Newburgh in Aberdeenshire is celebrating local artist James McBey over a weekend in September.
In an initiative of The James McBey Project and the Newburgh & Ythan Community Trust there will be a free two-day art exhibition at the village’s Udny Arms Hotel. James McBey: His Art, His World will showcase a selection of original works by this fascinating and much-travelled artist, and is set to include his painting Zorah: Moroccan Girl Sleeping (pictured above), exhibited in New York two years ago.
McBey was born near Newburgh in 1883 and lived a colourful and fascinating life. His death in Tangier in 1959 left behind a rich legacy of artworks inspired by his experiences in Europe, North Africa and the USA.
The Hotel was a bustling centrepiece of village life in McBey’s formative years, so it’s highly-appropriate for it to host the exhibition, during which copies of Alasdair Soussi’s biography Shadows & Light: The Extraordinary Life of James McBey will be available to purchase.
Launched in January 2024, the James McBey Project promotes McBey’s legacy, and has been responsible for several local initiatives including the erection of threshold road-signs, tourist information leaflets and a tourist trail. 21st – 23rd November will see an exhibition in Newburgh Village Hall of McBey works of significance to the area.
