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An original sketch of the Stow College Building from the 1930s. The Mackintosh Campus Appeal is supporting the development of the GSA’s Garnethill campus including the restoration of the Mackintosh Building and conversion of the former Stow College Building which the GSA acquired earlier in the year. |
The Glasgow School of Art announced today, 1 November 2016, that the Garfield Weston Foundation has made a donation of £500,000 towards The Mackintosh Campus Appeal. The announcement came as the Secretary of State for Scotland, David Mundell MP, hosted an event for the Mackintosh Campus Project at Dover House in London.
Secretary of State for Scotland, David Mundell, said:
“It is a real pleasure to host tonight’s fundraising event for the Mackintosh Campus, and to support the rebuilding of an iconic British institution which has produced so many leading architects, designers and artists.
“The UK Government was among the very first to support Glasgow School of Art’s restoration appeal with a £5m donation, and has given a further £5m to support the Mackintosh Campus development.
“I am delighted to hear that that the Garfield Weston Foundation is the latest organisation to support the Mackintosh Campus Appeal, and I look forward to seeing the progress of the restoration.”
“We are grateful to the Secretary of State for Scotland for hosting this event tonight,” says Professor Tom Inns, Director of the GSA. “It is an important opportunity for us to share our ambitious plans for the campus redevelopment, including bringing together all pathways of the School of Fine Art for the first time in many years in a refurbished Stow Building, and to give an update on the restoration of the Mackintosh Building.”
“I would particularly like to thank the Trustees of the Garfield Weston Foundation for their generous support for our Mackintosh Campus Appeal”
Philippa Charles, Director of the Garfield Weston Foundation, said:
“The Garfield Weston Foundation supports organisations and activities that share a commitment to making a positive impact on the lives of the communities in which they work, and that are driven by a desire to achieve excellence.
The Glasgow School of Art sits at the heart of the Garnethill community and the people of Glasgow hold the Mackintosh Building dear. We are delighted to be able to support the Mackintosh Campus Appeal which will enable the GSA to bring this iconic building back as part an extended campus and enable the internationally renowned Glasgow School of Art to recover fully from the impact of the fire."
Guests at the Dover House event included Glasgow MPs, members of the Culture Media and Sport Select Committee, London-based GSA supporters and alumni. It was offered to the GSA following a visit to the Mackintosh Building by Scotland Office Minister, Lord Dunlop, which was hosted by The Chair of the Mackintosh Restoration Committee, Eleanor McAllister, and Senior Project Manager for the restoration, Liz Davidson.
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Lesley Booth
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press@gsa.ac.uk
@GSofAMedia
Notes for Editors
In April 2016 The Glasgow School Art announced major plans for its campus. The restored Mackintosh Building will be at the heart of an extended campus, with the building returning to its original academic configuration as a home for all first year students. The plans also include the acquisition and development of the former Stow College site bringing together all pathways of the School of Fine Art for the first time in many years.
The Mackintosh Campus Appeal, a £32m fundraising campaign (£18m already secured) will enable the institution to recover from the impact of the fire and meet its academic ambitions through a sensitive and authentic restoration of the Mackintosh Building, the purchase of the Stow College site, and the development of studio and workshop space in the Stow Building.
The Glasgow School of Art
The Glasgow School of Art (GSA) was founded in 1845 as one of the first Government
Schools of Design, as a centre of creativity promoting good design for the manufacturing industries of Glasgow. However, the School’s lineage can be traced to 1753, when Robert Foulis established a school of art and design in Glasgow, described as the single most influential factor in the development of eighteenth-century Scottish Art
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Today, The GSA is internationally recognised as one of Europe's leading university-level institutions for the visual creative disciplines.Our studio-based approach to research and teaching brings disciplines together to explore problems in new ways to find new innovative solutions. The studio creates the environment for inter-disciplinarity, peer learning, critical inquiry, experimentation and prototyping, helping to addressing many of the grand
challenges confronting society and contemporary business.
www.gsa.ac.uk
Garfield Weston Foundation
The Garfield Weston Foundation is a family-founded, grant-making trust which has been supporting charities across the UK for over 50 years. From small community groups to large national institutions, its aim is to support organisations that have effective solutions to helping those most in need.
The Foundation supports a broad range of organisations and activities that share a commitment to making a positive impact to the lives of the communities in which they work, and that are driven by a desire to achieve excellence. It makes grants across the UK to organisations working in Arts, Education, Youth, Health, Community, Environment, Religion and Welfare
Mindful of the challenging economic climate, the Foundation has continued to grow its donations (giving over £58 million in the last year).
http://www.garfieldweston.org