Exhibitions

Update on the exhibition ‘Matthew Arthur Williams: In Consideration of Our Times’

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Date: Wednesday 20 March 2024

In a letter addressed to the Board of Directors of Stills, Matthew Arthur Williams has detailed his concerns over the organisation’s receipt of funding from Baillie Gifford. While Stills has a funding relationship with Baillie Gifford, Matthew has said he will withhold his work from the photography centre’s exhibitions and programming.

Stills is disappointed that this means work with Matthew will be postponed for the foreseeable future and are saddened that the exhibition of Matthew’s work, in development for two years, will now not open as planned on Friday 22 March 2024. We will continue to follow the developments in Matthew’s practice and his contribution to the visual arts in Scotland with great interest. To exhibition visitors, we apologise for the change in our programme plans. We will share a revised gallery schedule as soon as possible.

Stills receives £25,000 per year from Baillie Gifford and the money goes towards the running of the Stills School education programme, a free, alternative photography school for 16-25 year olds that experience barriers to accessing the arts. The School is a major part of the work Stills carries out in fulfilling its charitable objects. Currently, without the support from Baillie Gifford, Stills would be unable to run the school. In the short-term, Stills remains committed to delivering the Stills School with Baillie Gifford’s support.

Stills respects and thanks Matthew for raising his concerns. The discussion that his letter has initiated amongst the staff and board team at Stills will continue. Stills aims to be involved in wider discussion around the complexities of arts funding and how to evolve its funding relationships.

For all enquiries related to this, please email hello@stills.org