University of Edinburgh student, Neha Sayeed has joined the team at Summerlee Museum as part of a History of Art degree to research artist, Amelia Frood – a Lanarkshire artist, born in Motherwell in 1900.
Neha chose to research Frood as part of her university placement, and teaming up with the curators at Summerlee Museum gave her access to many lost or forgotten artists.
‘I chose Amelia Frood as the focus of my research as she is a strong female artist from the past, who perhaps didn’t get the recognition her work deserves. This is an area I find particularly fascinating.’
Amelia Frood, also known as Millie, was a student at Glasgow School of Art from 1919-1922 and later taught at Bellshill Academy. She was part of a movement in the 1930s that revitalised the arts in Scotland after World War II, exhibiting her work with Royal Scottish Academy and Royal Scottish Watercolours.
Frood’s distinctive expressionist landscapes and townscapes in thick paint and bold colours make her an artist well ahead of her time. While she did not receive the recognition she deserved during her lifetime, her paintings were later exhibited in America and Japan.
Summerlee Museum has two pieces of artwork by Frood, including Turning Hay (pictured).
Frood was also one of the thirteen founding members of the New Scottish Group and a regular exhibiter of the New Art Club.
Due to the lack of indepth records on the artist, Neha is reaching out to family, friends, and any members of the community who may have information on the Motherwell artist and the New Scottish Group, so that Frood’s contributions to Scottish art may be recognised and celebrated.
‘I’d like to reach out to anyone who may have known Amelia Frood or her work. We have limited information on her life and career and would like to collate as much as possible so she can receive the recognition she deserves.’
If you have any information on Amelia (Millie) Frood, or questions about Neha’s research, please email SayeedN@northlan.gov.uk