Cove Park is pleased to announce details of ‘The Patrons’, a major new work by Glasgow-based artist Alex Frost, commissioned by Cove Park for GENERATION: 25 Years of Contemporary Art in Scotland. This work will be shown on site from Saturday 21 June and builds upon recent public commissions by the artist.

Visitors will be welcome on site to see the work every Friday afternoon from 27 June – 26 September 2014, 12noon – 5.00pm. Alternatively, please contact Cove Park directly to make a special appointment to visit. During this time, Cove Park will also host a series of special talks and events on Friday afternoons, linked both to the commission and to the work of our artists in residence.

Cove Park is located on Argyll and Bute’s Rosneath peninsula, amid Loch Long, the Firth of Clyde and the Gareloch, just one hour west of Glasgow. The peninsula’s development is closely intertwined with that of the city. It is an area that is historically rich, both in terms of its naval and maritime importance and as a location that has attracted and hosted artists: from painters associated with the ‘Glasgow Boys’, and architects such as Alexander ‘Greek’ Thompson and Edwin Lutyens in the nineteenth century, to Cove Park itself, one of the UK’s leading artist residency centres.

Reflecting upon this history, and on historical and contemporary notions of patronage, ‘The Patrons’ will focus upon the Kibble Palace, an impressive glasshouse built by Glasgow merchant John Kibble for his grounds at nearby Coulport House and donated to Glasgow’s Botanic Gardens as a ‘Palace of Art’ in 1873.

This commission has been generously supported by The Elephant Trust and Outset Scotland, a new philanthropic network dedicated to the support of contemporary art..