Gallery named after George Wyllie bids to ensure artist’s legacy lives on

A new gallery dedicated to a renowned Scottish artist will ensure his work will reach “audiences old and new”, his daughter has said.

The Wyllieum, named after George Wyllie, is scheduled to open on March 28 in Greenock, Inverclyde.

The exhibition George Wyllie: Spires will feature at the gallery from its opening date until August 11.

The gallery is housed in the new Ocean Terminal on Greenock’s waterfront and was designed by Scottish architect Richard Murphy.

Co-curated by Will Cooper, director of the gallery, and sculptor Sara Barker, the space will also host a series of talks, events and workshops.

The Wyllieum will house the namesake artist’s largest art collection in the world, showcasing his legacy through a number of displays.

Wyllie was born in 1921, originally training as an engineer with the Post Office before joining the Navy in 1942 until 1946.

He later worked as a customs and excise officer for 30 years before becoming a full-time artist in his late 50s.

Some of his notable works include the Straw Locomotive (1987), and Paper Boat of the Origami Line (1989) – which was a paper boat so large he could stand on it when it was launched on the River Clyde.

Another well known work is the Running Clock outside Buchanan Bus Station in Glasgow.

Wyllie was made an MBE for services to arts in 2005, and he died aged 90 in 2012.

Mr Cooper said: “I am in awe of the dedicated hard work of impassioned supporters who have turned their love for George into the Wyllieum, the first purpose-built gallery in the west of Scotland for over a decade.

“Our opening programme is hugely exciting – we’ll open the gallery with George Wyllie: Spires, a survey of one of George’s most ambitious protects.

“Bringing Sara Barker in to co-curate the show will ensure these works are brought into the 21st century. I can’t wait to welcome visitors into our building.”

Wyllie’s daughter Louise said: “I originally created the Friends of George Wyllie in 2011 to present a year-long festival celebrating my father’s work. At the time he was living in a care home.

“As well as sharing his work with the wider world, I wanted to stimulate him and remind of what he had achieved as an artist.

“The award-winning Whysman Festival, which ran throughout 2012, marked his 90th birthday.

“Sadly, he passed away before the end of it, but he knew the wheels were in motion and that his legacy would live on.

“The success of this multifaceted festival gave me the platform necessary to develop this and led to the creation of the George Wyllie Foundation in 2013.

“My working contribution with the foundation came to an end in 2021.

“It has been a joy to witness fresh energetic people such as new Wyllieum director, Will Cooper, lead on the future of bringing my father’s work to audiences old and new.

“As a family, we are excited about his plans. In his job as a customs and excise officer, my father spent a lot of time at the docks in Greenock where the Wyllieum now sits. His family is invested in seeing this cultural space thrive.

“We recognise in Will and foundation chair Michael Dale the drive and ability to deliver a unique arts space for my father’s beloved Inverclyde and, of course, for Scotland.”