Photo: Jason Fong / Strathclyde Telegraph

Tucked away within the walls of the Glasgow Art Club, a city institution established in 1867, the 137th Annual Exhibition of the Paisley Art Institute offers visitors something quietly extraordinary: a vivid, eclectic, and deeply felt snapshot of contemporary Scottish art to celebrate the Paisley Art Institute’s 150^th Anniversary.

On entry, the Walton Room greets you with an intimate and cosy atmosphere. It’s quaint and considered; the space appears to hold the memory of all its former artworks and conversations. As you walk through the exhibition, you walk into the Mackintosh Room, flooded with natural light that lends every canvas and sculpture a shining quality. It is a beautiful open space to encounter art, really championing creativity.

The exhibition itself is a broad and eclectic range of works, bringing together styles, genres and mediums in a way that might, in lesser hands, feel scattered. Here, though, the diversity feels intentional. For all the variety on display, through the collection, there is an unmistakable underlying thread and a spirit that is identifiably, unapologetically Glaswegian. Felt acutely in the works that directly render the city back to you: like the familiarity of an acrylic rendering of the Central Station clock, iconic and instantly recognisable, felt again in the street scenes depicting roads that feel like you’ve wandered down them a million times.

A standout piece was an unexpected dogfish shark egg case, split and mounted in a framed display against gold leaf. This, although small, had a huge impact. It served as a compelling reminder that art need not always be constructed or composed from scratch. Sometimes the natural world produces its own astonishing forms, and the artist’s role is simply to recognise them and present them, offering them up for conversation.

The exhibition also had a dedicated display of award-winning works, giving prominence to Glasgow’s most talented artists, like the Emerging Artist Award for the under-35s won by Melike Kus, who created a striking multi-media portrait combining textiles and canvas, celebrating the young creative talent in Scotland.

Ultimately, this is what the Paisley Art Institute’s annual exhibition does so well. It refuses to treat Scottish art as a small scene or an ancient thing, instead positioning it as a living, evolving conversation. Walking through the sunlit Mackintosh Room on a weekend afternoon, surrounded by work made by people who clearly love this place, it is difficult not to feel that Glasgow’s creative culture is in very good hands.

Exhibition is Open for public view Monday to Saturday, 11 am to 7 pm, from Saturday 2 April to Saturday 23 May