Andy McDougall on 20 years of Edinburgh Art Fair: 'I'm proud we've helped artists on their journey'

Twenty years ago, Andy McDougall asked a simple question. His job, running the art department for a Scottish fine art auction house, had taken him to art fairs all over Europe. Edinburgh was a cultural capital, famous around the world for its arts festivals. Why didn’t it have an art fair of its own?

Once the question had been asked, the answer seemed simple enough. “I thought I’d start one,” he says.

The first Edinburgh Art Fair took place in 2005 at the Corn Exchange (now the 02 Academy), the venue which has been its home for the past two decades. Opened by legendary Edinburgh gallerist Richard Demarco, it featured 52 galleries from the UK, Europe and the United States.

Every year, galleries from at home and abroad come to the fair to present their work to audiences from Edinburgh and beyond. “We have introduced hundreds of galleries and thousands of artists from all over the world to our visitors,” McDougall says. “Artists who haven’t had the chance to show in the UK now have collectors here. We’re now one of the most prestigious art fairs outside London.”

One of the main goals of Edinburgh Art Fair has been to attract people who might not visit a traditional art gallery | Courtesy of Arte in Europa

Work presented at the fair over the years has included ceramics by Picasso and Miro, paintings by David Hockney, LS Lowry, Howard Hodgkin and Damien Hirst, sculpture by Salvador Dali and Eduardo Paolozzi and a set of original silkscreen prints by Andy Warhol, previously owned by Sir Jeffrey Archer. 

Scottish artists are a perennial feature, from John Bellany and Joan Eardley to Peter Howson, Jolomo, Alexander Miller and many more. Leading galleries and art organisations from Scotland have taken part, including the Scottish Gallery, Roger Billcliffe Gallery and the RSA.

International galleries have come from more than 20 countries including France, Italy, Spain, Argentina, Australia, China, Japan and South Korea. The Fair has hosted Aboriginal painting, Peruvian folk art and narwhal carvings by Inuit artists.

Virginie Barrou Planquart from Galerie Barrou Planquart in Paris, discussing her artists' work with a visitor to Edinburgh Art Fair | Courtesy of Arte in Europa

McDougall says Edinburgh Art Fair was founded on a simple principle: that art is for everyone. “We wanted to break down the barriers where people perceived that art was an elite thing and not accessible to them. We wanted to make it accessible to everybody, especially those intimidated by ringing the bell at an upmarket-looking art gallery.

“People hear about art selling for millions of pounds and think they can’t afford it. We have high quality original work which can be bought from £100. There is art to suit everybody’s budget. You don’t even have to buy, just come and look and learn about various artists and various styles and techniques.

“Thousands of people who love art have been welcomed into our friendly environment, and now, because they have experienced the fair and seen for themselves that original art can be purchased at a price that is not out of reach, they have the confidence to visit any gallery.”

Version One by Simon Watson | Courtesy of Northern Exposure Gallery

The Edinburgh Art Fair has developed a varied programme for visitors around the art itself, from talks, concerts and book events to hands-on printmaking workshops for adults and an extensive range of creative activities for children. Over its 20-year lifespan, many thousands of pounds have been raised for local charities.

There is also a commitment to supporting artists: Scottish landscape artist Ron Lawson, Edinburgh-based Canadian artist Trevor Jones, who combines traditional painting with AR and NFT technology, Borders-based sculptor Richard Goldsworth, figurative painter Jamie Frost and Edinburgh-trained photographer Craig Waddell are among those who have presented early selections of their work at the fair.

McDougall says: “Every year for the last ten years, we have selected new graduates from the Edinburgh College of Art Degree Show and given them a platform to show their work.

“A lot of them have gone on and done well. I’m proud of the fact that we’ve taken on some artists and helped them on their journey, helped them to have the confidence to move on to other things. Now they are off showing at other art fairs around Europe.”

McDougall doesn’t pretend that the last 20 years have been plain sailing. Edinburgh Art Fair operates without external funding, and with a team the fraction of the size of some art fairs. “We’ve had referendums, covid, Brexit, and have been through a few financial crashes, but we’re still here doing what we do. We’re looking forward to keeping going, seeing what the next 20 years bring.”

EAF HIGHLIGHTS THROUGH THE YEARS

The Comic Legend of William McGonagall A series of paintings and drawings by Fife artist Charles Nasmyth exploring the life and work of “Scotland’s worst poet” William McGonagall were presented at the first Edinburgh Art Fair in 2005. The work was then published in a graphic novel, The Comic Legend of William McGonagall.

The Scottish Diaspora Tapestry Many of those who worked on The Great Tapestry of Scotland went on to work on The Scottish Diaspora Tapestry, telling the stories of Scots who migrated over the world in more than 300 embroidered panels. In 2017, the Fair presented a selection of the panels, along with a talk by the artist and designer behind the project, Andrew Crummy.

Andrew Crummy discussing the Scottish Diaspora Tapestry | Courtesy of Arte in Europa

Jody Also in 2017, Bristol-based street artist Jody, who takes inspiration from fashion and film and creates photorealistic portraits with a noirish edge, demonstrated his skills with the spray cans to a rapt audience, who were able to ask him questions while he worked.

Street artist Jody at the Edinburgh Art Fair | Courtesy of Arte in Europa

Still Prince In 2022, Edinbugh Art Fair hosted Still Prince, an exhibition of photographs by the music icon’s official stills photographer Afshin Shahidi. Shahidi travelled from the US to give an hour-long interview about his life and work living and travelling with Prince.

Afshin Shahidi discussing his Still Prince exhibition | Courtesy of Arte in Europa

Real-time art In 2013, Scottish artist Damian Callan created a large-scale real-time drawing of people visiting the fair which was sold to raise money for charity. The following year, the artists-in-residence were Edinburgh-based visual art and illustration collective the Too Much Fun Club, and in 2016, stage artist Mike Usher from Stick Factory Projects.

Edinburgh Art Fair 2025 is at the O2 Academy, Edinburgh, from 19-21 September, with a VIP reception on 18 September. Tickets go on sale later in the spring, see www.artedinburgh.com. Applications are invited from galleries interested in exhibiting at Edinburgh Art Fair. For details, visit www.artedinburgh.com/exhibitor-info

Feature produced in association with Edinburgh Art Fair