork that will reflect the emotions and themes visible in classical Scottish art. This family friendly workshop is open to all. It is a FREE drop-in workshop. Please note: As a drop-in activity you cannot pre-book this event. Attendance at the workshop is on a first come first served basis; you may be asked to come back at a later time during the day if the workshop is at full capacity. City Art Centre reserves the right to cancel or reschedule this event.

Time: 10:30am – 12:30pm Where: Ground Floor, City Art Centre Facilitated by: Aisha and Ella Kintsugi is a Japanese art form that involves repairing broken pottery with gold in a manner that embraces its flaws and creates something uniquely beautiful. We invite you to join us in this collage workshop where you will create your own kintsugi masterpiece, taking copies of artwork from the exhibition. This family friendly workshop is open to all. It is a FREE drop in workshop. Please note: As a drop-in activity you cannot pre-book this event. Attendance at the workshop is on a first come first served basis; you may be asked to come back at a later time during the day if the workshop is at full capacity. City Art Centre reserves the right to cancel or reschedule this event.

Time: 10:30am – 12:30pm Where: Ground Floor, City Art Centre Facilitated by: Ella and Karla What do you think the world will look like in 80 years? This workshop will ask you to look at Edinburgh’s past as well as an imagined future. We will ask you to think about how the world you interact with everyday will transform in the next century. You will create simple line drawings of both our post-war past and what you think the future will hold. By overlapping the two drawings, you will see how the ‘in between period’ of your drawings compares to reality. This family friendly workshop is open to all. It is a FREE drop-in workshop. Please note: As a drop-in activity you cannot pre-book this event. Attendance at the workshop is on a first come first served basis; you may be asked to come back at a later time during the day if the workshop is at full capacity. City Art Centre reserves the right to cancel or reschedule this event.

Time: 10:30am – 12:30pm Where: Ground Floor, City Art Centre Facilitated by: Aisha and Ella In this mixed media workshop you are invited to sift through the chaos of our contemporary society. Using examples from today's newspapers, we will ask you to zoom in, and crop out elements that speak to you. You will be asked to create pieces that focus on real human connection, out of the chaos. This family friendly workshop is open to all. It is a FREE drop in workshop. Please note: As a drop-in activity you cannot pre-book this event. Attendance at the workshop is on a first come first served basis; you may be asked to come back at a later time during the day if the workshop is at full capacity. City Art Centre reserves the right to cancel or reschedule this event.

Time: 10:30am – 12:30pm Where: Ground Floor, City Art Centre Facilitated by: Ella and Karla Artists in the mid-20th century were trained in the classical tradition; however, the explosion of abstract expressionism in the Post-War period caused a chain reaction that led to many modern artists embracing emotion and abstraction over classical realism. In this workshop, we will reimagine classical Scottish artworks simulating the techniques and style of the artists prominent in the post-war period. You will use pastels to create messy imperfect artwork that will reflect the emotions and themes visible in classical Scottish art. This family friendly workshop is open to all. It is a FREE drop-in workshop. Please note: As a drop-in activity you cannot pre-book this event. Attendance at the workshop is on a first come first served basis; you may be asked to come back at a later time during the day if the workshop is at full capacity. City Art Centre reserves the right to cancel or reschedule this event.