MSP: BIBBY CALLS FOR URGENT SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT INTERVENSION IN PAISLEY ART DISPUTE

Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, has called on the Scottish Government to intervene in a dispute between the Paisley Art Institute (PAI) and OneRen that risks seeing a collection of highly valuable local artworks leaving Paisley and be sold at auction.

The dispute, which started as a disagreement over proposed gallery space for the collection in the new Paisley Museum, has seen relations between the two organisations break down and the PAI, which owns the artworks, announce plans to sell off part of the collection at auction and possibly move the rest in Glasgow.

Link to Eilidh Montague’s petition: https://www.change.org/p/save-the-jewels-of-paisley-plea-to-pai-to-stop-the-auctioning-off-of-historical-art?source_location=search

Speaking to Cabinet Secretary Angus Robertson at Culture Portfolio Questions in the Scottish Parliament, Mr Bibby highlighted the passionate view of many of his constituents – including local artist Eilidh Montague, who has started a petition – that this should be prevented.

Commenting, Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, said: “Artworks gifted to Paisley should not be lost to the town, by sale and moving elsewhere. Once they’re gone, they’re gone. I am not apportioning blame to either party but the interests of the town and its people who these highly valuable works were gifted to must be paramount.

“That’s why I asked the Culture Secretary and the Scottish Government to look urgently and closely at this and offer to convene talks between the two parties to try and find a positive resolution.”

Mr Bibby’s comments follow a letter he wrote to Angus Robertson which also urges the Scottish Government to intervene in the dispute.