Kirkcudbright School of Painters

For approximately 100 years until 1950 Kirkcudbright was an established artist colony. It began with the emergence of the Faed family of Gatehouse of Fleet from the 1840's and ended with the death, in 1949, of Jessie Marion King who, with her husband, EA Taylor, settled in Kirkcudbright in 1920. During this time EA Hornel, whose family had for many generations been associated with the town also became established there as an artist of repute. Many others were involved with them and encouraged by them to settle in or visit the town.

It is said that as with the St. Ives colony in Cornwall, it was the excellence of the light that attracted these and other artists to Kirkcudbright. However, there can be no doubt that a strong attraction would also have been being part of a close-knit colony of artists, all gathered together at the work and recreation for which they all they all lived. Artists such as Charles Oppenheimer, W.S. MacGeorge, Bill Robson, David Gauld, James Guthrie, Robert Sivell, Chris J. Fergusson and William Mouncey all had a strong connection with the town. In August 2000, an exhibition called ‘The Homecoming’ was held in Kirkcudbright Town Hall which celebrated the Kirkcudbright School of Painters. This was followed in 2002 by an exhibition with forty-four paintings from the Fleming-Wyfold Foundation. Thanks to the support of Lord Macfarlane, Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum and the National Gallery of Scotland in Edinburgh among others, an exhibition has been held here every summer since.

Kirkcudbright houses a plethora of fine museums all of which contain first-class painting by artists associated with the area either through working or just visiting the extraordinary countryside. These include Annan Museum, Broughton House, Dumfries Museum, Gracefield Arts Centre, Dumfries, Harbour Cottage Gallery, Kirkcudbright, Kirkcudbright Academy, New Galloway Town Hall, Newton Stewart Museum, Stewartry Museum, Stranraer Museum, Threave House and the Tolbooth Art Centre. In recent times all collections now come under the banner of Dumfries and Galloway Council.

Number of Artists referenced: 55