The Upstairs Basement
TEMPORARY EXHIBITIONS & WORK SPACE
Opening hours: Wednesday to Sunday 12-5pm
and by appointment
James Strachan
My Teacher
7th - 29th March
Opening event Saturday 7th March 6-8pm
Inverclyde based James Strachan is a figurative painter working between memory, place and human presence.
Strachan’s practice bridges historical imagery and contemporary life, constructing layered visual narratives shaped by landscape, community and lived experience.
Rooted in classical oil painting traditions his work combines technical discipline with psychological depth.
his artistic foundations were shaped by the mentorship of Norman B Edgar, instilling in him a lasting respect for disciple and artistic responsibility - values that would later define his own role as a teacher.
image: Self Portrait © James Strachan
In typical Wyllie style George didn’t call his making space his “studio” but plainly referred to it as “the basement”
Situated in the undercroft of the family home in Gourock and overflowed into the garden overlooking the Clyde Estuary, as does the Wyllieum.
We titled our community making space “The Upstairs Basement” in tribute.
As well as being a making space, the Upstairs Basement features a rolling exhibition programme.
Further details of our 2026 programme will be announced soon.
The view over The Clyde from George Wyllie's garden