In a controversial move, the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum is to close its doors to the general public on a week day in order for the building to be used to host a lavish corporate function. Bosses at the company which runs the city's museums, Culture and Sport Glasgow, have announced that the Kelvingrove will close next Wednesday at 2pm to prepare for a corporate evening dinner to mark the launch of a warship on the Clyde.

The nearby Museum of Transport will also be used as part of the corporate function where a giant television screen will be erected to show the launch event in Govan.

Liz Cameron, chairwoman of the company, said:


The Kelvingrove last closed its doors to the public on Sunday 26th November 2006, when the art gallery hosted the Rugby Board Awards. On that occasion many members of the public complained about the closure, including one unhappy young boy who wrote to the Daily Record:

GG.

I see nothing wrong with using the Art Gallery as a venue for a corporate function such as this. It is a beautiful building both inside and out and could help to bring more exposure to it.

I am sure that if the closure is well publicized no-one will be disappointed, and it must be as Martin already told us about it.
If you believe that a seven year old boy wrote that letter to the paper, well I have a bridge........

Can't you wrangle yourself an invite GG? Take the camera

Ah think we should just turn the Kelvingrove into a McDonalds theme park and just be done with it. Clearly this is what our city fathers want with all this stupid messing about with what was once the pride and joy of the city.

George Simpson.

Just how many people will be going to this "private function" that they need both the Art Gallery and the Transport Museum? and what is going to happen to the Dr Who exhibition, will they get to see that for free or will they have to pay like the rest of us numpty's who are paying for it all with our Council Tax and TV Licenses? Yp The Doc was the thin end of the wedge, this is the thick end of the wedge including the Hammer. Has Glasgow City Council decided when they are going to inform the Tax Paying Voting Public?

I think it is a wonderful idea to showcase the cultural side of Glasgow. Why should it not be used for such events.

Will all the celebs and high heidyins who are going to the Private Function be paying x amount of money per table, or is it just another night out at taxpayers expense????



LOL

I agree with drosche7 that it is a disgrace that something like this can happen without any consultation with the people who actually pay to keep the museums running .... us! This will be just another jolly for Liz and co. where the high heid yins will be able to sit back and guzzle loads of food and drink at the taxpayers’ expense.

Will the tradesmen and apprentices who worked on the boat be invited to this vile and opulent council taxpayer-supported display of greed in a time of recession, when youth unemployment in Glasgow has nearly doubled in just two years? No, of course they will not. Naturally though there will be plenty of room for lord and lady this and that in the Kelvingrove, while both tourists and locals are being turned away by dour security staff on the minimum wage. A wonderful lift that will give our tourism industry!!

The city was able to launch great ships like the Queen Mary or the QE2 without the need to bolt shut the doors on our museums, we should have been able to launch a gray floating hulk designed to kill and maim without shutting them also.

It will be at Taxpayers expense Heather, guaranteed, you don't expect those leeches to put their hand in their pockets, do you? they are proffesionals at putting their grimy thieving claws into the Taxpayers pockets, think of an animal and imagine the tics feeding off the animals body, have you got the picture?

Do you know absolutely that this reception/dinner will be at the taxpayer's expense?, or are you only surmising that this is the case. You seem to think that all public officials are to quote "putting their grimy thieving claws into the Taxpayers pockets", I beg to differ. My husband was a Councillor in two different cities and never received any freebies except when he was on council business and I always had to pay my own way when I accompanied him.

If I said what's in my mind now, it would ne'er be printed; bureaucrasy has gone mad again apparently but if this were to happen in Australia, what I'm thinking would become most vocal I can assure you!
The ratepayers always seem to need suffer for the 'big whigs' to enjoy themselves; sort of disagree with Elma, - on which side of the bench was she, but there again, Glaswegian really hit the nail on the head!

Am wondering why the museum was chosen for this coming event.

Within the City Chambers they have wonderful facilities for such an event."The mind boggles."

