Contemporary Art Society: Gifts & Bequests
December 2011
Collection of works by Niki de Saint Phalle
The Contemporary Art Society exists to develop public collections of contemporary art across the UK. They do so by raising the funds and brokering partnerships in order to purchase, commission and gift works of art in to public collections. They work closely with over 64 museums and galleries across the UK that subscribe to the Contemporary Art Society as members.
Over the last 100 years the society has played a unique and largely solitary role in the formation of public collections of contemporary art in this country, donating more than 8000 works where they are enjoyed by audiences everywhere. In the 1990's the Maclaurin Art Gallery in Ayr received gifts from the society, including a work by Michael Craig Martin.
In December 2011 the society gifted 15 major works by Niki de St. Phalle as well as a number of collectable ephemera, drawings and personal letters, to the Gallery of Modern Art Glasgow (GoMA) from the collection of Eric and Jean Cass. The Cass's have been supporters of Niki de Saint Phalle ever since they bought their first work from a gallery in Ostend in 1976. The collection they have built up over the years reflects a continual enjoyment the Cass's have found in her work. This act of extraordinary generosity by Eric and Jean Cass will create the largest assembly of the artist's work at any public collection in the UK. The works will be exhibited at GoMA in autumn, 2013.
Niki de Saint Phalle, Noah's Animals 1986. © the artist. Photo: Douglas Atfield.
Eric and Jean Cass have dedicated over 35 years of their lives to supporting artists. Over this time they have built up an outstanding and very personal collection of over 300 sculptures, ceramics, drawings, prints and paintings. Over the coming year collections will continue to benefit as the Contemporary Art Society start to distribute more work from Eric and Jean's wonderful collection.
Ayr Gaiety Theatre ~ December 2011 Update
Under the headline: Critics line up to slam Gaiety cafe project, the December 23rd edition of the Ayrshire Post carries the following report by Stuart Wilson.
Unworkable. Unsustainable. And a disaster waiting to happen.
Just some of the views from businesses asked to take on Ayrshire’s highest profile gamble.
The new cafe/bar at the flagging Gaiety Theatre was completed and ready for opening six weeks ago.
Yet still it lies empty.
And this week, the Post can reveal why those asked to consider running the facility believe it is doomed to failure.
A string of traders have been approached as potential new tenants of the theatre’s lavish bar.
Council chiefs and members of the Ayr Gaiety Partnership are hailing it as the money spinner that will help re-open the auditorium next door.
But a string of businessmen have turned down the chance to move in – labelling the idea as fatally flawed.
One restaurant owner, who turned down the offer, told the Post: “The cafe/bar is not going to make any money without the theatre being open.
“To try and operate a business there without the Gaiety just wouldn’t be viable."
To read the full report, please follow this LINK
This item is based on a report published in The Ayrshire Post 23/12/2011