Edinburgh College Of Art
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Edinburgh College of Art (ECA) is one of eleven schools in the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at the
University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 15 ...
. Tracing its history back to 1760, it provides
higher education Higher education is tertiary education leading to award of an academic degree. Higher education, also called post-secondary education, third-level or tertiary education, is an optional final stage of formal learning that occurs after completi ...
in art and design, architecture, history of art, and music disciplines for over three thousand students and is at the forefront of research and research-led teaching in the creative arts, humanities, and creative technologies. ECA comprises five subject areas: School of Art, Reid School of Music, School of Design, School of History of Art, and Edinburgh School of Architecture & Landscape Architecture (ESALA). ECA is mainly located in the
Old Town In a city or town, the old town is its historic or original core. Although the city is usually larger in its present form, many cities have redesignated this part of the city to commemorate its origins after thorough renovations. There are ma ...
of Edinburgh, overlooking the
Grassmarket The Grassmarket is a historic market place, street and event space in the Old Town of Edinburgh, Scotland. In relation to the rest of the city it lies in a hollow, well below surrounding ground levels. Location The Grassmarket is located direct ...
; the Lauriston Place campus is located in the
University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 15 ...
's Central Area Campus, not far from
George Square George Square ( gd, Ceàrnag Sheòrais) is the principal civic square in the city of Glasgow, Scotland. It is one of six squares in the city centre, the others being Cathedral Square, St Andrew's Square, St Enoch Square, Royal Exchange Sq ...
. The college was founded in 1760, and gained its present name and site in 1907. Formerly associated with
Heriot-Watt University Heriot-Watt University ( gd, Oilthigh Heriot-Watt) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. It was established in 1821 as the School of Arts of Edinburgh, the world's first mechanics' institute, and subsequently granted univ ...
, its degrees have been issued by the
University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 15 ...
since 2004. The college formally merged with the university on 1 August 2011, combining with the School of Arts, Culture and Environment and continues to exist with the name Edinburgh College of Art as an enlarged school in the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences.


History

Edinburgh College of Art (ECA) can trace its history back to 1760, when the Trustees Drawing Academy of Edinburgh was established by the
Board of Trustees for Fisheries, Manufactures and Improvements in Scotland During the Enlightenment and the industrial revolution, Scottish industrial policy was made by the Board of Trustees for Fisheries, Manufactures and Improvements in Scotland, which sought to build an economy complementary, not competitive, with ...
. This board had been set up by Act of Parliament in 1727 to "encourage and promote the fisheries or such other manufactures and improvements in Scotland as may most conduce to the general good of the United Kingdom". The aim of the academy was to train designers for the manufacturing industries. Drawing and the design of patterns for the textile industries were taught at the Academy's rooms at Picardy Place. The board was responsible for the construction of the Royal Institution (named for the Royal Institution for the Encouragement of the Fine Arts in Scotland), now the Royal Scottish Academy building, on
The Mound The Mound is an artificial slope in central Edinburgh, Scotland, which connects Edinburgh's New Town, Edinburgh, New and Old Town, Edinburgh, Old Towns. It was formed by dumping around 1,501,000 cartloads of earth excavated from the foundations ...
and also commissioned the
Scottish National Portrait Gallery The Scottish National Portrait Gallery is an art museum on Queen Street, Edinburgh. The gallery holds the national collections of portraits, all of which are of, but not necessarily by, Scots. It also holds the Scottish National Photography Co ...
on Queen Street. From 1826, classes were held at the Royal Institution building. The master of the school was always a fine artist, the first being French painter
William Delacour William Delacour (also known as William Delacourt or William De la Cour) (1700–1767) was a French painter. He was active from 1741 until 1767. His work is held in the collection of the Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum. Biography William ...
. Subsequent masters included
Alexander Runciman Alexander Runciman (15 August 1736 – 4 October 1785) was a Scottish painter of historical and mythological subjects. He was the elder brother of John Runciman, also a painter. Life He was born in Edinburgh, and studied at the Foulis Acade ...
and David Allan. The academy's focus gradually shifted from applied arts to encompass fine art, and the school gained a reputation for excellence in both painting and design. Scottish artists who were trained at the Academy include
John Brown John Brown most often refers to: *John Brown (abolitionist) (1800–1859), American who led an anti-slavery raid in Harpers Ferry, Virginia in 1859 John Brown or Johnny Brown may also refer to: Academia * John Brown (educator) (1763–1842), Ir ...
,
Alexander Nasmyth Alexander is a male given name. The most prominent bearer of the name is Alexander the Great, the king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia who created one of the largest empires in ancient history. Variants listed here are Aleksandar, Al ...
and Andrew Wilson. In 1858, the academy was affiliated to the
Science and Art Department The Science and Art Department was a British government body which functioned from 1853 to 1899, promoting education in art, science, technology and design in Britain and Ireland. Background The Science and Art Department was created as a subdivis ...
in London, known as the "
South Kensington system South is one of the cardinal directions or compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both east and west. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Proto-Germanic ''*sunþaz' ...
", under which it became the Government School of Art for the city of Edinburgh. A School of Applied Art was also established under this system. The Drawing School became part of a system of schools managed on similar lines, and distinctive teaching practices were lost. In 1903 it amalgamated with the School of Applied Art. In 1907, the Scottish Education Department took over responsibility for the school, and it became Edinburgh College of Art. ECA was officially recognised by the Scottish Government as a Small Specialist Institution for the teaching of art, design and architecture prior to the merger with University of Edinburgh in 2011. From 1968 it was associated with
Heriot-Watt University Heriot-Watt University ( gd, Oilthigh Heriot-Watt) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. It was established in 1821 as the School of Arts of Edinburgh, the world's first mechanics' institute, and subsequently granted univ ...
for degree awarding purposes but the validation agreement with Heriot-Watt University was due to end in 2012. In 2004 ECA partnered with the
University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 15 ...
for degree awarding purposes, an Academic Federation Agreement to facilitate closer collaboration was put in place between the two institutions in 2007 and they merged in 2011. At the time the merger plan was announced in January 2011, Scottish Government Education Secretary Mike Russell criticised the financial management of ECA. The joint
Edinburgh School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture The Edinburgh School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture (ESALA) is part of Edinburgh College of Art at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. The school was ranked 5th in the UK in the 2013 Guardian University Guide and 4th in the Com ...
(ESALA) formed in August 2009 as a joint venture between ECA and the University of Edinburgh. The first professorship in an ECA subject area was the
Reid Professor of Music The Reid Professorship in Music was a position founded within the University of Edinburgh in 1839 using funds provided in a bequest from General John Reid. History On his death in 1807 General John Reid left a fortune of more than £50,000. Subje ...
, which was created in 1839, with the first holder being Scottish composer John Thomson who conducted the first Reid concert in 1841. The
Watson Gordon Chair of Fine Art The Watson Gordon Chair of Fine Art is a professorship at the University of Edinburgh. History The chair was founded in 1880. John Watson Gordon was a Scottish painter who died in 1864. His brother and sister endowed the professorship in his memo ...
founded some forty years later, the first of its kind in the British Isles and a turning point in the teaching of the History of Art. In 2005, the College joined with
Edinburgh Napier University , mottoeng = Without knowledge, everything is in vain , established = 1992 – granted University status 1964 – Napier Technical College , type = Public , academic_staff = 802 , administrative_staff = 562 , chancellor = Will Whitehorn , ...
to launch the
Screen Academy Scotland The Screen Academy Scotland (A Skillset Film Academy) is a collaboration between Edinburgh Napier University and Edinburgh College of Art. It was opened in August 2005 by the then First Minister of Scotland, Jack McConnell, and is based in Edinb ...
, a new centre of excellence in film learning and education.


College buildings

With the creation of Edinburgh College of Art in 1907, the institution moved to new premises on Lady Lawson Street. Formerly a cattle market, the site lies above the Grassmarket and opposite
Edinburgh Castle Edinburgh Castle is a historic castle in Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland. It stands on Castle Rock (Edinburgh), Castle Rock, which has been occupied by humans since at least the Iron Age, although the nature of the early settlement is unclear. ...
. The red sandstone main building was designed in the Beaux-Arts style by John Wilson while working for
John More Dick Peddie John More Dick Peddie (21 August 1853 – 10 March 1921) was a British architect. Biography Peddie was the son of the architect and politician John Dick Peddie (1824–1891) and his wife Euphemia Lockhart More. Born in Edinburgh, he attend ...
and
George Washington Browne Sir George Washington Browne (21 September 1853 – 15 June 1939) was a Scottish architect. He was born in Glasgow, and trained there and in London. He spent most of his career in Edinburgh, although his work can be found throughout Scotland a ...
, and was completed in 1909. The main building was
listed Listed may refer to: * Listed, Bornholm, a fishing village on the Danish island of Bornholm * Listed (MMM program), a television show on MuchMoreMusic * Endangered species in biology * Listed building, in architecture, designation of a historicall ...
Category A in 1970. Inside, the Sculpture Court displays casts of the
Elgin Marbles The Elgin Marbles (), also known as the Parthenon Marbles ( el, Γλυπτά του Παρθενώνα, lit. "sculptures of the Parthenon"), are a collection of Classical Greek marble sculptures made under the supervision of the architect and s ...
and other antique statuary, alongside changing displays of contemporary student's work. The Architecture Building was added to the east end of the college in 1961, designed by architect Ralph Cowan, who was a Professor of Architecture at the college. In 1977 the Lauriston Campus was expanded with the addition of the Hunter Building. This L-shaped red sandstone block, designed by Anthony Wheeler in 1971, encloses the college courtyard and fronts Lauriston Place to the south. In the 1990s the college took over a separate group of buildings in the
Grassmarket The Grassmarket is a historic market place, street and event space in the Old Town of Edinburgh, Scotland. In relation to the rest of the city it lies in a hollow, well below surrounding ground levels. Location The Grassmarket is located direct ...
, for use as a library and teaching space, and also took over the former Salvation Army building on West Port. These buildings in the Grassmarket and West Port were disposed of after the College purchased Evolution House. The nine-storey Evolution House on West Port by Reiach and Hall Architects was completed 2003, adjacent to the main College building. Built as speculative offices, it now houses the art and design library, as well as providing design studios and office facilities for the School of Design. While the college remains mainly concentrated on the Lauriston Place Campus, as a result of the merger with the University of Edinburgh in August 2011, the new enlarged ECA incorporated Minto House on Chambers Street (part of ESALA) and Alison House in Nicolson Square (Reid School of Music). In 2017, the Lauriston Campus expanded to include the former Lothian & Borders Fire & Rescue Service Headquarters, formerly housing the'Museum of Fire', Building (arch.
Robert Morham Robert Morham (31 March 1839 – 5 June 1912) was the City Architect for Edinburgh for the last decades of the nineteenth century and was responsible for much of the “public face” of the city at the time. His work is particularly well re ...
, 1897-1901). The Wee Red Bar serves as the student union bar, and acts as a year-round venue for gigs and theatre shows, and also acts a venue during the
Edinburgh Festival Fringe The Edinburgh Festival Fringe (also referred to as The Fringe, Edinburgh Fringe, or Edinburgh Fringe Festival) is the world's largest arts and media festival, which in 2019 spanned 25 days and featured more than 59,600 performances of 3,841 dif ...


Notable alumni and academics

See also :Alumni of the Edinburgh College of Art


Architects

* Rab and Denise Bennetts, founders of
Bennetts Associates Bennetts is a specialist insurance broker for motorcycles headquartered in Peterborough, with a contact centre in Coventry, England, owned by Saga plc. On 17 February 2020 it was announced that The Ardonagh Group had agreed to purchase Bennet ...
* David J. Burney, commissioner at the
New York City Department of City Planning The Department of City Planning (DCP) is the department of the government of New York City responsible for setting the framework of city's physical and socioeconomic planning. The department is responsible for land use and environmental review, p ...
*
Alan Balfour Alan Balfour (born 1939 in Edinburgh, Scotland) is the former dean of the Georgia Tech College of Architecture. He has also held research and/or faculty positions at MIT, Rice University, Architectural Association School of Architecture, and Rens ...
, former dean of the
Georgia Tech College of Architecture The College of Design at the Georgia Institute of Technology, established in 1908 as the Department of Architecture and also formerly called the College of Architecture, offered the first four-year course of study in architecture in the Southern U ...
* Theodore S. Clerk, (1909–1965), city planner, first Ghanaian architect and developer of the port city of
Tema Tema is a city on the Bight of Benin and Atlantic coast of Ghana. It is located east of the capital city; Accra, in the region of Greater Accra, and is the capital of the Tema Metropolitan District. As of 2013, Tema is the eleventh most popul ...
*
Sir Nicholas Grimshaw Sir Nicholas Grimshaw, CBE, PPRA (born 9 October 1939) is a prominent English architect, particularly noted for several modernist buildings, including London's Waterloo International railway station and the Eden Project in Cornwall. He was Pre ...
(born 1939), architect of the
Eden Project The Eden Project ( kw, Edenva) is a visitor attraction in Cornwall, England, UK. The project is located in a reclaimed china clay pit, located from the town of St Blazey and from the larger town of St Austell.Ordnance Survey (2005). ''OS E ...
, president of the
Royal Academy The Royal Academy of Arts (RA) is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly in London. Founded in 1768, it has a unique position as an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects. Its pur ...
since 2004 * Sir William Kininmonth (1904–1988), architect of Adam House and
Pollock Halls Pollock Halls of Residence is the largest halls of residence for the University of Edinburgh, located in St Leonard's, Edinburgh, Scotland, near the foot of Arthur's Seat. The complex of buildings houses more than 2,000 undergraduate students ...
, both in Edinburgh *
John McAslan John Renwick McAslan (born 16 February 1954) is a British architect. Education and career John McAslan was educated at Dunoon Grammar School, Dollar Academy and University of Edinburgh, Scotland, obtaining an MA in Architecture in 1977 and a ...
, architect * Sir Robert Matthew (1906–1975), designed the
Royal Commonwealth Pool The Royal Commonwealth Pool is a listed building#Scotland, category-A-listed building in St Leonard's, Edinburgh, St Leonard's, Edinburgh, Scotland that houses one of Scotland's main swimming pools. It is usually referred to simply as the Commonw ...
and founded
RMJM RMJM (Robert Matthew Johnson Marshall) is one of the largest architecture and design networks in the world. Services include architecture, development management, engineering, interior design, landscape design, lead consultancy, master planning, ...
* Sir James Dunbar-Nasmith (born 1927), conservation architect and head of ECA's Department of Architecture 1978–1988 *
Patrick Nuttgens Patrick John Nuttgens CBE (2 March 1930 – 15 March 2004) was an influential English architect and academic. Early life Nuttgens was born in Whiteleaf, Buckinghamshire, the fourth of five children to Kathleen Mary (''née'' Clarke) an Iri ...
(1930–2004), academic and writer on architecture * B. Marcus Priteca (1889–1971), theatre architect *
Sir Basil Spence Sir Basil Urwin Spence, (13 August 1907 – 19 November 1976) was a Scottish architect, most notably associated with Coventry Cathedral in England and the Beehive in New Zealand, but also responsible for numerous other buildings in the Modern ...
(1907–1976), architect of
Coventry Cathedral The Cathedral Church of Saint Michael, commonly known as Coventry Cathedral, is the seat of the Bishop of Coventry and the Diocese of Coventry within the Church of England. The cathedral is located in Coventry, West Midlands, England. The curren ...
and the
New Zealand Parliament Building New Zealand Parliament Buildings ( mi, Ngā whare Paremata) house the New Zealand Parliament and are on a 45,000 square metre site at the northern end of Lambton Quay, Wellington. They consist of the Edwardian neoclassical-style Parliament Ho ...
(nicknamed 'The Beehive') in Wellington, New Zealand


Artists

*
Sarah Gough Adamson Sarah Gough Adamson, later Sarah Gough Walker, (1888–1963) was a British artist. Although she was born in Manchester, Gough established her reputation as a landscape painter in Scotland. Biography Adamson was born in Manchester where her fath ...
, landscape painter *
Sam Ainsley Sam Ainsley (born 1950) is a British artist and teacher, living and working in Glasgow, who was the founder and former head of the Master of Fine Art (MFA) programme at the Glasgow School of Art. Biography Ainsley was born in North Shields, the ...
, artist * Barbara Balmer, painter *
Violet Banks Violet Banks (3 March 1896 – 1985) was a Scottish artist who painted in oils and watercolours and also decorated pottery. Biography Banks was born in Kinghorn in Fife and studied at the Edinburgh College of Art. She lived in Kirkcaldy for a t ...
, painter *
Wilhelmina Barns-Graham Wilhelmina Barns-Graham Order of the British Empire, CBE (8 June 1912 – 26 January 2004) was one of the foremost British Abstract art, abstract artists, a member of the influential Penwith Society of Arts. Early life Wilhelmina Barns-Graha ...
, artist *
Mardi Barrie Mardi Barrie (1930–2004) was a Scottish artist and teacher. Biography Barrie was born in Kirkcaldy in Fife. She attended the University of Edinburgh before studying art at the Edinburgh College of Art from 1948. After graduating, in 1953, she ...
, artist * Dame Elizabeth Blackadder, artist * John Blair, artist * Elizabeth York Brunton, painter and printmaker * Hugh Buchanan, artist *
Alexander Beauchamp Cameron Alexander Beauchamp Cameron (1905–1981) was a Scottish artist. He was a portrait painter, watercolourist, master copier and exhibitor. He was commissioned by many famous Scots of the time, and his paintings were featured at the Royal Scotti ...
, painter * Paul Carter, artist *
John Kingsley Cook John Kingsley Cook (1911-1994) was an English artist, teacher and wood engraver. Biography Cook was born in Winchcombe in Gloucestershire and studied art at the Royal Academy Schools, where he was taught by both Walter Thomas Monnington and Wa ...
, artist and College lecturer *
Stanley Cursiter Stanley Cursiter (29 April 1887 – 22 April 1976) was an Orcadian artist who played an important role in introducing Post-impressionism and Futurism to Scotland. He served as the keeper (1919–1930), then director (1930–1948), of the Nati ...
, artist *
Alan Davie James Alan Davie (28 September 1920 – 5 April 2014) was a Scottish painter and musician. Biography Davie was born in Grangemouth, Scotland in 1920, the son of Elizabeth (née Turnbull) and James William Davie, an art teacher and painter who ...
, artist *
Mabel Dawson Mabel Dawson (13 October 1887 – 1965) was a Scottish artist who painted a wide variety of subjects, including animals and birds, in both watercolour and tempera. Biography Dawson was born in Edinburgh and studied at the Edinburgh College of A ...
, painter *
Isobelle Ann Dods-Withers Isobelle Ann Dods-Withers (née Dods; 5 February 1876 – 13 June 1939) was a Scottish oil and pastel artist who was known for her paintings of towns and villages in southern Europe. Biography Dods-Withers was born at Congalton Mains at North ...
, painter *
Yvonne Drewry Yvonne Drewry (18 February 1918 – 9 August 2007) was an English artist and art teacher, noted for her work in and around Suffolk. Early life and education Yvonne Marjorie Drewry was born in Brentford, Middlesex, to Alfred F. Vere Drewry (1888 ...
, painter and printmaker * Jean Duncan, painter and printmaker * Moyna Flannigan, painter and printmaker *
William Geissler William Hastie Geissler (1894 - 1963) was a Scottish artist known for his watercolours of the natural world. He was one of The Edinburgh School, and much of his earlier work came from sketching trips undertaken with other members of this group ...
, artist *
William George Gillies Sir William George Gillies (1898–1973) was a renowned Scottish landscape and still life painter. He is often referred to simply as W. G. Gillies. Life Gillies was born in Haddington, East Lothian. He had just enrolled at the Edinburgh C ...
, artist *
Tom Gourdie Tom Gourdie MBE, DA, FSSI (18 May 1913 – 6 January 2005) was a prominent Scottish calligrapher, artist and teacher. He also was the author of several books, mainly on subject matter related to calligraphy. Early life and initiation into call ...
, artist * Sir James Gunn, artist *
Charles Martin Hardie Charles Martin Hardie (16 March 1858 – 3 September 1916) was a Scottish artist and portrait painter. Born in East Linton in East Lothian in Scotland, the son of Mary ''née'' Martin (1817–1901) and John Hardie (1820–1870), a Master Car ...
, artist * William Hole, artist *
Gwyneth Leech Gwyneth Leech is an American artist. She is best known for her use of paper coffee cups as a canvas for her artistic pieces and for her paintings of high-rise construction projects. Career Leech began drawing on empty paper coffee cups during meet ...
, artist *
Tessa Lynch Tessa Lynch (born 1984 in Epsom, Surrey) is a British artist. She lives and works in Glasgow, Scotland. She mimics objects and scenarios found in the urban landscape, charting the emotional impact of our built environment and the structures that sh ...
, artist * William McLaren, artist *
Wendy McMurdo Wendy McMurdo (born 1962) specialises in photography and digital media. In 2018 she was named as one of the Hundred Heroines, an award created by the Royal Photographic Society to showcase global female photographic practice. Early life and ed ...
, artist *
Caroline McNairn Caroline McNairn (16 May 1955 – 29 September 2010) was a Scottish figurative painter. Biography Caroline McNairn was born in Selkirk in 1955. Her father (John McNairn) and grandfather (also John McNairn) were also painters. Her father di ...
, artist *
David Michie David Michie OBE, RSA, PSSA, FRSA, RGI (30 November 1928 – 24 August 2015) was a Scottish artist of international stature. Life The third son of the architect and painter James Beattie Michie, and the renowned Scottish artist Anne Redpath ...
, artist * John Maxwell, artist * Robert Montgomery, artist and poet *
Katie Paterson Katie Paterson (born 1981) is a Fife-based visual artist from Glasgow, Scotland, having previously lived and worked in Berlin whose artworks concern translation, distance, and scale. Paterson holds a BA from Edinburgh College of Art (2004) and a ...
, artist and Honorary Fellow of the
University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 15 ...
(2013) * Sir Robin Philipson, artist * John Platt, artist * Nina Pope and Karen Guthrie, aka Somewhere *
Barbara Rae Barbara Davis Rae CBE RA FRSE (born 10 December 1943) is a Scottish painter and printmaker. She is a member of the Royal Scottish Academy and the Royal Academy of Arts. Biography Rae studied painting at the Edinburgh College of Art from 1 ...
, painter and printmaker *
Anne Redpath Anne Redpath (1895–1965) was a Scottish artist whose vivid domestic still lifes are among her best-known works. Life Redpath's father was a tweed designer in the Scottish Borders. She saw a connection between his use of colour and her own. ...
, artist *
Patrick Reyntiens Nicholas Patrick Reyntiens OBE (; 11 December 1925 – 25 October 2021) was a British stained-glass artist, described as "the leading practitioner of stained glass in this country." Personal life Reyntiens was born in December 1925 at 68 Ca ...
, artist * Paul Rooney, artist * Helen Stevenson, printmaker * Alan Sutherland, artist *
Adam Bruce Thomson Adam Bruce Thomson OBE, RSA, PRSW (22 February 1885 – 4 December 1976) or ‘Adam B’ as he was often called at Edinburgh College of Art, was a painter perhaps best known for his oil and water colour landscape paintings, particularly ...
, artist * Clare Twomey, artist * Richard Wright, artist, winner of the 2009
Turner Prize The Turner Prize, named after the English painter J. M. W. Turner, is an annual prize presented to a British visual artist. Between 1991 and 2016, only artists under the age of 50 were eligible (this restriction was removed for the 2017 award) ...


Painters

*
John Bellany John Bellany (18 June 1942 – 28 August 2013) was a Scottish people, Scottish painter. Early life Bellany was born in Port Seton. His father and grandfather were fishermen in Port Seton and Eyemouth near Edinburgh. During the early 1960 ...
, painter *
William Crozier William Crozier may refer to: *William Crozier (artillerist) (1855–1942), American general, artillerist and inventor *William Crozier (Scottish artist) (1893–1930) * William Crozier (Irish artist) (1930–2011) * William Crozier (cricketer) (187 ...
, painter *
Victorine Foot Victorine Anne Foot (1 May 1920 – 2000) was a British artist who worked in oils, watercolours and pastels. Foot is best known for her work during World War II on military camouflage and for her post-war career as an artist and teacher in Sco ...
, painter *
William Gear William Gear RA RBSA (2 August 1915 – 27 February 1997) was a Scottish painter, most notable for his abstract compositions. Early life Gear was born in Methil in south-east Fife, Scotland, the son of Janet (1886-1955) and Porteous Gear ...
, painter * Alan Gourley – painter and stained glass artist * Nicola Green, painter *
Callum Innes Callum Innes (born 1962) is a Scottish abstract painter, a former Turner Prize nominee and winner of the Jerwood Painting Prize. He lives and works in Edinburgh, Scotland. Early life and education Callum Innes was born in Edinburgh. He studied ...
, painter and
Turner Prize The Turner Prize, named after the English painter J. M. W. Turner, is an annual prize presented to a British visual artist. Between 1991 and 2016, only artists under the age of 50 were eligible (this restriction was removed for the 2017 award) ...
nominee * Lady Caroline Kininmonth, painter * David McClure, painter * Alexander McNeish, painter * Sir William MacTaggart, painter *
Emily Murray Paterson Emily Murray Paterson RSW SWA (1855–1934) was a Scottish artist, connected with the Glasgow School and member of the Society of Women Artists. Life and work Emily Paterson was born in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1855. Her father, Duncan Wilkie Pa ...
, painter * Janet Pierce, painter * Samuel Robin Spark, painter *
David Dougal Williams David Dougall Williams FRSA (June 1888 – 27 September 1944) was a Cheshire-born artist and art teacher who lived and worked in Dundee. Early years David Dougall Williams was born in 1888 in Liscard, in Cheshire, the third son of four to Bar ...
, painter


Sculptors

* Phyllis Bone, sculptor * Mary Syme Boyd, sculptor *
Alexander Carrick Alexander Carrick (20 February 1882 – 1966) was a Scottish sculptor. He was one of Scotland's leading monumental sculptors of the early part of the 20th century. He was responsible for many architectural and ecclesiastical works as well as m ...
, sculptor and academic * Fanny Lam Christie, sculptor * Christopher Hall, sculptor * David Harding, sculptor *
Pilkington Jackson Charles d’Orville Pilkington Jackson RSA, FRBS, FRSA (11 October 1887 – 20 September 1973) was a British sculptor prominent in Scotland in the 20th Century. Throughout his career he worked closely with the architect Sir Robert Lorimer. He ...
, sculptor of the
Robert the Bruce Robert I (11 July 1274 – 7 June 1329), popularly known as Robert the Bruce (Scottish Gaelic: ''Raibeart an Bruis''), was King of Scots from 1306 to his death in 1329. One of the most renowned warriors of his generation, Robert eventual ...
statue at
Bannockburn Bannockburn (Scottish Gaelic ''Allt a' Bhonnaich'') is an area immediately south of the centre of Stirling in Scotland. It is part of the City of Stirling. It is named after the Bannock Burn, a stream running through the town before flowing int ...
, and the college war memorial (1922) *
Donald Locke Donald Cuthbert Locke (17 September 1930 – 6 December 2010) was a Guyanese artist who created drawings, paintings and sculptures in a variety of media. He studied in the United Kingdom, and worked in Guyana and the United Kingdom before movin ...
, sculptor *
Hew Lorimer Hew Martin Lorimer, OBE (22 May 1907 – 1 September 1993) was a Scottish sculptor. Early life He was born in Edinburgh, the second son of architect Sir Robert Lorimer. He was educated at Loretto School in Musselburgh, then at Magdalen Colle ...
, sculptor *
Elizabeth Ogilvie Elizabeth Ogilvie (born 1946) is a Scottish environmental artist renowned for her work exploring the effects of climate change, impact of climate change. Her work is held in several public and private collections and she exhibits internationally ...
, sculptor *
James Pittendrigh MacGillivray James Pittendrigh MacGillivray (1856 – 29 April 1938) was a Scottish sculptor. He was also a keen artist, musician and poet. He was born in Inverurie, Aberdeenshire, the son of a sculptor, and studied under William Brodie and John Mossman ...
, sculptor * Sir Eduardo Paolozzi, sculptor and artist *
Scott Sutherland Scott Sutherland (15 May 1910 – 10 October 1984) was a Scottish sculptor, best known for the Commando Memorial in Spean Bridge. He was Head of Sculpture at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art Life Scott Sutherland was born in 1910, the son ...
, sculptor


Musicians

*
Louise Alder Louise Alder (born 25 November 1986) is a British lyric soprano. She won the Dame Joan Sutherland Audience Prize at the 2017 BBC Cardiff Singer of the World competition and the Young Singer award at the 2017 International Opera Awards. Her deb ...
, Soprano * Sandy Brown, Scottish jazz clarinettist *
Anna Clyne Anna Clyne (born 9 March 1980, in London) is an English composer, now resident in New York, US. She has worked in both acoustic music and electro-acoustic music. Biography Clyne began writing music as a child, completing her first composition a ...
, Composer *
Django Django Django Django are a British art rock band based in London, England. Formed in 2009, the band has released four studio albums starting with their self-titled debut in 2012. Their latest album '' Glowing in the Dark'' was released on 12 February 2 ...
, band * Al Fairweather, Scottish jazz trumpeter *
Futuristic Retro Champions Futuristic Retro Champions were a Scottish indie band from Edinburgh and Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as ...
, Scottish ElectroPop band * John Maclean, member of
The Beta Band The Beta Band were a Scottish musical group formed in 1996. Their style was described as being "folktronica", although it was mainly a blend of folk, psychedelia, electronica, experimental rock and trip hop, often involving stylistic experimen ...
and The Aliens. * Sir James MacMillan, Composer and Conductor * The Magnificents, Scottish rock band *
Jamie Muir Jamie Muir (born 1943 in Edinburgh) is a Scottish painter and former musician, best known for his work as the percussionist in King Crimson from 1972–1973. Biography Muir attended the Edinburgh College of Art during the 1960s, and began playi ...
, percussionist with Music Improvisation Company,
King Crimson King Crimson are a progressive rock band formed in 1968 in London, England. The band draws inspiration from a wide variety of music, incorporating elements of classical, jazz, folk, heavy metal, gamelan, industrial, electronic, experime ...
, Giles, Muir, Cunningham *
The Rezillos The Rezillos are a punk/ new wave band formed in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1976. Although emerging at the same time as other bands in the punk rock movement, the Rezillos did not share the nihilism or social commentary of their contemporaries, bu ...
, 1970s new wave band, featuring
Jo Callis John William "Jo" Callis (born 2 May 1951) is an English musician and songwriter who played guitar with the Edinburgh based punk rock band The Rezillos (under the name Luke Warm), and post-punk band Boots for Dancing before joining The Human ...
who went on to
The Human League The Human League are an English synth-pop band formed in Sheffield in 1977. Initially an experimental electronic outfit, the group signed to Virgin Records in 1979 and later attained widespread commercial success with their third album ''Dare' ...
*
Donald Runnicles Sir Donald Cameron Runnicles OBE HonFRSE (born 16 November 1954, Edinburgh, Scotland) is a Scottish conductor. Life and career The son of William Runnicles, a director of a furniture supply company and a choirmaster and organist, and Christin ...
, Conductor *
Rebecca Saunders Rebecca Saunders (born 19 December 1967) is a London-born composer who lives and works freelance in Berlin. In a 2017 ''Classic Voice'' poll of the greatest works of art music since 2000, Saunders' compositions received the third highest total ...
, composer *
Roy Williamson Roy Murdoch Buchanan Williamson (25 June 1936 – 12 August 1990) was a Scottish people, Scottish songwriter and folk musician, most notably with The Corries. Williamson is best known for writing "Flower of Scotland", which has become the de fa ...
, member of
The Corries The Corries were a Scottish folk group that emerged from the Scottish folk revival of the early 1960s. The group was a trio from their formation until 1966 when founder Bill Smith left the band but Roy Williamson and Ronnie Browne continued ...
, and author of ''
Flower of Scotland "Flower of Scotland" is a Scottish song, frequently performed at special occasions and sporting events as an unofficial national anthem of Scotland. The song was composed in the mid-1960s by Roy Williamson of the folk group the Corries. It w ...
''


