About

The Alasdair Gray Archive holds the collection of original visual artworks, sketches and drawings bequeathed to Gray’s son Andrew and held at the Archive for research and learning purposes. The Archive also houses all Gray’s original prints, a restaging of his working studio set up, a section of his personal library, all Gray publications (including those he designed for others) as well as a section of literary papers, photographs and correspondence. The Archive is open to the public for bookable visits and through the developing website. This extensive collection of works allows the Archive to present Gray’s work in a number of different contexts; through exhibitions, long term loans to public galleries and museums as well as acting as a catalyst for new commissions. This activity is in line with a core aim of the Archive; to promote, disseminate and educate a local, national and international audience on the life and work of this celebrated cultural polymath.

The Archive will be working in partnership with existing public collections of Gray’s work to create connections and further opportunities for learning. All enquiries and applications to loan works for exhibition and other events are welcomed. Contact us here.

Aims

• To promote, protect and advance visual and literary arts for the public benefit with particular emphasis (although not exclusively) on works created by Alasdair Gray.
• To advance the knowledge of the life and work of Alasdair Gray through exhibitions, commissions, research and publications.
• To foster, promote and develop education opportunities in relation to the work of Alasdair Gray.
• To create an archive of key works to serve as a source of information about the life and work of Alasdair Gray and to provide public access to this collection.
• To support and inspire others through the provision of tiered series of awards, residencies, student placements and commissions.

In 2022 we produced our organisational strategy, created through support from the Rebuilding Heritage Mentoring program with mentors Sabina Strachan and Kirsteen Macdonald. This sets out our short and long term plans across a range of key aims and objectives.

Alasdair Gray was a true polymath with his unique vision spanning multiple mediums. He made poems, plays, short stories, novels, political essays, marginalia, typeset and designed his books and those of others, created murals, paintings, drawings and prints. He taught creative writing and visual art whilst actively championing those around him. He was a proud supporter of socialism, believing in a fair and equitable society. He lived by these principles, paying assistants at the same rate of pay as himself and valuing the ability for everyone to have the right to the freedom of thought that culture provides. This was most notable in his support of libraries and the belief in the transformative power of literature and the arts. As a child he would use books to travel and experience different worlds and cultures from his bedroom in Riddrie. This had a profound effect on Gray and is a cornerstone of the aims and objectives of The Alasdair Gray Archive. To offer that space to others, to escape and learn about themselves and others and to travel back inspired by what they have learnt.