Burrell items set to tour USA and Asia
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SOME of Glasgow’s most valuable treasures will be shipped to North America and Asia when the Burrell Collection closes later this year.
The artefacts will be shown in major institutions across the world after the Pollok Park visitor attraction shuts for a £66 million revamp in October.
It will reopen in 2020 following a refit of the 1983 building which will include a much-needed new roof, new glazing and a major internal overhaul. But museum bosses are urging people to visit the collection before the museum shuts its doors.
The majority of the 9,000-piece collection – con- sidered to be one of the finest single collections of its kind in the world – will be removed from the site before the major work gets under way.
Some of the cultural treasures, gifted to the city by shipbuilder Sir William Burrell in a Deed of Gift in 1944, will go to Kelvingrove Museum and some of the finest pieces will be exhibited across the world in a bid the raise the profile of the collection and the city.
The tour was only made possible after MSPs approved legislation allowing the collection to leave the country in 2014.
A spokesman for Glasgow Life said even when it was known that the collection could not be loaned out to other museums, the Burrell Collection still attracted about a dozen requests a year because of its high profile.
He added: “The Burrell Collection is one of the world’s finest single collections. One of the aims of the tour is to raise the profile of the city, as well as the collection, and it will hopefully attract sponsorship and funding. Some of the highlights of the collection will visit North America and parts of Asia.”
Those highlights include a collection of Chinese art, pottery and ceramics, King Henry the VIII’s bed head and a Rembrandt self portrait.
MSP James Dornan visited the Burrell Collection yesterday to support a call from Museums Galleries Scotland to politicians to champion local heritage.
Mr Dornan, the SNP member for Cathcart, said: “It is a shame the Burrell Collection has to close for this length of time but I am confident the investment programme will provide a fantastic visitor attraction, even more state-ofthe art than the original building.
“I would urge people to come and visit the collection before the building closes and I will prepare a motion on this point, also congratulating all those at the Burrell for all their hard work.”
As reported last week, the architect behind the £500m transformation of King’s Cross Station is expected take the reins of the £66m revamp.
John McAslan and Partners, the firm run by Scottish architect John McAslan, is expected to be appointed by Glasgow City Council’s executive committee this week.