Supporting Future Talent
We are proud to partner with the Edinburgh College of Art, offering students a range of benefits including private tours, live auction experience, award schemes and more.
Edinburgh College of Art (ECA) has always been recognised as a hub of experimentation and collaboration, fostering an environment where students from diverse disciplines can collaborate and work alongside each other. The institution has a rich history, with roots tracing back to the Trustees' Academy, established in the 1760s.
In 1906, ECA underwent a major re-organisation and became known as Edinburgh College of Art. It was governed by the city Council and comprised four Schools: Drawing and Painting, Design and Crafts, Architecture, and Sculpture. ECA's Fine Art degree, jointly established with the University in 1946, combined art practice and art history.
In 2011, ECA officially merged with the University of Edinburgh, consolidating architecture, art, history of art, design, and music into one institution. This merger also led to the establishment of the University of Edinburgh Art Collection, combining works from the University's existing collection and ECA's collection of prints, drawings, paintings, and sculpture.
As part of a long-term partnership with the College, we offer fourth year History of Art the opportunity to come and see behind the scenes at an auction house; exploring the journey of an object from valuation to cataloguing and condition reporting, taking part in a mock auction and experiencing the real thing on our Scottish Paintings & Sculpture auction day, students gain invaluable knowledge from our passionate team of specialists.
The Graduate Showcase Award
Here at Lyon & Turnbull we have an established history of supporting Scotland’s art institutions and art practitioners in the form of prizes, awards and sponsorship.
Recognising how important and scarce opportunities are immediately post-graduation, we were keen to expand our remit to offer a platform to an emerging, early career artist. Specifically, we wanted to provide an opportunity for a graduate to further their practice over the course of the crucial twelve-month period after they leave university. Our aim was to design not so much a prize as an opportunity; something that would provide impetus, structure and incentive. In 2017 we launched our new award, the Lyon & Turnbull Graduate Showcase Award.
Each year, fine art specialists Charlotte Riordan and Carly Shearer select a graduate from the Edinburgh College of Art’s undergraduate degree show for the Lyon & Turnbull Graduate Showcase award. The recipient of the award takes up a sponsored week-long residency with the Bothy Project. Located on the Isle of Eigg, Sweeney's Bothy was designed by architect Iain MacLeod & artist Bobby Niven in collaboration with artist Alec Finlay as part of Creative Scotland’s Year of Natural Scotland 2013. Here, the artist spends a week in splendid isolation to focus on developing and documenting their practice.
The prize culminates in a showcase of their work the following summer, consisting of a profile-raising exhibition of the artist’s work in our flagship Edinburgh saleroom during public viewing of our August Contemporary Art and Prints & Multiples auctions.
We are delighted to be supporting the work of the next generation of artistic talent.