(Was the little disappointed seven year old our very own Ross?)

You can be sure the councillers who attend such functions do not pay for the reception and free bar which accompanies those events.

Nice pre-Christmas Party for all the family.

As long Kelvingrove hall is charging for the rent of the place, the caterer leave the place clean and the money go to the museum, I think it is good for every body. But the public has to be informed of the closure.

I agree with vallentien, if the Transport Museum and Art Gallery are both charging and making a profit out of it, then it's a good idea as this sort of function contributes towards the upkeep of both and helps to keep the museums 'free' for the general public but if the tax payer is picking up the bill then it's a different matter.

Dear Elma from Kimberley BC, tut tut. As a public official and three times Mayor my spouse's presence was required and compensated at all official functions and I am sure that you enjoyed the same priviledge. A seven year old boy is well equipped to write a simple letter as the example shown above. Our daughter was typing with accuracy at five. It is all a matter of good literacy in the home.

I don't have any objections to the Gallery closing for a special event if the public is given plenty of notice.

Special events can help pay towards the up keep of the building, but I do think that closing it on a Sunday to the public is taking this a bit too far. I do think the special events should be kept to no more than one per month with notice given a month in advance.

Well said Old Sailor!!

I don't see why it shouldn't be used for other things, its only 1 day they are closing after all and as previously said as long as they let people know, really where is the problem??????

This elitism should be opposed and is typical of the mentality of Mrs Union Jack McConnell who landed herself a plum job, "on her own merits" as head of the art galleries ad recreation, etc.

I would also urge others to ask Mrs McConnell what she did with the Jacobite swords engraved, "Prosperity to Scotland and No Union", that used to be on display downstairs.???

They were loaned to a Derby Museum when she took over and never returned. The argument was that Derby has the only equestrian statue of Charles Edward Stuart, whose army got as far South as Derby and were turned back on the advice of a double agent who lied about encroaching Hanoverian forces. In fact the King was shipped up ready to leave the Thames and the banks had a panic run on the money and resorted to paying out in sixpenny pieces to delay the transactions. The London theatre audiences took to singing "God Save the King" as a parody to a Jacobite air, when King George entered the theatre.

The anti Scottish fourth and fifth verses were only removed from the official Church of England (whom the Jelly Bean is Head, making her a God) in the early 90's.

God grant that Marshall Wade
Rebellious Scots do crush
And like a torrent crush
God Save the King.

Confound their politics
and curse their knavish tricks
etc, etc.

Also ask what is Labour's fascination with Imperialist statues. What about a statue to our own John MacLean, William Wallace, etc?

I have no problem with this at all. It is a great place to hold a function, so long as no damage is done, so too is the City Chambers as Stratson pointed out.

I wonder these days though, due to the recession etc., if it is more to do with the fact that perhaps renting the Kelvingrove for that duration is cheaper than one of the 'normal' hotel function suites, as this is where corporate dinners are normally held.

The reason I'm saying this is that a lot of places are losing big corporate functions because the various big companies are pulling in their purse strings, I know this has happened at one or two places down here. It may be that the companies need to pull in their purse strings, or simply that they want to be seen to make economies where they can, i.e. less public scrutiny.

I don't know how the costs compare, or what savings there may/may not be in using Kelvingrove instead of the usual places. But, if it benefits the museum I'm all for it.

having read the replies to this i have to agree why isnt this function held at the city chambers which has enough room to hold all the event and the large tv for george square yet again the public and tourists get stuffed while while councilors and big wigs get wined and dined at out expense and get paid for doing so and why isnt it held at night when the museum is closed that way we can still let tourists visit during the day

Nothing new with hiring out Kelvingrove. It helps to pay for the museum etc. I recall being involved some twenty or more years ago hiring Kelvingrove for a medical convention that was in Glasgow.
My parents were involved in the late 1940s (1949?) hiring Kelvingrove as part of a big conference on metals and materials Glasgow. I had some of the literature from the 1940s event until recently.

