Two major national touring art exhibitions featuring work by some of Scotland’s most celebrated artists have arrived at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde hospitals.
The exhibitions, featuring works by Royal Scottish Academy (RSA) Academicians and award winners, have been installed at the New Victoria Hospital in Glasgow and the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley this week and will be on display until 10 January 2027.
Across the two hospitals, 34 artworks are on display in public areas used every day by patients, visitors and staff, with 23 pieces exhibited across four dedicated gallery spaces on Level 2 of the New Victoria Hospital and 11 works displayed in the dining room at the Royal Alexandra Hospital.
The exhibitions form part of the Royal Scottish Academy’s 200th anniversary celebrations and have been developed through a unique collaboration between NHS arts programmes and creative health organisations from across Scotland.
Jackie Sands, Health Improvement Senior (Arts and Health) at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, said: “We’re delighted to bring these exhibitions to the New Victoria Hospital and Royal Alexandra Hospital as part of the Royal Scottish Academy’s bicentenary celebrations.
“Even before they officially opened, patients, visitors and staff were stopping to admire the artworks and share their thoughts on different pieces. That immediate response shows the power art has to capture people’s imagination, brighten spaces and create moments of connection.
“As the darker months begin to draw in, these works bring colour, vibrancy and inspiration into our hospital spaces. Looking at the world through the eyes of talented artists is a gift, and we’re proud to be able to share that experience with patients, visitors, staff and local communities.”
The project highlights the growing recognition of the role art can play in supporting health and wellbeing. Research has shown that access to visual art in healthcare settings can help reduce anxiety, encourage reflection and improve people’s experience of care.
Curated around themes including identity, place, nature and colour, the artworks offer moments of comfort, connection and positive distraction for people experiencing illness, stress or uncertainty.
One of the featured works is a snowdrop photograph from NHSGGC’s own collection by the artist Graham Fagen RSA – Untitled (2014) Medium: 100 Flowers photograph. The piece forms part of the board’s 100 Flowers collection, which was developed for the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital and Royal Hospital for Children to bring the beauty of flowers into healthcare settings when visitors can no longer bring flowers to loved ones.
Jackie added: “Arts and creativity have an important role to play in supporting health and wellbeing. High-quality visual art can help create environments that feel more welcoming and less stressful, benefiting patients, visitors, staff and local communities alike.
“We chose to host exhibitions in both a city hospital and a hospital in our Clyde sector to make sure as many people as possible could experience these remarkable works.
“We’d encourage anyone visiting the New Victoria Hospital or Royal Alexandra Hospital over the coming months, whether they’re attending an appointment, visiting a loved one or coming to work, to take a few extra moments to explore the exhibitions and enjoy these wonderful artworks.”
The exhibitions also reflect NHSGGC’s commitment as an Anchor Organisation, using its spaces and assets in ways that bring wider benefits to the communities it serves. By opening up access to nationally significant artworks within hospital settings, Jackie and her team are creating opportunities for cultural engagement in places that people visit every day.
The RSA200 Art for Health Exhibition Tour is the first project of its kind, bringing together hospital arts programmes and creative health organisations from across Scotland to share significant artworks from healthcare collections with audiences nationwide.
Arts leads from health boards and creative health organisations have worked together for more than a year to curate and select the artworks for the tour, which is travelling between healthcare settings in Edinburgh, Forth Valley, Dundee, Aberdeen, Dumfries and Galloway, Glasgow and Paisley during the RSA’s anniversary year.
Founded in 1826, the Royal Scottish Academy was established to support art and architecture in Scotland, and its elected Academicians continue to play a major role in shaping the country’s cultural landscape today.
In 2026 the Royal Scottish Academy celebrates its 200th anniversary with RSA200: Celebrating Together. This partnership project brings hundreds of artists, partners, galleries and institutions together for an extraordinary year of exhibitions, events and performances.
