July 7-Sarah McConnell

The Kelvingrove Art Gallery is literally one of the best and most visited art galleries in the world with over one million visitors per year. Today we had the opportunity to tour it ourselves. It was sort of a crazy day because we went to 3 museums rather than the typical 1. It’s a long story regarding bus passes and the lack thereof. Although the guided tour was not mandatory for Kelvingrove, I chose to go on it because the museum is huge and I wanted to be sure to at least see the highlights. Luckily, our tour group was very small- only 3 of us, so the tour was very personalized and lasted about 30 minutes longer than a typical tour. The building was build to be an art museum in 1901 and was designed by the winner of a competition of architects. The building itself is a work of incredible art and was closed for 3 years (2003-2006) to undergo renovations and remodeling. These renovations turned a very traditional Victorian into an interactive and modern museum and gallery. The art is divided by LIFE or EXPRESSION and broken down into themes and then further into stories. The art is displayed in an extremely interactive format is not covered by cases protected by velvet ropes. The museum appeals to all learning styles and personalities. For example, there is a to scale map of the planets and their rotations on the floor so people can walk around it. In the French and Italian art rooms (with the traditional paintings) there are cards next to each painting the tells a story of the painting, about the artist and a fact or 2. Near many of the exhibits there are phones or speakers to listen to information about the artifacts. Some even have televisions that show programs and help bring the pieces more to life and relatable to the public. The tour guide told us that some people have been frustrated with such changes but I think they are an excellent addition and they help people get more engaged in the art. Another positive thing I noticed about the museum itself was how family and kid friendly it is. I was more kids and families at this museum than any museum I have ever been to and everyone seemed very engaged and like they were genuinely enjoying themselves. A few of the themes of the museum included “Scottish Identity,” “Death and Destruction: War and Consequences,” “Things no Longer Living,” and works by MacIntosh who is a very famous and influential Scottish architect.

Although the tour was an hour and thirty minutes, I am planning on returning to Kelvingrove because there is so much more I need to see and spend more time with. Everyone who goes to Scotland should go to Kelvingrove. Not only is it a world class museum it is free and AMAZING!!!