Description: The Dick Institute first opened its doors in 1901. It is home to two of the finest modern Art Galleries, and has many regular, revolving exhibits. The Institute offers a broad range of local history and fare. Much of the fine art collection on display dates back to the early 1800s.
By visiting the Dick Institute, you can transcend back into another time and world, much different from the world we live in today. The exhibitions look at how communities within local towns and villages developed in the past, the industries peoples worked in, the clothes they wore, and the conditions they lived in.
A working replica of the printing press is on display that John Wilson used to print the first edition of the poems of Robert Burns, Scotland’s National Poet, in 1786. Among the unusual objects is the hand powered Kilmaurs Fire Engine dating from 1830, and the ancient and mysterious Soulis Cross - recently renovated by museum staff. It used to stand on Soulis Street in Kilmarnock. One story claims that it marked the place where a member of the Boyd family in 1444 killed one of the Soulis family for challenging the Boyds for possession of the lands of Kilmarnock.
Among the machinery is a curtain lace loom used in a nearby town. Christening robes show the skill in Ayrshire needlework. Calico printing introduced into the area in 1770 led to a new industry. A dress shows one of the patterns produced. Models of ships and trains produced on the west coast of Scotland display the skills once available. Models of trams once running in Kilmarnock is a ‘back to the future’ display for trams, though in a modern form, have reappeared in parts of Britain. Extending the exhibition wider are ritual masks from Nigeria.
Artefacts from an Ayrshire crannog, a loch dwelling, contain articles used in everyday life as well as weapons are on display in a case. Items from a Spanish Galleon part of the Armada send over to remove Queen Elizabeth I of England from her throne are also here. This particular vessel wrecked about a quarter mile offshore in about 10 fathoms of water yielded its treasures in 1740.
The Natural Sciences Gallery containing an array of animals, birds, rocks and fossils. In the fossil collection is a Scorpion Fossil one of Kilmarnock's oldest residents- 400 million years old! The scorpion was about 3cm long and this fossil is one of the oldest in the world and the most valuable fossil of its kind in existence. The collection also has a rock containing a type of ammonite. Today its relations include the soft-bodied octopus and squid, but many extinct animals had shells.
In the art gallery is a painting by Tadema of an 'Audience with Agrippa' showing the Roman Emperor Agrippa descending to meet with citizens who have come with gifts and humble requests. Tadema produced a second painting entitled "After the Audience" which is the same only in it Agrippa is ascending the stairs.
On the ground floor is the modern art gallery, which features regular changing touring exhibitions. Reputed as the finest modern art gallery in the west coast of Scotland, this bright, fresh and airy modern space also plays host to many of the gallery talks and workshops.
In the Young People’s Gallery on the ground floor a group of young people interested in the visual arts meet regularly here to discuss the gallery programme.
There is much in the Dick Institute to reflect on and admission is free!!
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