Glasgow School of Art hails £500,000 campus appeal donation
The Glasgow School of Art has received a donation of £500,000 towards the redevelopment of its campus following a major fire two years ago.
The Glasgow School of Art has received a donation of £500,000 towards the redevelopment of its campus following a major fire two years ago.
The Garfield Weston Foundation has donated the money to the Mackintosh Campus Appeal, a £32 million fundraising campaign which aims to restore the Mackintosh building and refurbish the Stow building which the art school acquired earlier this year.
The announcement came as Scottish Secretary David Mundell hosted an event for the Mackintosh Campus Project at Dover House in London.
GSA director Professor Tom Inns said: "We are grateful to the Secretary of State for Scotland for hosting this event tonight.
"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."
Students were preparing for their degree shows in May 2014 when flames engulfed the Grade A-listed Charles Rennie Mackintosh building, causing serious damage.
GSA said 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.
Studio and workshop space will be developed in the Stow building, bringing together all pathways of the School of Fine Art for the first time in many years.
The Mackintosh Campus Appeal has already secured £18 million of its £32 million target.
Mr 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 £5 million donation and has given a further £5 million 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."
Guests at the Dover House event included Glasgow MPs, members of the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee, London-based GSA supporters and alumni.
Garfield Weston Foundation director Philippa Charles said: "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."