Dynamic art by Glasgow pioneer on display in Leamington

Keep Up: New Work by Jacqueline Donachie opens at the gallery at the Pump Room today (Friday) and runs until November 16.

The Glasgow-based artist has forged an international reputation for a socially-engaged art practice, with a special interest in healthcare and bio-medical research.

A graduate of the Glasgow School of Art’s influential Environmental Art Department, Jacqueline was one of a group of artists who brought the city to the forefront of the UK’s contemporary art scene during the 1990s.

This new exhibition includes a multi-media piece, Weight, which the gallery has been displaying since 2012 after acquiring it through the Contemporary Art Society’s Acquisition Scheme. Crossing sculpture, drawings and photographs, the artwork resonates visually with some of the medical treatments that used to take place in the Pump Room, although its original concept was in response to the condition muscular dystrophy.

Visitors to the gallery will also be able to see a new piece which Jacqueline has created especially for the exhibition.

The artist herself will be giving an hour-long Friday Focus Extra talk about her collection, along with Professor Chris Dorsett, on October 24 from 1pm. Exhibition curator Alice Swatton will also be giving a talk at a Friday Focus session on September 26 at 1pm. Attendance is free.

Entry to the exhibition is also free. Opening hours are Tuesday to Saturday, 10.30am to 5pm and Sundays and bank holidays, 11am to 4pm. To find out more and see the full Friday Focus programme for the autumn, visit www.warwickdc.gov.uk/royalpumprooms