GLASGOW.- Today, Glasgow City Council announced details of GLASGOW INTERNATIONAL, Glasgow’s first, curated and commissioning Festival of Contemporary Visual Art, which will take place across the city over twelve days from, Thursday 21 April until Monday 2 May, 2005.

Under the curatorship of FRANCIS MCKEE, curator, writer and a major contributor to the contemporary visual arts scene in Scotland, GLASGOW INTERNATIONAL will provide an opportunity for the development and exhibition of some of the world’s most exciting and innovative artists.

GLASGOW INTERNATIONAL has grown out of the existing infrastructure in the visual arts in Glasgow, and both celebrates and supports the continued growth and achievements of Glasgow’s visual arts sector. The programme will reflect the position of Glasgow as a centre for production and exhibition of internationally significant visual art and will bring to this context a range of work, much of which has either been specifically commissioned or brought to the UK for the first time for the Festival.

GLASGOW INTERNATIONAL will work together with Glasgow’s leading visual arts venues whilst also sourcing new sites, indoor and out, to deliver a world-class annual event which will profile Scottish and International contemporary visual artistic talent.

The event has received financial backing from Glasgow City Council, Scottish Arts Council, EventScotland, Scottish Enterprise Glasgow, and is further supported by UZ Events and the Greater Glasgow and Clyde Valley Tourist Board, under the auspices of Glasgow: Scotland with Style initiative.

Liz Cameron, Lord Provost of Glasgow said: ‘Glasgow City Council has made a strong commitment to the growth and development of the visual arts in Glasgow. GLASGOW INTERNATIONAL is an exciting addition to the Council’s already significant support of the visual arts sector and one which allows us to develop new artistic and funding partnerships and to celebrate Glasgow’s deserved reputation as a major international centre for the visual arts.'

Francis McKee, Curator Glasgow International said: ‘It’s my belief that Glasgow can distinguish itself amongst the world’s leading visual arts festivals through the youthful energy of its local arts community, a strong arts infrastructure and the friendliness of the city as well as a strong commitment to commissioning new works from home-grown and international artists.’

David Lloyd, International Events Programme Manager, EventScotland said: ’EventScotland is delighted to be supporting the inaugural GLASGOW INTERNATIONAL festival. The Festival is an exciting opportunity for Scotland to once again demonstrate its flair and ability to stage world-class events. GLASGOW INTERNATIONAL has the potential to attract visitors from within Scotland, the UK and overseas to the city next Spring. EventScotland is looking forward to working with the event partners to deliver this exciting festival of contemporary visual art.’

Francis has already lined up Tramway, one of the City’s unique gallery spaces, as a key venue for the Festival and he is in close consultation with a wide cross-section of the visual arts community regarding major exhibitions in the city’s key venues.

It is intended that the programme will highlight the large number of internationally significant artists who are based in the city. It will also support a range of grassroots activity, highlighting the many emerging artists that Glasgow continues to produce and sustain. The range and quality of Glasgow’s exhibition spaces – both indoor formal spaces and outdoor ‘found’ spaces will reflect Glasgow’s capacity to exhibit internationally significant visual art.

Glasgow’s Tramway has long been seen as one of Europe’s foremost visual and performing arts venues and it has an established reputation for bringing some of the world’s most challenging and innovative contemporary art to Scotland. In addition to commissioning and presenting international work, its resounding commitment to providing a platform for Scottish artists to showcase their talents and their outstanding history of commissioned work makes Tramway an exciting partner for this new venture.

Many Glasgow and Scottish based artists enjoy International support from Visual Arts Festivals worldwide. Glasgow International is a unique opportunity to give those artists the chance to bring that work to Scottish audiences and in return host International artists. The event aims to put Glasgow in a prominent place in the International Arts Calendar and predicts it will bring in audiences of around 30,000 drawing from both the local community and from further afield. Named as European City of Culture (1990), followed by UK City of Architecture and Design (1999), Glasgow has a strong partnership with art institutions across Europe.

In light of the recent launch of Glasgow:Scotland with Style, an initiative funded by Greater Glasgow and Clyde Valley Tourist Board, one of the UK’s most ambitious city branding campaigns, it follows that Glasgow City Council has recognised the importance of the development and promotion of the Visual Arts in Glasgow. Their enthusiasm and backing behind GLASGOW INTERNATIONAL is vital to the growth of the visual arts in the city and Scotland.