Biography
Founded in 1998, Ingleby maintains an ambitious programme of exhibitions and off-site projects by established and emerging artists. Tt has secured a reputation as one of the country’s leading private galleries, renowned for the quality of its exhibitions and publications. The gallery represents artists of international standing, whilst also introducing and supporting artists at earlier stages in their career.
On May 12 of 2018 Ingleby celebrated its 20th birthday by opening a new gallery in a historic building in central Edinburgh. The Glasite Meeting House is a category A listed former place of worship of the small Scottish religious sect known as the Glasites, named after the Reverend John Glas who broke away from the Church of Scotland in 1732. The main tenet of their belief was that the Word of the Lord was as written in the scriptures, therefore the building was never consecrated as there is no mention of such in the bible. Similarly, weddings, funerals and baptisms had no place, psalms were sung, but never hymns, and there was no superfluous decoration or art of any kind.
The Edinburgh Meeting House was designed by Alexander Black in 1834, with building begun in the following year, becoming the largest and most elaborate of the thirty or so Meeting Houses in Scotland. The Glasite Church was known colloquially as the Kale Kirk, in recognition of the communal meal of kale soup that would be served during their all-day services. The last service took place in November 1989 and since then the building has been in the care of the Cockburn Conservation Trust and latterly the Scottish Historic Buildings Trust. Ingleby gallery, whilst recognising that John Glas himself might not fully approve, was very glad to bring this extraordinary building back into public use.
