The Kelvingrove New Century Project has repaired and restored the historic museum building, expanded the space available for display by 35% and increased the number of objects on display by 50%. The collection has been radically re-displayed according to a new philosophy that is object-based, visitor-centred, multi-disciplinary and narrative. Combining curatorial knowledge, educational expertise and public interests, the most interesting objects were selected to tell their stories in self contained displays.

The displays have been grouped into easily understood themes to build on the strengths of the collection - its variety and flexibility - and are not locked into long chronological sequences or summaries of entire disciplines. The collections have been divided between ‘Life’, on one side of the museum, and ‘Expression’ on the other. ‘Life’ includes human history,

archaeology, anthropology, geology, palaeontology, Egyptology and natural history displays. ‘Expression’ covers painting, sculpture, design, decorative, expression and applied arts.

There are 22 themes in the museum and each theme has a gallery. Within each themed gallery there are separate ‘story displays’. Curators have worked together to tell stories using the best objects from across the collections. In any one gallery the stories are related to the theme, but not always with each other. This means that a story can be changed without having to redisplay the whole gallery. There are about 100 stories in the museum and it is planned to change five of these every year.

The Galleries have been complemented with new facilities including a number of Discovery Centres on different themes, a Study Centre, audio-visual ‘Object Cinema’, multi-media gallery, Education Suite, conference room, temporary exhibition gallery and new toilets, cafes, and shops.

Some of your comments:

I have visited this museum three or four times now since its refurbishment, and have enjoyed the experience more each time.  The whole ambience of the place, its layout of exhibits and ease of vision is impressive.  For me it is a must each time I visit Glasgow, more so than many of the other cities that I visit.
Philip Lane, Cardiff, South Wales – 27 March

My husband & I visited the Kelvingrove Art Gallery in March when we were home on a short holiday.  We were amazed at how wonderful the whole building looks.  The interactive exhibits are fabulous and really get you thinking.  The building itself is bright and airy and a pleasure to walk around.  It is so much brighter than it was before the remodel.  The organ as always was a wonderful to listen to.  The mix of classical and popular music really makes it a place of the people.  The lovely thing about our day was the mix of people there enjoying the Gallery, from school trips to pensioners to tourists.  I have fond memories of being taken to Kelvingrove as a child and I'm delighted that this new version is there with something for everyone.  Glasgow and Scotland should be very proud.  I have already told friends here it is a must see the next time they are in Scotland.
Maureen, San Jose, California – 4 April

The first few times I visited Kelvingrove after its re-opening I was impressed by the physical changes, but somewhat depressed by the re-organization of the collections - into groups based on themes and other subjects.  But on more detailed visits I found the new arrangement not at all ‘dumbing down’ but informative, easy to use and read, scholarly, and at the same time highly accessible.  This is a balance which few museums in the world have managed to achieve.  Here it definitely HAS been achieved.  It is a huge success story.
Thomas A Markus, Glasgow – 6 April

This is the most astonishing place, the last great Victorian museum.  The diversity and quality of the exhibitions are superb.  This beautiful building has probably the finest civic art collection in Britain, an internationally significant collection of French Impressionists, not to mention Northern European Art and the iconic Dali piece "Christ of St John of the Cross".  It is no longer a boring, stuck in a time warp museum, but one which has splendidly adapted for today's visitors, while still retaining the charm and splendour which endears it to all who visit regardless of age, ethnicity or nationality.
Ann Ross-McCall, East Renfrewshire – 15 April

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