The Henderson Gallery - situated behind the main restaurant
Visit the Henderson Gallery website here.
The Janet and Mac Gallery - Situated in the main restaurant
The Janet and Mac Gallery was officially opened by Richard Demarco, CBE, in 2008 in honour of the visionary founders of Henderson's Restaurant, in whose upper area it is situated. The couple, whose portraits by the noted Scottish artist William Crosbie can be seen at the entrance to the Gallery, were truly ahead of their time when in 1962 Janet opened first a farm shop, and then the restaurant which is synonymous the world over with Scottish vegetarian cuisine. In all this she was ably supported by farmer husband Mac who, by the time he died early in 2009 at the age of 101 had become the oldest international in the history of Rugby Union.
Mac and Demarco
The couple were also enthusiastic supporters of the arts - the clearest indication of this being the much-praised mural they commissioned from artist Ken Wolverton which adorns Henderson's Wine Bar - and so an art gallery seemed an entirely fitting tribute. In addition Henderson's has always been extremely popular with artists, writers, actors and musicians, something that continues to this day. You never quite know who you might see in Henderson's, but whoever it is you can be sure the Gallery will provide a congenial backdrop.
The current show features the work of Joyce Gunn Cairns who has developed a reputation over the last twenty years as one of the hardest working and most highly regarded artists in this country. The exhibition consists of a series of portrait drawings of some of the most significant figures in Scottish life and letters, providing an invaluable snapshot of the cultural state of the nation at the end of the first decade of the new century. The portraits, including such major figures as Tom Farmer, Alexander McCall Smith, AL Kennedy and Aly Bain, are accompanied by brief biographies written specially for this exhibition: both portraits and biographies, plus a conversation between Joyce and Julie Lawson, Chief Curator of the Scottish National Portrait Gallery are featured in the book 'Unspoken Lines', available from The Henderson Gallery where the exhibition was first shown.
The Henderson Gallery, the precursor to the Janet and Mac Gallery, is situated around the corner from Henderson's Restaurant in Thistle Street Lane. It is home to a regularly changing programme of the very best contemporary art from at home and abroad, along with gallery talks, poetry readings and other events. 54 square metres of light filled space it is available for hire for all kinds of corporate and private occasions. For all enquiries please call 0131 225 7464 or email mail@thehendersongallery.com
Meanwhile, if you would like to find out more about the fascinating lives of Janet and Mac Henderson, their biographies can be found here.
