This campaign has now closed
OPEN OUT is a transformational plan that will see the Fruitmarket double in size, taking over a neighbouring building and bringing it into cultural use. Linking these two nineteenth-century warehouse spaces together creates opportunities to explore the past and establish a new architecturally resonant Fruitmarket to inspire artists and audiences.
Categories
Beneficiaries
Situation
For 45 years The Fruitmarket Gallery has been the strongest voice for contemporary art in Scotland. Last year we welcomed over 200,000 visitors, with the number of participants in our engagement programme expanding to 18,000 people across 342 events. But as our audience grows, our building is now falling short of their needs and of our own programming ambitions. We are running out of space for our youth, school and community engagement programmes; conditions and access facilities are outdated; and our standing as a place where everyone is welcome to come and think with art is at risk.
Solution
OPEN OUT will see the buildings improved, they will work better and they will operate more sustainably. The architectural heritage of both buildings will be expressed and celebrated. Sitting at the heart of the Fruitmarket will be new learning studios - including flexible workshop spaces and a library where a new archive of the Fruitmarket’s 45-year history will be made accessible. These will be spaces where all today’s audiences can confidently engage with art, learn about the Fruitmarket and its place in the city, and connect these experiences with their own culture and identity.
