City Art Centre reveals exhibitions programme for 2026

More information on the individual shows, including educational events, will be announced at the beginning of the year.

Mona Yoo

7 March - 12 April 2026

Edinburgh-based Mona Yoo’s work is driven by extensive on-site research into a specific place - exploring its architecture, use history and physical and anecdotal traces of its past.

In 2025 Yoo was invited to delve into the history of City Art Centre - from its early years as the production site for the Scotsman newspaper, to the architectural plans for the transformation into an art centre in the late 1970s and the exhibitions and events that have taken place since then. The result is a multi-media, multi-sensory installation that brings together new sculptural works and interventions with items selected from the city’s collections - all within a constructed framework that reimagines the fourth-floor space and evokes echoes of the past.

Jean F. Watson: An Artistic Legacy 

16 May - 4 October 2026

Jean Fletcher Watson (1877-1974) was an Edinburgh resident who had a significant impact on the city’s cultural heritage. During the 1960s and 1970s she presented a series of financial donations to the City of Edinburgh to develop a collection of Scottish art. Since then, the Jean F. Watson Bequest Fund has enabled the acquisition of more than 1,000 artworks.

This exhibition celebrates Watson’s vision and generosity, showcasing a selection of historic and contemporary artworks from the collection. Featured artists include: William Fettes Douglas, Arthur Melville, Charles Hodge Mackie, JD Fergusson, Anne Redpath, Eric Schilsky, Joan Eardley, James Cumming, Eduardo Paolozzi, Elizabeth Blackadder, Will Maclean, Alison Watt and Leena Nammari.

Sandra George

30 May - 27 September 2026

Sandra George (1957-2013) was born in Nottingham and raised in Jamaica, before returning to the UK to live firstly in Birmingham and then Edinburgh. It was here that she lived for the rest of her life, working as a photographer and community worker across the city from the 1980s until her untimely death in 2013.

George centred community education in all areas of her work, developing and documenting the broad range of projects she worked on and initiated across the city. Her work foregrounds social activism, disability rights and youth empowerment, as well as exploring her own family and identity – sharing her rare perspective as a black female photographer in Scotland at this time.

The exhibition will be accompanied by a new publication, the first dedicated to the artist’s work.

Rachel McBrinn & Jonathan Webb: Betwixt Nor’loch and Physick Gardens (working title)

18 July - 13 September 2026

Betwixt Nor’loch and Physick Gardens is a new moving image commission from artists Rachel McBrinn and Jonathan Webb which responds to Edinburgh’s North Bridge. Following in a tradition of artworks commissioned by the city to document and commemorate one of Edinburgh’s most historically significant landmarks, the film places the bridge’s current restoration in its historical context, from its original build in the 1760s and the political and social backdrop of the developing city around it.

This work is part of a series of arts legacy projects commissioned by the City of Edinburgh Council on the occasion of the North Bridge refurbishment.

Gifted: New Acquisitions at the City Art Centre

12 September 2026 - 6 June 2027

The City of Edinburgh’s collection of fine art is recognised as one of national significance. Containing more than 5,000 individual artworks, it charts the history of the visual arts in Scotland from the 17th century to present day. The collection continues to grow every year, with new acquisitions filling historical gaps and introducing contemporary talents. Many of these artworks are generously donated by artists, cultural organisations and members of the public.

Gifted: New Acquisitions at the City Art Centre presents a selection of recent gifts and bequests to the collection. The exhibition showcases paintings, drawings, sculptures, prints and photographs, including work by Wilhelmina Barns-Graham, John Bellany, Robert Blomfield, Victoria Crowe, Ian Hamilton Finlay, Jessie M. King, Bet Low, Joseph Noel Paton and Robin Philipson. 

Ade Adesina

7 November 2026 - 11 April 2027

A major solo show by Aberdeen-based printmaker Ade Adesina, bringing together an expansive collection of Adesina’s monumental woodcuts, etchings, linocuts and screenprints. Displayed alongside will be a series of works Adesina has made in collaboration with other artists, and a newly commissioned work produced specially for the exhibition.

Kenneth Dingwall: Being

21 November 2026 - 7 March 2027

Kenneth Dingwall’s work explores how form, colour and surface can create an independent presence, while relating to human experience and shared sensations. This major retrospective by the contemporary Edinburgh-based artist will span 60 years of his abstract drawings, paintings, prints and constructions.

Kenneth Dingwall (b.1938, Devonside, Clackmannanshire) studied at Edinburgh College of Art in the 1950s. Having spent his working life balancing his artistic practice with teaching at colleges in Scotland, France and the United States, he eventually returned to his Edinburgh studio in 2003 to focus full-time on painting. Dingwall’s work has been exhibited widely and is held in several private, public and corporate collections across Europe and the United States.

Kenneth Dingwall: Being brings together around 60 artworks from public and private collections across the UK, including works from the artist’s studio, some of which have never been seen before. The exhibition will be accompanied by a new publication Kenneth Dingwall: Being (Sansom & Co, 2026), which features essays by art historians Professor Natalie Adamson, Professor Duncan Macmillan and Dr Alistair Rider, plus background notes from Dingwall’s personal sketchbooks giving insights to his working methods.

Culture and Communities Convener Margaret Graham said:

I’m delighted to unveil the City Art Centre’s 2026 programme, which promises to bring a range of talented artists to Edinburgh.

Mona Yoo’s research into the history and architecture of the City Art Centre is set to be a major highlight, and I look forward to seeing it come to life in a new exhibition.

The Centre remains one of the most iconic venues for art enthusiasts in the city. It is home to Edinburgh’s art collection – one of the finest in the country – and it’s exciting that it’s past has now been explored in greater depth.

With a programme packed with exciting exhibitions and events, there truly is something for everyone to enjoy. It’s a wonderful opportunity to reconnect with beloved artists and perhaps discover some new favourites.