The Galleries building was bought in 1951 and a committee of
local people were responsible for raising the money needed to buy
the building and do the alterations that changed the former house,
'Gracefield' into an Art Gallery.
The first exhibition staged was in conjuncture with the Festival
of Britain celebrations marking an important development of
cultural interest in the area.
The gallery became the home for a collection of paintings owned
by the Dumfriesshire Educational Trust and over the years, many new
pictures have been bought, gifted or loaned to the
Collection.
In 1975 the Gallery became the responsibility of the Dumfries
and Galloway Regional Council, and was managed by the Regional
Education Department and the Gracefield Arts Centre Board of
Management. They instigated a complete refurbishment programme
providing a high standard of exhibition space and security as
befits such a collection of paintings. By 1995 the management had
moved once more, with the event of the Unitary Authority Dumfries
and Galloway Council and Gracefield is now operated by the
department for Education and Community Services. In recent years
funds from the Council have enabled further renovation of the
Gallery and promoted an active programme of outreach exhibitions to
complement the core Gracefield exhibition programme as well as
continued conservation and research work.
