Kirkcudbright Galleries

About the museum

Kirkcudbright has attracted painters for more than two hundred years, and the town is closely linked with the Kirkcudbright artists, among them members of the Faed family, Charles Oppenheimer, Samuel Peploe and Jessie M King. The Kirkcudbright Artists' Collection brings together over 600 works, including paintings, illustrations, books, decorative art, craftwork, silverware and furniture, together with a large archive of papers and photographs. In 2015 it was formally recognised as one of Scotland's Nationally Significant Collections.

The galleries opened in June 2018 in the former Kirkcudbright Town Hall. The B-listed building was designed by the Edinburgh architects Peddie and Kinnear and completed in 1879. It once housed a library, a reading room and the Stewartry Museum, which moved to its own building in 1893. A community group, Kirkcudbright 2000 Ltd, had campaigned since 1999 for a major gallery in the town and worked with Dumfries and Galloway Council to make it happen.

Today the galleries are run by the council's arts and museums service. The permanent display tells the story of the town's art heritage, and a programme of temporary historical and contemporary exhibitions changes regularly. The building also holds a shop and a first-floor café run as a local enterprise. The venue reports around 50,000 visits a year.

Highlights

• Kirkcudbright Artists' Collection, a nationally recognised collection of over 600 works
• Paintings by the Faed family, Charles Oppenheimer and Samuel Peploe
• Silver jewellery designed by Jessie M King for Liberty of London
• Historic town hall converted into a modern gallery
• Changing exhibitions in the top-floor Mitchell Gallery
• Café and shop in the building

Permanent exhibition

• The Kirkcudbright Artists' Collection – Paintings, illustrations, decorative art, silverware and furniture by artists who lived and worked in Kirkcudbright, including the Faed family, Jessie M King and Samuel Peploe.

Founded

2018

Operated by

Dumfries and Galloway Council Arts and Museums service

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Admission is free and donations are welcome at donation boxes in the galleries, by card at the desk or by cheque. Some temporary exhibitions may be charged; members of the Friends of Kirkcudbright Galleries enter charged exhibitions free.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking: not available
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The ground-floor permanent displays have level access, and the first-floor gallery and café, the mezzanine and the Mitchell Gallery are reached by lift. The main entrance doors and the internal glass doors are heavy and open by hand, so visitors can ask the front desk for help. Accessible and women's toilets are on the first floor and men's toilets on the ground floor. All films in the galleries are subtitled, and a British Sign Language introduction is available as an online video. There is no designated gallery car park or disabled parking space; visitors can park on the street directly outside.

Kids & families

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Getting there & parking

A drop-off point is outside the galleries.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop

The Kirkcudbright Galleries Café on the first floor is a local enterprise. Table bookings can be made by phone. The shop is open during gallery hours and takes card and cash.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit