‘Mara’ – The first exhibition of works by the Lewis born painter Malcolm Macdonald.

In the main gallery, 27 an Dàmhair October – 22 an t-Samhain November 2008.

An Lanntair is delighted to be exhibiting some of the outstanding works of one of the first trained visual artists from the Western Isles.

In 1900 a young student from Lewis, Malcolm Macdonald, enrolled in the Glasgow School of Art. He had been brought up in Stornoway with parents who were both from Uig. His father was a boat builder and throughout his life Malcolm continued to show a strong attachment to the sea, ships and his native Gaelic background. (He was nicknamed ‘Mara’ because of his love of all things Gaelic and maritime). On completing his studies in Glasgow he went on to study at the École des Beaux-Artes in Paris. He then returned to Lewis where he lived and worked until he emigrated to Canada in 1909. He produced a number of fine oil paintings of Lewis including the dramatic 'The Uig Coast' and 'The Open Sea', as well as paintings of Stornoway Harbour, Luachair, Bayble Island, the Shiants and many sailing ships.