With the dissolving of the Friends of Rye Art Gallery, Paddy Harvey gives a personal view of the Friends half century of supporting the gallery.
After 51 years the Friends of Rye Art Gallery has ceased to operate. Formed in 1966, the Friends were to become a major contributor to the running and finances of the Rye Art Gallery and the group was registered as a charity in 1979. The 51 years have not been easy, however, yet in spite of some turbulent years and disagreements there have also been many achievements.
To glance back at the minutes of some of the Friends meetings you would be forgiven for thinking they had been written by the author of the Mapp and Lucia stories, EF Benson. Was the plot of the murder mystery Rogues Gallery by author John Malcolm inspired by his time as a trustee of the gallery?
Finances were a constant concern, with words such as “desperate” and “serious” constantly appearing in the minutes. It seems that 1985 was a low point for the Friends and Trustees, the finances of the gallery were clearly in a parlous state. The number of Trustees had dropped to only two who could attend meetings, not enough to form a quorum. The Friends were running the gallery and the shop, then known as the Easton Rooms. With the shop making a loss year on year, serious consideration was given to selling the Easton Rooms to raise funds.
By 1987 there is a far more upbeat tone in the minutes, planning permission had been given for the link between the Easton Rooms and the Stormont Studio and there was much enthusiasm for a fundraising drive and the Friends minutes are a testimony to the hard work and commitment of all those involved.
Despite the initial enthusiasm of the Friends, the finances of the gallery remained a major problem. Work eventually started on the link 18 years later and was finally completed in 2011, with the Friends raising £36,000 towards the project.
Events have moved on and once again the Friends found themselves at odds with the Trustees. It is unfortunate that the Trustees were unprepared to consider a closer working relationship with the Friends. Without the opportunity to be involved in discussions about the future of the gallery and being unable to put forward ideas it was not possible to retain the existing Friends or to find new volunteers, in particular volunteers willing to undertake some of the more arduous committee work. As a result the Friends were unable to continue. Having made a valuable contribution over the years and with almost 400 members this is the loss of a valuable asset.
The Friends have now passed to the Trustees of the gallery, a printer and projector and some assorted items of stationery, together with the proceeds from the most recent fundraising projects, just under £10,000. The Trustees have undertaken to use the money to refurbish the Mackechnie Room.
The passing of the Friends heralds the end of an era.
I am very curious to know what makes Rye News think that this article is based on my personal opinion.
Paddy Harvey
I am also very saddened by the end of the Friends of Rye Art Gallery and well appreciate all the efforts of those involved down the years and especially the work done by Paddy and Gill Harvey and the most recent committee. It has always seemed to me that despite the sales gallery continually losing money over many years, it was seen as the “saviour” and “reason d’etre” of the Rye Art Gallery. It may be bringing in an income now, but the loss of the Friends and their team of volunteers is a loss. There are small exhibitions based on the permanent collection, but I have always argued that this was the core of the Gallery and its Trust: it was not a shop, which it is now.
Volunteer Teams are built up over years and need careful nurture, their team spirit and commitment is lost in an instant. Paddy Harvey kept the team alive and supportive, and it will be interesting to see if Trevor, the new Chairman of the Trust, in reviving the Subscribers can bring back that support and interest. For the sake of our Rye Art Gallery, I hope he can, but with the end of the Friends, it will be more difficult.