GoMA at a glance: A collection in focus

This book explores 50 of the key artworks acquired by the curators of Glasgow’s Gallery of Modern Art for city’s collection over the past 30 years. Written in an informal style, it discusses the ethos behind the museum’s early acquisitions and the subsequent shift in collecting strategy to better reflect the unique cultural and artistic place that Glasgow is, thanks to the world-renowned Glasgow School of Art and the opportunities to see visual art that the city provides to its citizens, students and visitors alike. 

The impact of the gallery’s social justice programmes and its focus on learning and engagement is unpacked, as is the dark history behind the original building, constructed as a home for one of Glasgow’s tobacco lords. As the curators reflected on the gallery’s first 30 years of existence, they looked back across the more than 200 exhibitions held to date and have picked some of the most seminal shows, acknowledging GoMA’s importance in the cultural landscape of Scotland. 

With a foreword by the Glaswegian author Louise Welsh, looking at what the gallery has meant to her as a visitor, the book offers readers a contemporary take on Glasgow’s own fabulous art collection

About the authors: 

Katie Bruce has worked with GoMA since 2002 and has an expanded curatorial practice working primarily with socially engaged artists. Martin McSheaffrey-Craig joined GoMA in 2012. He has a broad practice with a particular interest in Sculpture and Installation.

• Publisher: Glasgow Museums Publishing
• Author: Katie Bruce, Producer Curator, and Martin McSheaffrey-Craig, Curator of Art Post 1945, Glasgow Life Museums, with a foreword by Louise Welsh
• Publishing in October 2026, 136pp text + 4pp cover paperback, 173 x 173mm, square 
•  ISBN: ISBN 978-1-908638-51-9