Dick Institute
 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification.(November 2016) |
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| Established | 1901 |
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| Location | Elmbank Avenue,Kilmarnock,East Ayrshire,Scotland |
| Coordinates | 55°36′30″N4°29′23″W/ 55.60835°N 4.48972°W |
| Type | Visitor attraction, museum and library |
| Collections | Historical artefacts concerningKilmarnockand its history |
| Founder | James Dick |
| Owner | East Ayrshire Leisure, on behalf ofEast Ayrshire Council |
| Website | Dick Institute |
TheDick Instituteis amuseumand library inKilmarnock,Scotland.It is an important cultural venue in the south-west of Scotland, featuring the largestmuseumand art gallery space inAyrshireas well as the central library forEast Ayrshire.[1]
History of the building[edit]
The Dick Institute was opened in 1901. The funds which were required to build the institute were provided by James Dick, who lived in Australia but was born in 1823, in Soulis Street, Kilmarnock.[1]The building was severely damaged by fire only eight years after it opened. Some of the museum's collections were lost in the fire but it reopened in 1911 and was used as an auxiliary hospital in 1917 duringWorld War I.[2]
Present day[edit]
The Dick Institute has a programme that includes nationally important exhibitions, permanent displays of the museum's own collections and work by contemporary artists, film makers and young people from the area, giving the Dick Institute a growing reputation for the quality and scope of its exhibitions and events. Previous major exhibitions have includedMiffy,Quentin Blake,Wallace and Gromit,Cutting Edge, Radical Nature andBill Viola.
Many of Scotland's leading contemporary artists including Kenny Hunter, Simon Ward andChristine Borlandhave been shown and creative commissioning programmes have supported artistic talent, by linking with major shows such as Ayrshire Innovators, Creative Burns and South By South West. The South Museum and Loom Room feature stories of the local and social history of the area as well as aJohnnie Walkerdisplay featuring a selection of illustrations and objects from the company and from the institute's own collections.
The North Museum wing contains objects from the natural history sciences and archaeology collections which have been recently updated and refurbished to display more items, including some previously unseen by the public from the museum stores. The lending library, junior library, learning centre and cafe are all housed on the ground floor.[3] Full disabled access is available.
References[edit]
- ^ab"Home".Futuremuseum.co.uk.Retrieved6 November2016.
- ^"East Ayrshire Council: Dick Institute".Archived fromthe originalon 20 July 2008.Retrieved15 May2008.
- ^"The Dick Institute".Eastayrshireleisure.Retrieved6 November2016.
External links[edit]
- East Ayrshire Leisure: The Dick Institute
- Visit Scotland: The Dick Institute
- Dick Instituteon Canmore, Historic Environment Scotland.
55°36′30″N4°29′23″W/ 55.60835°N 4.48972°W
