You can help put Scots in the picture

When the Scottish National Portrait Gallery re-opens its doors next autumn, fully refurbished and packed with twice as many exhibits, he will be waiting eagerly on its front doorstep to welcome in the crowds.

The truth is, as director of the 19th century Queen Street attraction, he cannot wait.

Brimming from ear to ear as he talks about the latest phase of the fundraising campaign to bring in the necessary 17.6 million for the revamp, he insists the completed gallery will become all about the people; and not just those hanging on its walls.

"I think there is a perception that if you go to an art gallery and you do not like something, then somehow you are thick," he says.

"But that should not be the case. There is no reason for people to feel intimidated by the Portrait Gallery. We want them to realise they are part of the collections - this is their history."

And what better way for them to feel that than by seeing themselves, their loved ones, work colleagues and neighbours smiling out from its walls.

Launched today, James cannot hide his excitement about the gallery's Put Yourself in the Picture project, a fundraising scheme that allows ordinary people a chance to have their portraits appear alongside some of the nation's most celebrated figures, from Bonnie Prince Charlie to Sir Walter Scott.

For just 50, photographs can be submitted, allowing them to then form part of a five-year, giant digital exhibition, offering a true reflection of Scotland's people through the years to the modern day - all part of James' determination to redefine the gallery for the 21st century.

"This allows people to give something back to Scotland," Susan Diamond, head of fundraising, explains.

"Not only are people helping to fund the gallery, but they are becoming part of it."

Susan and her team have already collected a handful of submissions to kick-start the project, which will go online from tomorrow before it moves to a large interactive screen in the gallery when it re-opens next year. Each picture will have a unique code so visitors can search for their entry when they arrive, or they can just enjoy watching the screen as the photographs are shown in an endless sequence.

A short explanation of each picture will be given by the person who donates it.

From those already submitted, there is one that pays tribute to a set of Edinburgh grandparents who helped their now grown-up granddaughter make the most memorable Hallowe'en costume of her childhood. In the picture, arms stretched out, the girl is hidden under a bat outfit; her proud grandparents standing behind her at their front door. "Thank you Gran and Grandpa for always being there," it reads.

In another picture, with seven girls smiling widely in fancy dress, its owner thanks her friends for a brilliant weekend away in Dublin. "Imagine us being in the National Portrait Gallery now," it reads. "Best friends forever!"

"There are loads of reasons why people may want to do this," says Susan. "Either as a gift for someone, or to celebrate an occasion. I think there will be many funny and touching reasons."

It is obvious how hard James and Susan, along with their team of colleagues, have been working on this project.

They talk about the need to move with the times, not only by ensuring the gallery is relevant to modern Scots, but by making sure its technology is up to date. Put Yourself in the Picture is just part of that, as are their plans to introduce interactive audio software and photographs to the gallery, allowing the stories behind every portrait to be fully appreciated and its modern relevance explored.

"I think there is only a partial understanding of the gallery," smiles James. "It's like it's an old motorbike that has been firing on two cylinders, but it needs to be six.

"We want to alter this. I think many people remember coming as a child and that is it. The gallery is about more than just portraits and we want people to unlock the stories behind the people featured."

Sitting on a pile of building material in the centre of a hall in the National Gallery on the Mound, James chats as workmen are busy around him, hanging paintings that will eventually be moved to the Portrait Gallery once work there is completed.

It's a taster of an exhibition which will show paintings of many of Scotland's leading lights who have helped shape the country. Appropriately, it is entitled A Portrait of a Nation and is the centrepiece of the refurbishment project.

Around him are carefully hung portraits of the likes of Adam Ferguson, a key figure in the Scottish Enlightenment and Flora MacDonald, the Jacobite heroine.

"They are not just paintings though," he laughs. "They are friends!"

Shaking her head, Susan smiles as she talks about their focus on raising the 17.6m for gallery, aware that in the current economic climate, every penny from the public will count.

YOU'VE BEEN FRAMED

IF you want to feature in the refurbished Scottish National Portrait Gallery when it opens next autumn, now is your chance.

Visit www.national galleries.org/yourpicture to find out more about the Put Yourself in the Picture fundraising project.

Here you will be able to add a photograph which will then be shown to the public when the Queen Street attraction's revamp is completed.

The gallery was built in 1889 as the world's first purpose-built national portrait gallery and for more than 120 years has shown a comprehensive collection of portraits and photographs.

The building closed in April 2009 to allow its first major refurbishment to take place, restoring much of the A-listed gallery to its former glory.

The 17.6 million project has already received 4.8 million from the Heritage Lottery Fund, as well as 5.1 million from the Scottish Government. The revamp plan includes creating 50 per cent more gallery space, adding new visitor facilities and introducing a new programme where every six months something changes.