Glasgow Launches First-Ever City Wide Celebration of Charles Rennie Mackintosh

Visitors to this year’s Glasgow Mackintosh Festival will be treated to a lively and diverse programme of over 100 events celebrating the world-renowned architect, designer and artist in the first-ever city-wide celebration of Charles Rennie Mackintosh.

 

Mackintosh (1868 – 1928) is celebrated around the world as one of the most creative figures of the early 20th Century and Glasgow - Mackintosh’s home city - houses the pre-eminent collection of his buildings, drawings and designs.

 

Mackintosh made his sublime mark on three types of architecture – public buildings, private houses and tea-rooms – with the majority of these existing within the city of Glasgow.  Together with his wife Margaret Macdonald, her sister Frances, and Herbert McNair, he was responsible for laying the foundations of ‘the Glasgow Style’. 

 

His buildings are notable for the elegance and clarity of their spatial concepts, the skilful exploitation of natural and artificial lighting, and detailing.  An outstanding architect, designer, and artist, Mackintosh has been hailed as one of the principal founders of European Art Nouveau.

 

Throughout the year, with a special focus of events in September, the city plays host to a programme of over 100 exhibitions, talks, tours, children’s activities and other events, which will all showcase the designer’s genius.   

 

Festival highlights include:

 

 

 

 

2006 is a highly appropriate year for the Festival as it also marks the:

 

 

Pamela Robertson, Festival Co-ordinator and Senior Curator and Professor of Mackintosh Studies at the University of Glasgow, said: “The Festival is a bold initiative by the city's Mackintosh properties to celebrate for the first time Glasgow's unique Mackintosh heritage across the city.

 

“The wide-ranging programme offers something for visitors of all ages and interests, including those who think they have 'done' Mackintosh.”

 

Laurie Russell Chief Executive Strathclyde European Partnership Ltd, added: “The Glasgow Mackintosh Festival will be one of Scotland’s key cultural events in 2006.  The breadth of the Festival programme has the potential to attract visitors from across the world to Glasgow’s celebration of the city’s Mackintosh heritage. 

 

“The Glasgow Mackintosh Festival is being supported by the European Regional Development Fund through an investment of £355,000 in the marketing campaign to help it to realise its potential.”

 

“The Festival’s capability to bring an additional 150,000 visitors to Glasgow - and the possible economic impact of £7.75 million over the next few years - make this a very important event for all of Glasgow’s businesses and for the city’s economy.”

 

Also commenting Scott Taylor, Chief Executive - Glasgow City Marketing Bureau, said: “Charles Rennie Mackintosh and the Glasgow Style are unique to the city.  Mackintosh 2006 dovetails perfectly with the city’s objective to increase the profile of Glasgow on the world stage.”

 

Venues for the Mackintosh Festival include his most famous architectural works: The Glasgow School of Art, The Lighthouse (the former Glasgow Herald Building), Scotland Street School, The Willow Tea Rooms, House for an Art Lover, the world’s most important Mackintosh collection at the Hunterian Art Gallery and Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum.

 

The festival website www.glasgowmackintosh2006.com contains all the details of Mackintosh 2006 and a full listing of the Mackintosh inspired events throughout the city.

 

 

For further information/ images contact:

 

Stephen McLean at Matthews Marketing

T: +44 (0) 141 419 9000  Email: stephen@mmarketing.org.uk  

 

Web: www.seeglasgow.com

 

 

Notes to Editor: