Gallery of Modern Art facts for kids
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| Established | 1996 |
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| Location | Royal Exchange Square, Glasgow G1 3AH, Scotland |
| Visitors | 595,977 (2012) Admission type: Free |
The Gallery of Modern Art (GoMA) is a cool place in Glasgow, Scotland. It's the main gallery for contemporary art, which means art made in our time.
GoMA always has new and exciting exhibitions. They also offer workshops where you can learn and create! You'll see art from artists in Scotland and from all over the world. The gallery also uses art to talk about important topics happening today.
Contents
GoMA's Story: From Mansion to Museum
GoMA opened its doors in 1996. The building itself is very old and has a long history. It's a beautiful neoclassical building in Royal Exchange Square, right in the middle of Glasgow.
How the Building Started
The building was first built in 1778. It was a huge house for a very rich man named William Cunninghame. He was a "Tobacco Lord" from Glasgow. He made his money through trade long ago.
Changes Over Time
In 1817, the Royal Bank of Scotland bought the building. Later, they moved to a different street. After that, the building became the Royal Exchange. This was a place where people met to do business.
A famous architect named David Hamilton made many changes to the building between 1827 and 1832. He added the fancy columns you see on the Queen Street side. He also added the dome on top and a big hall at the back.
In 1954, a library called Stirling's Library moved into the building. When the library moved out, the building was made ready for art. It became the home for Glasgow's collection of modern art.
What You Can See at GoMA Today
Since it opened in 1996, millions of people have visited GoMA. It's a very popular spot!
Inside the Gallery
GoMA has a special studio for education and access. Here, you can join workshops and listen to artists talk about their work. In the basement, there's a Learning Library. You can find books about art and other topics there. The building also has a café where you can grab a snack. Plus, there are free internet computers for visitors to use.
You can see art by famous artists like David Hockney, Sebastiao Salgado, and Andy Warhol. GoMA also shows amazing art by Scottish artists such as John Bellany and Ken Currie.
Art on the Outside
Look up at the front of the building! You'll see a cool mirrored artwork by artist Niki de Saint Phalle. It's called Tympanum (1996). She also designed the mirrored entrance hall inside the gallery.
Right in front of the gallery, on Queen Street, there's a statue of the Duke of Wellington. It was made by Carlo Marochetti in 1844.
The Famous Traffic Cone
This statue is very famous because it almost always has a traffic cone on its head! For many years, the city tried to remove the cones. But people always put them back. This funny cone has become a symbol of Glasgow. It shows that the city has a light-hearted attitude and a good sense of humor.
There have been a few times when the cone was changed.
- In 2002, when Glasgow hosted a big football final, the cone was replaced with a football-patterned hat.
- In 2010, it was a glittery cone for a new hotel opening.
- Around the time of the Independence Referendum, a Scottish flag (saltire) was put on the cone.
- During the 2012 Olympic Games, the cone was painted gold! This was to celebrate all the gold medals won by Team GB.
