Thomas Stuart Smith’s Victorian Black Portraiture by Laura Baliman
I recently undertook this internship with the Stirling Smith as a Masters student at the University of Edinburgh in Modern and Contemporary Art: History, Criticism and Curating. I focused on Thomas Stuart Smith’s three portraits of black men painted in 1869, and I sought to recognise their position within the
Lockdown Meanders from Poet, Anne B Murray
In our latest exhibition Meanderings: A Walk Through The Smith’s Collection, we asked visitors to reflect on their walks and explorations during lockdown whilst they stroll through a selection of our art collection. The artwork on display depicts nature in various forms, seasons and locations. At the end of the
The Pipe of Freedom launches The Guardian’s Great British Art Tour
The Guardian‘s Great British Art Tour began today. This new series, created in partnership with ArtUK, will showcase some of the great works of art housed in collections across Britain. The series is a great way to do a little art exploration from the safety of our homes. The work
Smith’s Pipe of Freedom on BBC Radio
We are so pleased that over lockdown a special painting in our collection has been receiving just attention: Thomas Stuart’s Smith’s The Pipe of Freedom. Credit is due to Peter Brathwaite, an opera singer and occassional broadcaster. Early in the year, Brathwaite took part in the Getty Museum Challenge, where
The Embroiderers’ Guild Exhibition Takes Flight at the Smith
Our latest exhibition is now on display in Gallery 1: Flights of Fancy by The Stirling & Districts Embroiderers’ Guild. Early in the year, the Guild was preparing for a showcase of works created around the themes of flight and dream. However, this theme took on new meaning for members
Jane Anne Wright’s Watercolours of Stirling
The Smith is proud to house a collection of watercolours by Jane Anne Wright (1842-1922). Wright was born into a well-connected family and on her visits to wealthy Stirling families, she often painted their estates. This week on social media, we have explored just some of her watercolours of greater
The Smith hosts The Guardian’s Great British Art Quiz
While museums have been closed due to the coronavirus, the Guardian has set up a weekly art quiz so people can explore and engage with art collections across the UK from the comfort of their own home. This week, the quiz is all about artwork in our very own collection.
Dutch Art Exhibition on ArtUK
The closure of museums has prompted ArtUK to create a new tool for curating virtual exhibitions using artwork from collections across the UK. Since the Stirling Smith’s exhibiting exhibition programme for 2020 has been delayed, we thought we would test this new ‘Curations’ tool out with an exhibition looking at
Introducing: Journeys in Art
The Stirling Smith is launching a weekly art history video series beginning on 17 June. While the museum is closed we still feel it is important to produce engaging content for the community. We hope that you will enjoy this introduction to art history series. What was rebellious about the
Online Mindful Art Sessions Offer Respite During Coronavirus Lockdown
Together with a local mindfulness business, Tranceform Therapies, the Stirling Smith has been hosting free online mindfulness sessions on our Facebook page. The sessions, which began on 13 May, take place every second Wednesday via Facebook Live and look at a different painting each time. The first session focused on A