The archival and bibliographical research of this project highlighted that the Paisley School of Arts was the vision for a new arts education proposed by the Paisley Philosophical Institution in 1836 🔗. However, the proposal proposal was rejected and arguably has never been realised in Paisley. Yet, due to the similar names given to local art schools in later years, the Paisley School of Arts is often confused with Paisley Government School of Design (est. 1848), Paisley School of Art (est. 1852), Government School of Science and Art (est. 1870), Paisley Technical School (est. 1897), Paisley Technical College/Polytechnic (est. 1950), University of Paisley (est. 1992) and University of the West of Scotland (est. 2020).

Here is the excerpt from the new statistical account of Scotland volume 7 published in 1837 discussing the proposal of the Paisley School of Arts.

School of Arts.-In such a manufacturing community as this, much advantage would arise from the institution of a school of arts or of design. It would foster native talent, and encourage a taste for the drawing of elegant patterns. Lectures on the department of design, and on the general principles of taste might be given; and thus the belles lettres and philosophy might be made to pay homage to the genius of manufacturing industry. A repository for inventions, patterns, models, &c. might also be formed on the plan of the admirable agricultural institution of this kind at Stirling, so creditable to the Messrs Drummond. We rejoice that the plan of a school of arts been seriously proposed here, and that several gentlemen of enterprise and capital in the town have resolved to give it their most deliberate attention” (1837, p.294).

This proposal recognised the context of Paisley of the time, but also suggested the importance of lectures on design but also aesthetics, literature and philosophy to truly honour the values of the creative practices that Paisley owned. In contrast, since 1835, the British government intervened art education through its select committee on arts and manufacturing, and franchised standardised it under the government school of design, and the Paisley government school of design was established in December 1848 as part of the government initiative. The focus on the practical art remained throughout succeeding art schools in Paisley, for example, Laws and Regulations of the Paisley Government School of Art from 1860, confirms that it has a particular focus on "the study and practice of Ornamental Composition, as applicable to Manufactures" (p.3).

Ye artists, stand up for the moral worth, dignity, and grandeur of your pursuits, and let no cry for scientific education trample you beneath its feet, as if your profession were only ornamental and amusing (Fraser, 1870).

There were a couple of newspaper articles from the 1870s that illuminated what lacked in the art education (mainly technical design) provided by the school. Firstly, the Paisley Herald and Renfrewshire Advertise on 19 November 1870, featured an article titled 'The Old Radical and the Paisley School of Arts' by Mr John Fraser who was a weaver, teacher and social justice activist. In his article, Fraser stressed the importance of moral values in arts while visiting a showcase by the government school's art students. Also, he questioned why such education was not offered to female students. It must have been a typo but seeing 'arts' instead of 'art' in the article reminds of the vision of the Paisley School of Arts.

The other article was published on 24 February 1877 by the Paisley Herald and Renfrewshire Advertiser and it was a report of "the first conversation of the Paisley Art Institute" at the school of art. It shared a concern of art students discontinuing their art upon leaving the school, and it stated the objectives of this new art institute as "the encouragement of art studies, and the promotion of a taste for art, by which means as monthly conversations, lectures, and exhibitions of works of art." The need of understanding aesthetics, attending lectures and participating crits is closer to the 1836's proposal for the Paisley School of Arts than what the government school of design and its successors taught. It can be argued that technical trainings alone cannot prepare students for their professional careers, but the knowledge of aesthetics, literature, philosophy would better prepare for their creative vocations and break the barriers between educational institutions and outside organisations.

According to a local historian, Evelyn Hood, another vision of arts education was put forwards in October 1892 by Sheriff Hugh Cowan, a chairman of the Brough Trust which led the development of the Paisley Technical School (1997). Cowan came back from his visit to North American Institutions including MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) and his vision was to optimise the new school for future collaborations with external bodies to "provide a source of revenue while linking the school to the life and work of the community" (Hood, 1997, p.22). Unfortunately, yet again again another progressive vision of arts education was rejected.

(from the Special Collections at the University of the West of Scotland)

The literature and archival materials inform that what Paisley deserved and what Paisley was offered in terms of arts education, did not match, and following the changes by the British government in arts education, costed a Paisley's local school of art, but also the visions shared by the philosophical institution (1836), John Fraser (1870), Paisley Art Institute (1877) failed to be adapted by arts educational institutions in Paisley including the University of the West of Scotland where the researchers of this project teach. From an educator's perspective, the historical proposal of Paisley School of Arts is still relevant to what Paisley deserves and this historical significance should be shared and debated to see a new school of arts that recognises and inspires creative minds in Paisley.