Gallery of Modern Art, Glasgow facts for kids
 |
|
| Established | 1996 |
|---|---|
| Location | Royal Exchange Square Glasgow Scotland G1 3AH |
| Type | Contemporary art |
| Visitors | 576,689 (2019) |
| Owner | Glasgow City Council |
| Public transit access |  Buchanan Street |
|
Listed Building – Category A
|
|
| Designated | 6 July 1966 |
| Reference no. | LB32818 |
The Gallery of Modern Art (GoMA) is a cool art gallery in Glasgow, Scotland. It's the main place to see contemporary art in the city. GoMA shows off amazing art from artists all over the world. They also have special projects that look at important social topics. You can find temporary exhibitions and workshops here too.
Contents
History of the Building
GoMA opened in 1996. It is located in a beautiful old building in Royal Exchange Square. This building is right in the middle of Glasgow city centre.
From Mansion to Bank
The building was first built in 1778. It was a huge house for a rich merchant named William Cunninghame. He made his money through trade. Later, in 1817, the Royal Bank of Scotland bought the building. They used it as their bank for a while.
Between 1827 and 1832, the building was changed a lot. An architect named David Hamilton added many new parts. These included the tall Corinthian pillars on the Queen Street side. He also added a dome (called a cupola) on top and a big hall at the back. After the bank moved, the building became the Royal Exchange.
A Public Library
In 1954, the building became a public library. It was called Stirling's Library. It had a huge main hall, about 110 feet long and 60 feet wide. This hall had tall columns and a high, decorated ceiling.
The library had many different types of books. There were over 100 books about art and 300 music books. It also had 800 books for parents. There was even a special room for magazines.
Becoming an Art Gallery
Eventually, the library moved to a new location. The building was then updated to hold Glasgow's collection of modern art. This is how it became the Gallery of Modern Art we know today.
GoMA Today
Since opening in 1996, millions of people have visited GoMA. The gallery has a special studio for workshops and artist talks. In the basement, there's a learning library. You can also find a café and free internet access. The gallery has books about art and other topics that you can borrow.
Famous Artworks
GoMA displays art by famous artists like David Hockney and Andy Warhol. You can also see works by Scottish artists such as John Bellany and Ken Currie.
Outside the building, above the entrance, you'll see a mirrored artwork. It's called Tympanum (1996) and was made by artist Niki de Saint Phalle. She also created the mirrored entrance hall inside the gallery.
The Duke of Wellington Statue
In front of the gallery, on Queen Street, stands a statue of the Duke of Wellington. It was made by Carlo Marochetti in 1844. This statue is famous for usually having a traffic cone on its head!
For many years, people have put a cone on the Duke's head. The city authorities used to remove them, but they would always reappear. This funny tradition has become a symbol of Glasgow's light-hearted attitude. It shows how the city likes to have fun and not take things too seriously.
There have been a few times when the cone was different. For example, during the 2002 UEFA Champions League final, it wore a football-patterned hat. In 2010, it had a glitter cone. During the Scottish Independence Referendum, a Scottish flag (saltire) was attached to it.
The cone was painted gold for the 2012 Summer Olympics and the 2014 Commonwealth Games. This celebrated Scotland's success in winning gold medals. On 'Brexit Day' in 2020, a cone painted like the EU flag was placed on the statue.
See also
In Spanish: Galería de Arte Moderno de Glasgow para niños
- Culture in Glasgow
- Glasgow art
