PAI Timeline

Scottish Drawing Competition
4th-26th June 2021

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SDC2021 Catalogue cover featuring
Nicola McBride's 'Vintage Roller'

2021 saw the return, after a four-year hiatus, of the Scottish Drawing Competition. From 217 entries from all over Scotland, 181 works were chosen demonstrating an extraordinary variety of styles, form, medium, and skill. The work was shown in a new gallery space called Artspace37 within The Piazza Shopping centre. Over 4 weeks 1200 or so visitors emerged from lockdown to view the work. Many of the artists exhibiting had created work as a specific response to social lockdown due to Covid-19.

PAI goes fully digital
25th July 2020

2020 was an extraordinary year in which the worldwide Corona virus pandemic caused the PAI annual exhibition to go wholly online and digital. During a six month lockdown of social gatherings and building closures PAI organised its large scale annual exhibition as an online offering for the very first time in its history. New digital processes were created, for artists submissions, an online sales shop, pay by finance and fulfilment. Over 628 works were entered by 347 artists and 384 works were selected (over 50% by members). A virtual gallery was also created and over 7 weeks over 50,000 viewers worldwide visited the PAI websites. Many artists created work as a specific response to social lockdown and this featured highly in the galleries and contemporary experience of art in 2020.

PAI on the move
20th October 2019

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With the Paisley Museum and Art Gallery closed until 2022 while it undergoes a £42m refurbishment, Paisley Art Institute is on the move. In September 2019, the 131st Annual Exhibition will take place on the site of a former supermarket in The Piazza in Paisley town centre. As well as maintaining the high exhibiting standards the annual exhibition has long been renowned for, this venue also offers artists an exciting opportunity to consider exhibiting site specific works.

Recent gifts to PAI's collection
2015

To mark the centenary of the 1915 gallery additions to Paisley Museum and Art Galleries, three gifts were made to the PAI-associated permanent collection. These include two ceramic sculptures depicting Paisley and Glasgow by the artist and filmmaker Falconer Houston, gifted by the artist and Gordon Mabbott respectively. Colin C. MacKean also donated the portrait of his great uncle, James A.D. MacKean by Maurice Greiffenhagen to the PAI-associated permanent collection.

PAI celebrates its 125th Annual Exhibition
2013

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In 2013 the Institute celebrated its 125th Annual Exhibition bringing artwork from all over Britain, with 26 prestigious awards presented to artists. To celebrate the event, the PAI Diploma body exhibited their work alongside the work they most admired from the Paisley Collections.

The introduction of PAI Diplomates
1995

The PAI Diploma was first proposed in 1995. It decreed diplomas be awarded to the "most distinguished" artist members of the Institute. The Diploma recipient was approved by a "Credentials Committee" and the artist proposed had to qualify for specific criteria, including being an artist member of PAI for at least ten years and a regular exhibitor with PAI. The letters PAI are granted in perpetuity and at any one time only 40 living artists hold this honour. As part of Diplomate requirements, nominated artists were expected to submit a "characteristic example of their work to be considered for addition to the permanent collection." To date, over 30 Diplomates have gifted work to PAI's permanent collection. Honorary Diplomas are also awarded to artist members, lay members and others on the committee's recommendation. One of the most high profile is artist, writer and Paisley Buddie, John Byrne.