I agree with what Elma and others are saying - this is a perfectly normal action for a museum. They will make money from it, rest assured... they wouldn't close if they didn't, and there will certainly be an additional fee for the trouble.

This isn't being held at the City Chambers as the other part of the event is being held at the transport museum so logisticaly it makes more sense to have it at Kelvingrove.
I don't know all the ins and outs except what has been in the papers but I do think it's a good way of showing off one of our best assets and generating some much needed revinue. This fantastic assest does not run on council tax money alone and needs such events as this and private exhibitions such as DR Who. I'm glad my taxes does not pay for people to look at memoribilia from tv shows.
I'm happy for such large one off events to be held here. Just so long as they don't start hiring it out willy nilly for Weddings ect.

In principle I don't really have a problem with this. The concerns I would raise would be:

1) How often would this sort of thing be likely to occur in a year? If it was happening any more than say twice a year I would be concerned.

2) When? Which days and what time of day, and what time of the year. Glasgow citizens have a right to expect to be able to access Kelvingrove at times that suit the majority. I would suggest – and I certainly know from personal experience – that the times most folk would want access would be at weekends and public holidays. Those times should be avoided when Corporate Functions are being organised. The time of year is important too. On occasions when I have been on holiday abroad and intended visiting a specific place of interest and found the place closed “regardless of the reason” I have been so disappointed. These Corporate events should not be taking place at the height of the tourist season. Visitors who come to our country should not be leaving feeling disappointed because they ere unable to access one of our major attractions and especially if it was because there was a Corporate Function on.

What would worry me, however, would be if our Museums and Galleries, finding themselves in financial difficulties, felt they had to start charging us all (including the tourists) to see what is actually part of “our” heritage. Of course any monies coming in to supplement the existing budgets should be welcomed but not at “any” cost.

No probs with that myself esp if it brings in revenue but a sunday is a family day and should be opened.

I totally agree with Avril! If they're charging for the use of the venue then why not? If it helps to keep the museums free to the public.....

Let's not forget that the museum is only to be closed for three hours early on one day, it's not as if it will close for a week!

If the Museum is being used for a "Corporate" event you can be assured that the company will be paying through the nose for such a prestigious location. If the event allows the Museums to remain free of charge then I have no problem with it.

does anyone actually know who is paying for this, Martin do you have any idea or will we find out after the fact?

I've seen a couple of comments on here complaining that they shouldn't do this on a Sunday, well they're not it'll be next Wednesday. It just seems to me that the Council are keeping Stumm about too many events, for instance, how many of you were aware that yesterday, Wednesday the 14th at 15:00 (3pm) the old fountain in the Kelvingrove Park was restarted. It aparently hasn't worked for 80 odd years. I was there as I'm an Amature Photographer and was in the park taking Photo's. There were plenty of Toffs and council members there even the TV camera's and even some Actors dressed up as if it were the 19th Century, but hardly any members of the Public For thos who didn't see it I'll try and attach a couple of Photo's.

This is a Photo of the whole fountain As it now is, up till yesterday it was dry, did anyone actually hear about this?

I knew it was being repaired but never heard anything about the event. Not like GCC not to blow their own trumpet.
Love the pics

Thank you droschkey7 for posting those pictures. We are very lucky that you were there since, so far, there seems to be a dearth of pictures of the occasion. Should you have more, it would be great to view them.

GB

The very fact that we council taxpayers do not know whether the shipping company paid 10p or £10,000 to rent out the museum - thus denying access to the public - is enough in itself. The more important problem here that needs to be addressed is the complete breakdown in public accountability associated with arms-length companies. We pay council taxes and then politicians (without any consultation) opt out of the decision-making process in favour of a board of ne'er-do-wells and millionaire bankers. Where's the justice in that???

I dont know if it's the act of getting older, but the thought of a launch once again warms my heart. I used to watch them when I work in the govan yard, and I would love the chance again and to show my wife the thrill of it all.

gordon.