The Dunbar ceramic collection

THE NAME of the late Sandy Dunbar, former director of the Scottish Arts Council, will live on thanks to an initiative of Aberdeen Art Gallery. His collection of some 180 ceramic works is to be dsplayed in open shelving in the Gallery, inviting visitors to pick up and handle them in a display called All Fired Up.

As the Gallery puts it: "The gift was made on the understanding that each piece could be handled by visitors to the Gallery. The display is a new addition to the bp Galleries on the top floor of the Art Gallery. It has been curated for audiences of different ages and levels of interest to explore the art and science of ceramics.

"One section is displayed at low level and is targeted at family visitors, who are invited to explore the shapes, textures, patterns and finishes of the pots, and find out about the techniques the potters used to make them.

"The majority of the collection is displayed on open shelving which evokes a potter's studio. The shelves are packed with pots of all shapes, sizes and finishes, from rustic earthenware and stoneware to delicate porcelain. Some are decorative, some are functional, from jugs and plates to jars and cheese dishes. In the Seminar Room visitors can find more ceramics and discover more about the potters and their techniques in a selection of reference books."

Aberdeen Art Gallery, Schoolhill, Aberdeen AB10 1FQ Open Monday – Saturday, 10am-5pm and Sunday 11am-4pm. Admission free. For visiting information go to www.aagm.co.uk