We’ve got a new look. New colours, new logo, new shorter gallery names. And it’s all to encourage more people to discover what we have to offer.  

The vast majority of our visitors tell us that the experience was inspiring and gave them a sense of wellbeing. But we also know that many people may not think about visiting an art gallery. They think that galleries are not ‘for them’. We want to change that. Because we know the powerful impact that art can have on our lives – in creating shared experiences, starting conversations on issues facing our society or simply providing a moment of joy or calm.  

‘powerful impact that art can have’

Visualisation to demonstrate the logo concept

We wanted to develop a brand that feels contemporary and relevant, projecting the power of art in imaginative and engaging ways. 

Our new visual identity is just one part of our mission to make art work for everyone. We hope that it will make people stop, think and consider trying us out. Lots of people from all sorts of backgrounds have given us their thoughts on the new look. They’ve said it better demonstrates how youthful, exciting and inclusive we are as an organisation.

‘youthful, exciting and inclusive’ 

Potential digital advertising design

The new logo and designs evoke the idea of discovery and different perspectives. When we were talking to people during the process, two things became clear.  

• Firstly, that many didn’t know about the world-class art collection right here in Scotland, and that – importantly – it belongs to the people of Scotland.

• Secondly, people have a wide array of experiences and emotions when they visit us  – from relaxing moments in front of the art, socialising in the cafés to taking their kids to run about in our grounds.  

People can literally have their own experience and take from it whatever they want – all perspectives are welcome. The new logo and designs use layers and a 3-dimensional perspective to convey this in subtle ways. There is also a new ‘Yours to Discover’ tagline.

‘evoke the idea of discovery and different perspectives’ 

We’ll be using plenty of vibrant colours. We’re an energetic organisation with lots going on and a vast array of art and colours on our walls. 

New logos and our vibrant colour palette

We are still very much the National Galleries of Scotland, but we have shortened our gallery names. Previously our three galleries were called the Scottish National Gallery, Scottish National Portrait Gallery and the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art. Quite a mouthful. Now they are simply National, Portrait and Modern. We did this because we want to promote the National Galleries of Scotland as a family of galleries and also to highlight the distinctive identities of our three galleries. The shorter names allow us to do that, being snappier and more memorable for visitors than the previous longer names. Audience research found that people support this change and thought it was easier to remember and more modern – exactly what we want. 

This year is certainly going to be one not to miss at the National Galleries of Scotland. We will be opening our stunning new galleries at the National, creating the perfect home for the world’s greatest collection of Scottish art. We will also be bringing you the biggest ever exhibitions by Grayson Perry and Alberta Whittle – two incredibly important artists, demonstrating the breadth of what we have to offer across our galleries. These artists invite you to think about very big and relevant issues through their work. We will also be continuing to work with local communities, people with dementia, young people in care and schools.

Thanks for reading. We hope you’ll come and visit us soon or enjoy some the content on our website, YouTube channel and social media (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram).