Joyce W. Cairns and the Academy
Join us for an evening with Joyce W. Cairns PPRSA to celebrate her exhibition, A Personal Odyssey. Joyce will reflect on her remarkable lifelong relationship with the Royal Scottish Academy, tracing a journey that began as a schoolgirl visiting the RSA galleries in the 1960s and culminated in her election as the Academy’s first female President in 2018.
Drawing on personal memories and professional milestones, Joyce will discuss the experiences that shaped her career, from early inspiration at the Academy’s exhibitions and her studies at Gray’s School of Art, to her first time exhibiting at the RSA in 1971 and the scholarships that enabled her to travel and develop her practice. She will reflect on the mentors, colleagues and artists who influenced her work, as well as the challenges she’s faced.
The talk will explore the changing role of the Royal Scottish Academy over the past six decades and Joyce's own contribution to its evolution. As Academician, committee member, Deputy President and ultimately President, she has witnessed and helped shape the Academy’s transformation. Combining personal recollections and insights into Scotland’s artistic community, this is a rare opportunity to hear one of the nation’s most respected painters reflect on a life devoted to art and education.
