Glengoyne Single Malt has commissioned John Lowrie Morrison OBE, or Jolomo as he is better known, to paint a collection of seasonal paintings inspired by the distillery.
Each of the four paintings will then be printed on limited edition whisky gift tins and released annually, with Glengoyne making a donation to the appeal, to help The Glasgow School of Art recover in the aftermath of the 2014 blaze in the Mackintosh building.
‘Autumn Moon over Glengoyne’, the first in the series from the painter, was officially unveiled today (10 October) at The Glasgow School of Art in Renfrew Street.
Each of the remaining three paintings will be released annually leading up to 2019, when The Mackintosh Campus Appeal is due to conclude.
The four-year collaboration is expected to raise approximately £50,000 for the Appeal.
Nestled into Dumgoyne Hill and with the mountains of Loch Lomond in the distance, Glengoyne is located just 14 miles north of Glasgow, and sits on the border between Highland and Lowland whisky regions.
The limited edition tins, each containing a bottle of the classic 10 Year Old from Glengoyne, will be available to buy online for £35.49 from www.glengoyne.com, from the distillery shop and specialist and independent retailers.
Neil Boyd, Commercial Director for Glengoyne, said: “This is a wonderful collaboration and one which we are very proud to be part of. As one of Glasgow’s local whisky distilleries, we wanted to contribute to the recovery of this iconic building, helping to secure its legacy and future creative talent.
“Jolomo has been very enthusiastic about the project since the start and his first painting was completed earlier this year, inspired by autumn, with shades of orange and gold bursting from the canvas. As well as a number of limited edition whisky tins, the image will also be available in print from our website and distillery shop.
“We believe the Glengoyne 10 Year Old limited edition Jolomo whisky tins have global appeal and we will be working closely with the team at The Glasgow School of Art in launching the limited edition tins internationally.”
A former student at The Glasgow School of Art, John Lowrie Morrison was immediately drawn to the project given his history with the school and his desire to help restore the damaged building.
Jolomo said: “When I was asked to be involved in this project with Glengoyne and The GSA, I jumped at the chance, not just because it was for our dear Mack’s restoration but because in 1967 when I was in my first year at the GSA, I spent some time sketching along the old Blane Valley Railway Line near my parent’s hut at Carbeth.
“Also in 1971, I won a Landscape Scholarship from The Royal Academy Schools London and spent part of my Scholarship time drawing and painting Dumgoyne Hill which I used for the painting. I just love the way the past connects with the present.”
Alan Horn, Director of Development who set up The Mackintosh Campus Appeal following the fire in 2014 to provide philanthropic support to enable the school to recover, said: “We are delighted that Glengoyne has chosen to support The Mackintosh Campus Appeal through this project, and also delighted to continue our relationship with Jolomo who has already generously supported it in a variety of ways since 2014.
"The project to restore the Mackintosh Building authentically and sympathetically is a project that has great local significance but one which has also attracted huge international interest. We are most grateful that Glengoyne has chosen to make a financial commitment to this great endeavour over the next few years, and look forward to working with them and Jolomo.”
