Local Artists Donate Works For New RWS Gallery Fundraiser

The Be Part Of Art online auction also has 'secret postcards' sale

This Francis Bowyer painting will be in the auction

A number of leading local artists have donated works to help fundraise for a new Royal Watercolour Society Gallery.

Former President of the RWS Francis Bowyer, Liz Butler and Chloe Fremantle who are members of the RWS and live locally have contributed works, including postcards, to the online auction, along with local artist and Financial Times cartoonist, Ingram Pinn, who is husband of Liz Butler.

Bids open: Tuesday 29 January, 6pm ;Bids close: Sunday 3 February, 11.59pm

Be Part of Art aims to raise funds and awareness for the renovation of the new RWS gallery, just off Trafalger Square. The exhibition will comprise the Secret Postcard Sale, online auction of works displayed in the gallery, works from the Collection by notable RWS Members in history (such as Samuel Palmer and John Singer Sargent) and a model and plans of the new gallery space at Whitcomb Street.

Artists from all over the country have donated works for the campaign. So far the RWS, which is a charity, has raised £200,000 but they need to raise at least another £300,000

The auction pieces will be available to view and bid for online and will be exhibited at the Bankside Gallery. Both online auction and the physical exhibition are open from 30 January - 3 February.

Francis Bowyer commented: "There's also a fantastic opportunity to buy top class original art for a snip in the 'Secret Postard Sale'. One hundred miniature works by RWS members and guest artists will be available for £60 each. The 'secret' bit is that you don't know whose work you've bought until after you've paid for it.

"The Society aim to show work from their Diploma Collection and it will also be a great opportunity to show work by current Members and other contemporary exhibitions in a wonderful space. The RWS had its first home in Whitcomb Street, alongside the National Gallery, from 1823 -1938 but were evicted when the lease ran out."

Since 1860 almost every member has contributed work, including John Singer Sargent, Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema, Samuel Palmer, Arthur Rackham, Edward Burne-Jones and more recently Elizabeth Blackadder and Patrick Procktor, so they now have a huge archive which never sees the light of day.

Painting by Liz Butler

The gallery is part of a wider development taking place in Whitcomb Street.

Francis explained: "The Royal Watercolour Society was approached in 2013 by a property development company with a proposal for a new RWS Gallery situated next door to the National Gallery in Whitcomb Street, London WC2. The Society now has the opportunity of returning to its home which it occupied from 1823 for 115 years!

"The RWS has charitable status and has a strong educational programme through its courses, lectures and exhibitions which promote what is quintessentially a very British art form. They do not receive any funding from government.

"The lease is for 250 years on a peppercorn rent, has been signed and building work has started. International architect Chris Wilkinson RA, WilkinsonEyre is designing the interior (at cost)."

The project is due to be completed in Autumn 2019. The premises will have 2 gallery spaces, office/administration room, archive and diploma collection rooms for research within the historic vaults. It will have museum standard air conditioning. The RWS Diploma Collection is made up of approximately 900 watercolours. A watercolour is given to the Collection on election to the Society. Past Members include Samual Palmer, John Singer Sargent, John Sell Cotman, David Cox, Peter de Wint, David Jones, Frank Brangwyn to name but a few. The Archive dates back to the forming of the Society in 1804.

On the ground floor there will be exhibition space/gift/bookshop.

Work donated by Chloe Fremantle

Within the lease the developers have also given office space on the first floor that will create £63,000 rental income per year for the Society (with a 5 year upward review) to help administer the running of the gallery.

The developers are contributing £100,000 as financial support towards the refurbishment of the new gallery, but this will not be enough to make the gallery into a prestigious and important venue that will be required for the Society.

There are plans for a series of fundraising events which have started. The Society is also fundraising through watercolour courses in August and donations of paintings by RWS Members for sale.

The RWS currently own the lease of Bankside Gallery situated on the Southbank and propose to retain this presence south of the river.

Francis added, "This project will significantly raise the profile of a much loved medium. The new Gallery will be a centre of excellence for works on paper.'

January 21, 2019