At the City Art Centre
Opening this weekend at the City Art Centre Out of Chaos: Post-War Scottish Art 1945 – 2000, ia a new exhibition that charts the story of Scottish art in the tumultuous years following the Second World War. Featuring over 60 works—paintings, drawings, prints, sculptures, and photographs—the exhibition draws exclusively from the City Art Centre’s acclaimed collection of Scottish art.
The exhibition brings together work from some of the most significant artists of the period, including Wilhelmina Barns-Graham, John Bellany, Elizabeth Blackadder, John Byrne, Calum Colvin, Victoria Crowe, Alan Davie, Pat Douthwaite, Joan Eardley, Ian Hamilton Finlay, William Gillies, Morris Grassie, Peter Howson, William Johnstone, Bet Low, Will Maclean, Alexander Moffat, James Munro, Eduardo Paolozzi, Tom Pow, Barbara Rae, Anne Redpath, Jon Schueler, and Maud Sulter.
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 rapidly 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.
Timed to complement the exhibition John Bellany: A Life in Self-Portraiture, Out of Chaos offers broader context to Bellany’s career by surveying the major movements and developments in post-war Scottish art. Visitors will explore a wide range of approaches, from figurative and landscape art to abstraction, pop art, and the rise of new media.
Among the highlights are a wind-swept Catterline landscape by Joan Eardley, a bronze cast of the haunting sculpture Horse’s Head by Eduardo Paolozzi, a large-scale environmental triptych by Elizabeth Ogilvie, and the avant-garde Fallen Angels, a rare surviving painting by Tom Pow.
The exhibition also introduces several recent acquisitions, such as Alan Robb’s striking Surrealist-inspired oil painting Cool House, James Munro’s sleek 1980s sculpture Pick Up Trio, and Morris Grassie’s preparatory sketches for The Sou’Westers, Arbroath. Notably, a drawing by Milein Cosman capturing the first-ever Edinburgh International Festival in 1947 will be on display for the first time at the City Art Centre.
Curator Dr Helen Scott said: “Between 1945 and 2000 far-reaching changes took place across politics, society, culture and science, and contemporary artists were compelled to react to these developments – from the tensions of the Cold War to the rise of mass consumerism and popular culture. Artists working through these years analysed and questioned everything, repeatedly challenging conventions and reshaping the artistic landscape. Looking back now, the pace of change was incredible.
I’m really looking forward to sharing this exhibition with our visitors – both those who lived through this dynamic period and younger generations as well. There is a wide array of artistic forms and styles on display here, so really there’s something for everyone.”
Council Leader Jane Meagher, City of Edinburgh Council said: “Out of Chaos offers a powerful reflection on how Scottish artists responded to a rapidly changing world. These works capture the resilience, imagination, and innovation that shaped the nation’s cultural identity in the post-war era.
“The City Art Centre continues to champion our cultural heritage, and Out of Chaos is a powerful reminder of how art helps us understand and navigate times of change.”
The exhibition opens on Saturday 17 May 2025, and continues until 12 October 2025. Admission is free.
Mental Health Awareness Week
MSPs gathered at Scottish Parliament on Thursday to show support for the Mental Health Foundation’s Mental Health Awareness Week which is focused on the power of community to support good mental health and wellbeing.
By-Election in Fountainbridge-Craiglockhart
The date for the by-election in Fountainbridge-Craiglockhart has been announced and will take place on 26 June 2025 to elect a new councillor after the sudden death of Cllr Val Walker.
Residents will go to the polls on Thursday 26 June 2025 to elect one new councillor to represent the ward. The current electorate is 18,563.
Tomorrow, on Friday 16 May, the formal Notice of Election will be published, and the Election Timetable, Election Notices and Nomination Papers will all be accessible on the Council website.
Returning Officer for Edinburgh, Paul Lawrence said: “I want to reiterate my condolences to Councillor Walker’s family, friends, and colleagues. The tributes we saw last week at the Council meeting shows the esteem in which she was held across all sides of the Chamber, and she will be sorely missed.
“Her passing has resulted in the vacancy for the Fountainbridge/Craiglockhart ward. I’d urge all residents in the ward to make sure they are registered and have their details or preference of how they would like to vote up to date in plenty of time.
“Details on how to register, where to vote or how to vote by post can be found on the Council website.”
Nomination papers can be submitted from 10am on Monday 19 May until 4pm on Friday 23 May to the Returning Officer in the City Chambers.
Candidates will be confirmed when nominations close at 4pm on Friday 23 May.
Polling stations will be open from 7am to 10pm on Thursday 26 June.
The election will use the Single Transferable Vote (STV) system where voters can rank candidates in order of preference rather than using a single cross. Voters can give a rank to as many or as few candidates as they like.
The deadline to register to vote in this by-election is midnight on Tuesday June 10. For new postal vote applications, it’s 5pm on Wednesday June 11 and for new proxy votes its 5pm on Wednesday June 18.
Find out more about elections in Edinburgh and how to register to vote on the Council website.
Try Padel
There are taster sessions at Edinburgh Park on 7 June for anyone to try out Pickleball or Padel. The courts will be open from 9.20am until 4pm. There are free sessions for children and adults and fun tournaments.
A spokesperson for Edinburgh Park said: “Our padel and pickleball coaches will introduce you and your kids to the rules of the game, and the technical and tactical basics.”
Get the tram to Edinburgh Park Central and the courts are just beside the tramline behind the first office building.
Click on the image for more information.
Cramond and Barnton Community Council
The community council next meets at 7pm in the Kirk Hall on 22 May 2025. As there are many new members there will be workshops for everyone to learn what is going on and decide what they might get involved in. The workshop sessions will outline these key issues for the local area:
- Roads and Road Safety: This remains a predominant issue. We’re actively pushing for traffic management improvements at Barnton Junction and shops, discussing proposals for permanent closures of Cammo Walk and Cammo Road to make way for safer walking and cycling, and are part of the Cramond Safety Action Group focusing on traffic management near Cramond Primary School. We’ve also sought speed restrictions on Queensferry Road, Whitehouse Road, and Gamekeepers Road, expected in 2025. These are highlighted as urgent matters.
- Ensuring Delivery of the Cramond Campus Development Amenities: We’ve campaigned for over 20 years for the promised sports/recreation facilities and amenity open space. The project to get these delivered is currently over 1 year behind the agreed schedule. This is also an urgent priority.
- Addressing Edinburgh Airport Noise Issues: We continue to advocate for noise reduction from flightpaths and oppose the growth of night flights. Your views are represented on relevant Airport committees, with consultations due in 2025 on potential flightpath changes.
- Improving Cramond Car Park and Toilets: We’ve sought improvements for about 10 years, highlighting safety hazards at the car park and unsatisfactory conditions and accessibility issues at the toilets. The City of Edinburgh Council (CEC) is now progressing site assessments and designs.
- Enhancing Bus Services: We’re pressing CEC for a cost-effective, sustainable solution, particularly highlighting the missed opportunity for connectivity from Cammo Meadows through West Craigs to the new Maybury Primary School and Medical Centre.
- Monitoring Planning Issues: As a statutory consultee, we review weekly planning applications for implications like Green Belt impact, traffic issues, and pressures on local services such as medical practices. Future developments at the former Craigiehall MoD site are expected.
- Raising Medical Concerns: We are trying to establish regular dialogue with Cramond Medical Practice, especially regarding concerns about the Surgery continuing to accept new patients while acknowledging it operates at a clinically unsafe capacity.
- Supporting the Salveson Steps Project: We support the priority City Council project to replace the steps with a more accessible path.
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Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
