The Argyll Collection on Tour

Explore the outstanding Argyll Collection as it starts its tour from Campbeltown and travels across Argyll, offering a golden opportunity to experience works by Royal Scottish Academy Artists!

CHARTS is proud to present The Argyll Collection, owned by Argyll and Bute Council. This is a unique group of over 170 artworks, established between 1960 and 1990, taking newly purchased contemporary art of its time directly from artists’ studios into school classrooms throughout Argyll.

The Collection, pioneered by author Naomi Mitchison and Jim Tyre, a former art advisor for Argyll County Council and a teacher, was a bold and forward-thinking initiative that created access to art for young people living in remote and rural areas, who otherwise had little to no access to fine art. Bringing notable international and modern Scottish artists, including Joan Eardley, John Byrne, William MacTaggart, Robert Stewart, Elizabeth Blackadder, and Anne Redpath, into schools across the region.

To celebrate RSA200, CHARTS is taking The Argyll Collection on the road, touring several works by RSA Academicians around communities in Argyll and Bute. Artists include Sir Robin Philipson PPRSA, Philip Reeves RSA, William Littlejohn RSA, John Houston RSA, David McClure RSA, David Donaldson RSA, and John Byrne RSA. The tour is a rare opportunity for adults and young people alike to explore the artworks up close and attend workshops.