Portrait Gallery Farewell Festival Day 1

A two-day, celebratory weekend marking the temporary closure of the Scottish National Portrait Gallery as it begins an ambitious Portrait of the Nation project. See portrait artists at work and hear them in conversation; enjoy live music performances; have your portrait made or create your own. Plus, hear about plans for the gallery's future.

All day - Queen Street Café - Enjoy the best of the café's delicious fare chosen by visitors in the last week. You can also obtain discount vouchers for the Dean & GMA café.

Keep in touch postcard: What will you miss most while we are closed? Tell us your favourite thing about the PG on a postcard.

11.00am -5.00pm Entrance Hall & Raeburn Room

Meet Mary Queen of Scots & Robert Burns in full costume.

Drop in workshops on the Ambulatory & Raeburn Room

11am -12pm & 1- 4pm

Choose from:

Picture Yourself: digital photography with digital artist Janey Nicoll

Drawing and painting portraits - create an original drawing at an easel, working from a live costumed model or with the help of a mirror capture yourself in time by making a self portrait using lots of drawing materials.

Creating a clay portrait bust - Inspired by works in the PG collection try your hand at modelling a 3-D clay head and shoulders bust to take home.

Demonstrations by Alex Main

11am - 1pm & 2pm -4pm

Sculptor Alex Main, who has recently made a bust of actress Tilda Swinton, demonstrates how he starts making a portrait bust from a model using clay. Through examples he will explain the stages involved in transforming the clay sculpture into a bronze, discuss his techniques and answer questions.

11:15am & 12:15pm

Behind the Scenes: Prints and Drawings

Senior Curator Stephen Lloyd looks at highlights of the Portrait Gallery's extensive prints and drawings collection.

12 places - booking on the day essential

12:00-12:45pm Main Hall

Live Music Now: Sarah Naylor (fiddle) and Douglas Millar (Piano/keyboard)

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1.15-1.45pm

Iain Clark and Muriel Gray - in conversation (Temporary Exhibition gallery)

Broadcaster Muriel Gray will discuss portraiture with Iain Clark in relation to his own work and illustrated by his portrait of Muriel. Muriel will reflect on the role of the sitter in portraiture and Iain on the process of creating photographic portraits.

2-2.45pm

Portrait of the Month

An introduction to a selection of some of the many faces in the Portrait Gallery's collection including Mary Queen of Scots, John Campbell, 4th Duke of Arygll, The Oncologists and a self portrait by John Bellany.

Meet in the main entrance.

3.-3.45pm

Portrait of the Month

An introduction to a selection of some of the many faces in the Portrait Gallery's collection including Walter Scott, Flora Macdonald, Flora Drummond and works by Calum Colvin.

Meet in the main entrance.

4-4.30pm

Ken Currie in conversation with Dr Tom Normand (Room 2)

Dr Tom Normand, University of St Andrews talks to artist Ken Currie about his striking portrait of the three Oncologists. Discussing his relationship with the sitters, the reasons behind the choice of subject matter and the impact of the work on the viewer.