25 April - 23 May 2026
Glasgow Art Club, 185 Bath Street, Glasgow, G2 4HU
Paisley Art Institute's website

Celebrating 150 & 200 Years of the PAI & RSA

 

The Paisley Art Institute (PAI), the Glasgow Art Club (GAC), and the Royal Scottish Academy (RSA) share a long and interconnected history, supporting artists and championing Scottish art. Their relationship is rooted in shared membership and exhibition histories, which started during the late19th and early 20th centuries when artists associated with the Glasgow Boys regularly exhibited with and belonged to all three organisations. 

 

Paisley Art Institute will celebrate its 150th anniversary during its 137th Annual Open Exhibition in its new home within the Glasgow Art Club. To mark this milestone alongside the RSA’s bicentenary, PAI will present the "Paisley Art Institute 150th Award" at the RSA 200th Annual Exhibition.

 

In our historical collection PAI holds several paintings made by RSA Academicians. We will include some of these works alongside PAI members and open submission during our annual exhibition including George Henry RSA's portrait of John Millar PPAI, our fourth and longest serving president.  

 

 

    

 

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Banner image: Paisley Art Institute, Glasgow Art Club, detail 

  • About Paisley Art Institute

    About Paisley Art Institute

    Founded in 1876, the Paisley Art Institute (PAI) is a renowned Scottish arts charity dedicated to promoting the arts in Scotland. Run by artists and art supporters, it fosters a vibrant creative community through exhibitions, workshops and talks, including Scotland’s third longest-running annual art exhibition. Rooted in Paisley’s industrial past, with origins tracing back to the 1846 Paisley Government School of Art and Design, the PAI also cares for an important historic collection reflecting the town’s cultural past. Now based at the Glasgow Art Club, it presents changing contemporary exhibitions alongside historic works, creating an inspiring space for artists, members and visitors.