Writers

*
John Arden John Arden (26 October 1930 – 28 March 2012) was an English playwright who at his death was lauded as "one of the most significant British playwrights of the late 1950s and early 60s". Career Born in Barnsley, son of the manager of a glass f ...
, playwright *
Alan Bold Alan Norman Bold (1943–1998) was a Scottish poet, biographer, journalist and saxophonist. He was born in Edinburgh. He edited Hugh MacDiarmid's ''Letters'' and wrote the influential biography ''MacDiarmid''. Bold had acquainted himself with Mac ...
, poet *
Ruthven Todd Ruthven Campbell Todd (pronounced 'riven') (14 June 1914 – 11 October 1978) was a Scottish poet, artist and novelist, best known as an editor of the works of William Blake, and expert on his printing techniques. During the 1940s he also wrote d ...
, poet, novelist


Other

*
Dorothy Angus Dorothy Angus (1891–1979) was a Scottish embroidery artist Biography Anna Dorothy Angus was the daughter of the Presbyterian Minister James Angus in Stirling, Scotland and was born in 1891. Angus attended Edinburgh College of Art. She went o ...
, embroidery artist *
Harriet Braine Harriet Braine is a musical comedian and archivist. In 2017 she won the Funny Women Awards, for which she was mentored by Ellie Taylor, and she was Best Newcomer at the Musical Comedy Awards. The same year Braine was a finalist in the So You Thin ...
, musical comedian and archivist * Shashi Caan, interior architect/designer and president of
The International Federation of Interior Architects/Designers The International Federation of Interior Architects/Designers (IFI) represents professional interior architects and interior designers. Founded in Copenhagen, Denmark on September 20, 1963 as a not-for-profit, limited liability company to unite ...
* Rose Ferraby, archaeologist and artist *
Holly Fulton Holly Fulton (born 1977) is a London-based fashion designer who set up her eponymous fashion label in 2009. Known for bold graphic and 3D motifs, innovative use of textiles and distinctive accessories, she has been described as the "queen of print ...
, fashion designer *
Tom Gauld Tom Gauld (born 1976) is a Scottish cartoonist and illustrator. His style reflects his self-professed fondness of "deadpan comedy, flat dialogue, things happening offstage and impressive characters". Others note that his work "combines pathos ...
, cartoonist and illustrator * Supriya Lele, fashion designer *
Katie Leung Katie Leung (born 8 August 1987; ) is a Scottish actress. Initially famous for playing Cho Chang, the titular character's first love interest in the ''Harry Potter'' film series, she is also known for her roles as Caitlyn in the animated se ...
, stage and screen actress - obtained photography degree * John Maclean, film director *
Ryan McHenry Ryan McHenry (13 December 1987 – 2 May 2015) was a Scottish film director best known for the film ''Zombie Musical'' in which he received a nomination for the Best Director accolade at the 2011 British Academy Scotland New Talent Awards. '' ...
, film director *
Kerry Anne Mullaney Kerry Mullaney is a Scottish film director, writer and producer. She won the 2009 Best Director (Silver Unicorn) award at the 10th Estepona International Horror and Fantasy Film Festival for her 2008 triller/horror film '' The Dead Outside''. Sh ...
, film director *
David Shaw Nicholls David Shaw Nicholls (born 1959) is a Scottish architects, Scottish architect and designer based in New York City, Italy and Glasgow. He became internationally known by his minimalist ASFLEXI Couch, settee, conceived while in school. Life N ...
, designer & architect * Sandy Paris, cricketer * Aileen Paterson writer and illustrator of children's books * Adam Robson, rugby player, former head of the
Scottish Rugby Union The Scottish Rugby Union (SRU; gd, Aonadh Rugbaidh na h-Alba) is the governing body of rugby union in Scotland. Styled as Scottish Rugby, it is the second oldest Rugby Union, having been founded in 1873. The SRU oversees the national league s ...
* Alexander White, footwear designer


See also

*
List of further and higher education colleges in Scotland This is a list of current further education and higher education colleges in Scotland. Most colleges provide both levels of qualification. Further education colleges offer courses for people over the age of sixteen, involving school-level qualif ...


References

* ''Notes on the Early History of the Royal Scottish Academy'', George Harvey, (Edmonston & Douglas, 1873)
Archives of Scottish Higher Education


Further reading

* Scott Lawrie - The History of Edinburgh College of Art 1906-1969, MPhil Thesis, 1995. Copies held in ECA library and Heriot-Watt University Library.


External links


Edinburgh College of Art home page
{{coord, 55, 56, 42.68, N, 3, 11, 53.52, W, type:edu, display=title 1760 establishments in Scotland Art schools in Scotland Architecture schools in Scotland Buildings and structures completed in 1907 Category A listed buildings in Edinburgh Educational institutions established in 1760 Listed educational buildings in Scotland
Art Art is a diverse range of human activity, and resulting product, that involves creative or imaginative talent expressive of technical proficiency, beauty, emotional power, or conceptual ideas. There is no generally agreed definition of wha ...
Arts in Edinburgh Contemporary art galleries in Scotland