Arts Rutherglen is transforming the doors and windows of Rutherglen’s historic Main Street, using vibrant street art to celebrate the stories behind the town’s oldest businesses.

The idea grew from a simple belief: visual art can enrich the character of our town, and the history hidden behind these old shopfronts deserves to be rediscovered. From that vision, Portals into Rutherglen was created. Each artwork acts as a portal into the past, revealing the rich, varied and sometimes surprising history of the buildings that shaped Rutherglen’s commercial heart.

While the project looks back in time, Arts Rutherglen is also embracing the future. Visitors can use QR codes placed alongside the artworks to explore deeper stories, images, and historical insights right from their mobile phones. Portals into Rutherglen invites locals and visitors alike to wander, look closer and reconnect with the heritage woven into Main Street.

There are currently six portals you can visit:

Portal 1: Aitken and Fullerton Grocers
Portal 2: Red Boot Shop
Portal 3: Mothers Little Helpers
Portal 4: Kit and Kaboodle
Portal 5: Symbols of Practice
Portal 6: A Splash of Summer and Bill’s Bench