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January marks the launch of RSA200, a year-long celebration of our bicentenary. From projects unfolding in every corner of the nation to exhibitions at home on the Mound, the first month of our 200th year is set to shine a light on Scotland’s most treasured artworks.
Each month, we’ll be rounding up what’s happening - both in the RSA building alongside highlights from Celebrating Together, our bicentenary project developed in partnership with organisations across Scotland and beyond. Together, these exhibitions and events will reflect on 200 years of art and architecture.
Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh
17 January – 8 March 2026
We are delighted to present Modern Miniatures in the Academicians' Gallery this January. The exhibition examines the discipline of working on a restricted scale, with all artworks on view limited only by size. By focusing on small-format works, Modern Miniatures invites close looking and careful attention.
Jessica Harrison RSA, Painted Lady (35)
Everyone remembers their favourite teacher. For art students, the intensely creative environment of art school can make their tutors hugely important influencers and facilitators of their future careers. Origin Stories, one of our first exhibitions of our 200th year, will explore the web of artistic relationships that have manifested through the evolution of art teaching in Scotland. Flowing from tutor to student, the fascinating lineage of influence will be traced from the nineteenth century to the present day.
24 January – 8 March 2026
Curated by Richard Murphy RSA, Generation will explore the architectural family tree. Murphy brings together the work of sixteen architects who all formerly worked at his Edinburgh practice and have since gone on to establish their own successful studios. Influenced by architectural greats such as Ted Cullinan, Richard MacCormac and Isi Metzstein RSA, Murphy now looks to the next generation to see how this legacy continues.
Celebrating Together
We’re celebrating our bicentenary through a rich programme of partner exhibitions and projects across Scotland and internationally. From Dumfries and Galloway to Paris and Bristol, January highlights shared histories, art and science and the enduring reach of our Academicians.
Gracefield Art Centre, Dumfries and Galloway
William Gillies and the Galloway Connection
Until 10 January 2026
William Gillies and the Galloway Connection brings a unique portrait of one of Scotland’s most influential artists to Dumfries and Galloway. On view, you’ll find works by the renowned Academician, alongside an exploration of Gillies’ wider influence as a teacher and thinker, particularly to Galloway friends and colleagues, Archie Sutter Watt and John Maxwell RSA.
Sir William Gillies RSA, Interior
Kirkcudbright Galleries, Dumfries and Galloway
William Gillies: Modernism and Nation
Until 10 January 2026
The final stop of our Modernism and Nation exhibition tour, this show at Kirkcudbright Galleries challenges the idea of William Gillies RSA as a countryman, demonstrating that there is much more to discover in his work.
From These Parts, University of St Andrews
Wardlaw Museum, University of St Andrews
From These Parts: Scotland, Art and Identity
Until 15 February 2026
Marking 30 years of the Boswell Collection of Scottish Art, part of the University of St Andrews’ Museum Collection, and 200 years of the Academy, this exhibition uncovers Scotland’s identity through the creativity of its contemporary artists. From These Parts showcases a number of works on loan from the RSA Collection, including Joan Eardley RSA’s A Field by the Sea – Summer, William McTaggart RSA’s A Shingly Shore and Dorothy Johnstone ARSA’s Marguerite.
Marina Abramović | Rhythm 10 Revisited
Until 21 February 2026
Our bicentenary year began at the stroke of midnight on 1 January 2026 with the opening of Marina Abramović | Rhythm 10 Revisited at The Window in Perth. The exhibition features photographs by Richard Demarco HRSA documenting Marina Abramović HRSA’s first performance of Rhythm 10 at the Edinburgh Festival in 1973.
The Empire of Sleep
Until 1 March 2026
Curated by neurologist and science historian Laura Bossi and Sylvie Carlier, Director of Collections at Musée Marmottan Monet, The Empire of Sleep explores the symbolic implications of sleep, its role in sacred imagery and the influence of sleep-related research on art. On view you’ll find The Poet's Dream by John Faed RSA, on loan from the RSA.
Gray's School of Art: 140 Years at Aberdeen Art Gallery
Gray's School of Art: 140 Years - Never make a head bigger than a melon
Until 12 April 2026
Celebrating 140 years of artist-led education at Gray’s School of Art, this major exhibition features works by over 50 artists who have studied or worked at Gray’s. The show includes works by three Past Presidents of the RSA and 20 Academicians, reflecting the school’s lasting impact on Scottish art.
Art Collection, University of Stirling
Art & Science Exhibition
Until 7 August 2026
The Art Collection aims to make art and culture a part of everyday life for staff, students and visitors at the University of Stirling. Each academic year their exhibitions and events are directly inspired by one of the University research themes. In 2025/26, that theme is Art & Science. Their current exhibition includes Stuart MacKenzie RSA’s Species (Coelacanth) II, a print by on loan from the RSA Collection, and Le Bouc, a painting by Alison Watt RSA, displayed in Scotland for the first time.
Society of Scottish Artists, Edinburgh
Legacy: A celebration of unity from differences and rivalries
11 January - 4 February 2026
As part of their 127th Annual Exhibition, the Society of Scottish Artists (SSA) presents Legacy, highlighting the links between the SSA and the Royal Scottish Academy through works by the society’s first generation of presidents. Loans from the RSA Collection include Summer Time by SSA founder Robert Noble RSA, Landscape with Hail Cloud by Robert Buchan Nisbet RSA, and Falkland by James Cadenhead RSA.
Metaphysical Cosmologies: Meg Rodger
17 January - 28 March 2026
Meg Rodger, recipient of an RSA Residency for Scotland in 2024, presents work developed during her time at Taigh Chearsabhagh in North Uist. Metaphysical Cosmologies explores humanity’s relationship with the universe, from the neolithic standing stones at Calanais to present-day astronomy.
Stuart Mackenzie RSA, Cockerel - Homage to Joseph Crawhall
The Gallery at Linlithgow Burgh Halls, West Lothian
Species Morphology: A Living Archive, a solo exhibition by Stuart Mackenzie RSA
23 January - 17 May 2026
Opening our bicentenary celebrations in Linlithgow, this solo exhibition by Stuart Mackenzie RSA is his first since his 2019 show in the Academicians’ Gallery. Species Morphology investigates ecological and biological aspects of nature, examining the characteristics that distinguish one species from another.
Royal West of England Academy, Bristol
Cosmos: The Art of Observing Space
24 January – 19 April 2026
Cosmos is a major art and science exhibition celebrating humanity’s enduring fascination with space. Bringing together historic and contemporary works, the exhibition includes pieces by Annie Cattrell RSA and Janette Kerr HRSA.
January’s exhibitions and events give a powerful introduction to a major year of art and architecture. Our bicentenary isn’t just about looking back, it’s about looking ahead to the future of creativity in Scotland, and we couldn’t be more excited to share more highlights from across the programme as the celebrations continue.
