Stirling Smith Art Gallery and Museum
The Stirling Smith Art Gallery and Museum – formerly The Smith Institute – has played a very special part in the history of Stirling since its foundation in 1874. Established by the bequest of artist Thomas Stuart Smith (1815–1869) on land supplied by the Burgh of Stirling, it is an historic public-private partnership which has continued to the present day. It was founded as a gallery of mainly contemporary art, with museum and library reading room ‘for the benefit of the inhabitants of Stirling, Dunblane and Kinbuck’.
Elspeth King
After doing a post-graduate course at Leicester University, King arrived in Glasgow to take up the post as head curator in the People's Palace where exhibitions such as "Scotland Sober and Free", the 150th anniversary of the Temperance Movement, and Michael Donnelly's 1981 exhibition of stained glass, gained record attendances. Her pet cat Smudge became very well known in Glasgow during her time there. This was followed by the Glasgow Herald's bicentenary exhibition, which won the 1983 Museum of the year award. She was controversially passed over in 1990 for the civic post of keeper of social history in favour of Mr Mark O'Neill from Springburn Museum. She then left Glasgow to become a director the Dunfermline Heritage Trust where she stayed until 1994 before becoming the first Director of the Smith Art Gallery Museum in Stirling where she has remained.