How A-list fundraising drive spanned the globe
It was, the great and the good of the art world agreed, a splendid idea.
Fragments of the charred debris from the Glasgow School of Art would be carefully labelled, boxed and sent to 25 of the world’s most renowned artists to be used to create new works to be sold to help fund the restoration programme at the school ravaged by fire in 2014.
The idea for Ash to Art came from J Walter Thompson, one of the world’s biggest and bestknown ad agencies. Its purpose, the chosen artists, including seven Turner Prize winners, seemed to believe, was simple: to rebuild the art school’s famous Mackintosh building.
At the time, Grayson Perry, the Turner Prize- winning potter, said: “It’s a tragedy. It’s the most famous art school building in Britain. It’s also the masterpiece of Mackintosh. It’s a double tragedy.”
Bill Hartley and Giles Hepworth, the JWT ad men, who came up with the idea, said: “It seemed appropriate to use a by-product of the school’s fire as the tool for its rebirth.”
On March 8, 2017, the worldr e n o w n e d auction house, Christie’s, forgoing their usual commission to support the appeal, sold the works created by acclaimed artists, including Douglas Gordon, Alison Watt and Peter Blake, for a total of £706,438.
As the auctioneer exhorted would- be buyers – “Are we going to get this building rebuilt or not!” – a female nude by Jenny Saville drawn with charcoal from the library attracted the fiercest bidding, eventually selling for £296,000.
The auction made headlines around the world.
The Financial Times reported how the auction helped raise the millions “still needed to restore Glasgow School of Art Mackintosh building”.
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation reported how the school asked “artists to help resurrect its library”.
It was an ingenious, creative and award- winning fundraising campaign. But now, critics and informed observers are asking did a single pound go to repair the fire- damaged building or was every penny used to fund the expansion of the art school campus, refurbish parts of the Mackintosh building untouched by flames and smoke, and drive forward the school’s expansionist ambitions?
Were the hundreds of thousands of pounds raised at the auction – and the millions already donated to repair the fire-stricken building – spent on underpinning the school’s ambitions to become “a global leader in studiobased learning and research” and increase the number of students, many from overseas paying up to £ 20,000 a year for the privilege of studying at such an iconic institution?
Nick Hough, who was chief operating officer for Europe, the Middle East, Russia and India at Christie’s at the time of the auction, certainly thought the Ash to Art proceeds would be spent rebuilding the famous Mackintosh building.
He said: “Jwalter Thompson had the original idea to hold an auction. They organised everything
As far as I was concerned, we were raising money to rebuild the school. The money that was raised in good faith was, as far as I know, put into the rebuild fund – Nick Hough, formerly of Christies’ auctioneers
except the auction. They made the arrangements with the artists, got the pieces of work signed and we simply put them in a sale, sold the works and returned the money to the fund.
“We had very little contact directly with Glasgow School of Art. That relationship was managed through Jwalter Thompson.
“As far as I was concerned, we were raising money to rebuild the school. The money that was raised in good faith was, as far as I know, put into the rebuild fund.”
Advertising executive Giles Hepworth, who helped create Ash to Art, said: “We just wanted to help out as much we could. I am not aware of where the money is going or what has been spent. I’m afraid that’s something I can’t comment on.”
While fundraising efforts were grabbing headlines around the world, back in Glasgow there was discontent among staff at the school of art’s board.
A former senior member of staff said: “While people on the ground at GSA rallied round to keep core teaching and research on track, the bosses were, for example, arranging an expensespaid trip to Venice to talk about the future of The Mack.”
A black- tie gala dinner at exclusive New York restaurant Cipriani was held at the US launch of the £ 32m Mackintosh Campus Appeal in June 2016. A table of 10 cost £3,500, with the money going, according to the invitation, to “helping the GSA recover from the almost catastrophic fire in its iconic and beautiful Mackintosh building”.
GSA director Tom Inns, board chair Muriel Gray and Alan Horn, director of the GSA Development Trust, were all in New York for the fundraising “evening of cocktails, fine food and wine”.
Mr Inns also travelled to Venice in October 2014 to meet architectural experts to discuss restoring the Mackintosh library. The management of the art school has come under increasing scrutiny since the second fire last year. MSPS and critics have questioned the stewardship of the building during the refurbishment of the Mackintosh building.
Mr Inns, the school director left his position suddenly last year, while Ms Gray, who has insisted management of the restoration programme was exemplary, has temporarily stood down as chair.
Meanwhile, last week, we revealed how 70 staff have left the school since the fire last year with one former staff member saying some former colleagues feel demoralised, intimidated and bullied.
Six signed confidentiality agreements before leaving, with payouts to departing staff totalling £ 210,000, although that figure is not thought to include Mr Inns who, sources suggest, left with £ 250,000 after quitting his job, which had a salary and pension package in excess of £180,000 a year.
In March this year the GSA board was criticised by MSPS for failing to do enough to safeguard the building, which also suffered a more devastating second fire in 2018.
Among the experts to give evidence to Holyrood’s culture committee was gallery owner and Mackintosh biographer Roger Billcliffe.
In a written submission to the committee, he said there had been “little or no attempt” to replace lost items despite the fact that £4m of the insurance money was earmarked for “heritage assets lost in the fire”. Last year a Charles Rennie Mackintosh- designed key used to open the school of art sold at auction for £32,000.
A percentage of the sale went to support the Mackintosh Campus Appeal but Mr Billcliffe said yesterday: “I think they should have bought it. I think it would have been, pardon the pun, a key thing to help drive the future development and fundraising. I think that was a mistake. They certainly had the funds.”