The Board of Governors of The
Glasgow School of Art announced today, Monday 23 September 2013, that Muriel
Gray will become its new Chair, effective from December 2013. Muriel Gray takes
over from Philip Rodney who has served as Chair for the last three years, helping
the GSA to maintain its specialist institution status and steering the GSA through
the process of appointing Professor Tom Inns as the new Director. Muriel Gray
is the first woman to be appointed as Chair.
A Graphic Design and
Illustration graduate of The Glasgow School of Art, Muriel Gray has worked
across the creative industries. She served as Assistant Head of Design at the National Museum of Antiquities in
Edinburgh before presenting Channel 4’s ground-breaking music programme, The Tube. She then went on to run a
successful TV production company, Gallus Besom, and has been a regular
contributor to many publications including Time Out, Sunday
Mirror, Sunday Correspondent and Sunday Herald, winning
Columnist of the Year in the 2001 Scottish Press Awards. As an author Gray’s works
range from horror fiction to the definitive history of Kelvingrove Art Gallery
and Museum.
Illustration graduate of The Glasgow School of Art, Muriel Gray has worked
across the creative industries. She served as Assistant Head of Design at the National Museum of Antiquities in
Edinburgh before presenting Channel 4’s ground-breaking music programme, The Tube. She then went on to run a
successful TV production company, Gallus Besom, and has been a regular
contributor to many publications including Time Out, Sunday
Mirror, Sunday Correspondent and Sunday Herald, winning
Columnist of the Year in the 2001 Scottish Press Awards. As an author Gray’s works
range from horror fiction to the definitive history of Kelvingrove Art Gallery
and Museum.
Professor Tom Inns, Director
of The Glasgow School of Art, said: “It
is a great pleasure to welcome Muriel Gray as Chair of GSA’s Board of
Governors. She has made a hugely important contribution
to the cultural life of Scotland as a writer, broadcaster and businesswoman,
and is already a great inspiration to our students.
of The Glasgow School of Art, said: “It
is a great pleasure to welcome Muriel Gray as Chair of GSA’s Board of
Governors. She has made a hugely important contribution
to the cultural life of Scotland as a writer, broadcaster and businesswoman,
and is already a great inspiration to our students.
“Since graduating from the
GSA Muriel has always been generous with her time, supporting the institution
in many ways. Most recently she served
as Vice Chair of the International Jury which selected Steven Holl as the
architect to design GSA’s new building, and she is a member of the Development
Trust for Phase 2 of GSA’s Garnethill campus development.”
GSA Muriel has always been generous with her time, supporting the institution
in many ways. Most recently she served
as Vice Chair of the International Jury which selected Steven Holl as the
architect to design GSA’s new building, and she is a member of the Development
Trust for Phase 2 of GSA’s Garnethill campus development.”
“I am looking forward to
working closely with Muriel as we take The Glasgow School of Art forward,
further developing its reputation as a global leader in studio-based education
and research.”
working closely with Muriel as we take The Glasgow School of Art forward,
further developing its reputation as a global leader in studio-based education
and research.”
Muriel Gray said: “I’m absolutely thrilled and honoured to be
inheriting the post of Chair of the Board of Governors, particularly at such an
exciting and crucial moment in the school’s history.”
inheriting the post of Chair of the Board of Governors, particularly at such an
exciting and crucial moment in the school’s history.”
“With our incoming director Professor Tom Inns
bringing a new vision to cement the outstanding work done by departing Director
Seona Reid, in making GSA an internationally admired hub of creativity and
innovation, plus the opening of the beautiful new building, the next three
years promise to be exhilarating.
bringing a new vision to cement the outstanding work done by departing Director
Seona Reid, in making GSA an internationally admired hub of creativity and
innovation, plus the opening of the beautiful new building, the next three
years promise to be exhilarating.
The Glasgow School of Art has been enormously
significant, both personally and professionally, throughout my entire adult
life and it will be a joy to be able to serve its staff and students as the
Board’s chair.”
significant, both personally and professionally, throughout my entire adult
life and it will be a joy to be able to serve its staff and students as the
Board’s chair.”
Muriel
Gray’s appointment will initially be for a period of three years.
Gray’s appointment will initially be for a period of three years.
Ends
Notes for Editors
Muriel Gray
is a BA honours graduate in Graphic Design and Illustration of the GSA, and
worked as a professional illustrator before joining the National Museum of
Antiquities in Edinburgh as Assistant Head of Design. She then moved into
broadcasting starting as a presenter on Channel 4’s seminal music programme The
Tube, which she presented all five series alongside Jools Holland and the late
Paula Yates, whilst still retaining her post at the museum.
is a BA honours graduate in Graphic Design and Illustration of the GSA, and
worked as a professional illustrator before joining the National Museum of
Antiquities in Edinburgh as Assistant Head of Design. She then moved into
broadcasting starting as a presenter on Channel 4’s seminal music programme The
Tube, which she presented all five series alongside Jools Holland and the late
Paula Yates, whilst still retaining her post at the museum.
A full time career
spanning over three decades in the media
followed, presenting many diverse
flagship network radio and television programmes, including; The Media Show,
Frocks on The Box, Ride On, The Booker Prize Live, Start The Week, The John
Peel Show, Bliss, The Munro Show, Art is Dead, Walkie Talkie, The Snow Show and
many others, as well as producing, directing, and then founding her own award winning
production company which grew into the largest in Scotland before selling, as
its final incarnation of IWC Media, to RDF Media in 2005.
spanning over three decades in the media
followed, presenting many diverse
flagship network radio and television programmes, including; The Media Show,
Frocks on The Box, Ride On, The Booker Prize Live, Start The Week, The John
Peel Show, Bliss, The Munro Show, Art is Dead, Walkie Talkie, The Snow Show and
many others, as well as producing, directing, and then founding her own award winning
production company which grew into the largest in Scotland before selling, as
its final incarnation of IWC Media, to RDF Media in 2005.
She is also know as a political
opinion writer in many publications from Time Out Magazine,
Sunday Correspondent, Sunday Mirror, Scotland on Sunday, Sunday Herald
and many others, and continues to
contribute regularly to The Guardian. She has won several prizes for journalism
including columnist of the year at the Scottish press awards.
opinion writer in many publications from Time Out Magazine,
Sunday Correspondent, Sunday Mirror, Scotland on Sunday, Sunday Herald
and many others, and continues to
contribute regularly to The Guardian. She has won several prizes for journalism
including columnist of the year at the Scottish press awards.
She is the author of five
books, three bestselling novels and two non-fiction, plus many short stories
and essays published in anthologies. Two of her books have been shortlisted for
the prestigious British Fantasy Award. Muriel also develops screenplays for
film with an LA based production company.
books, three bestselling novels and two non-fiction, plus many short stories
and essays published in anthologies. Two of her books have been shortlisted for
the prestigious British Fantasy Award. Muriel also develops screenplays for
film with an LA based production company.
She was the chair of the
judges for the 2007 Orange Prize for Fiction, and serves annually on both BAFTA
and the Royal Television Society Awards juries.
judges for the 2007 Orange Prize for Fiction, and serves annually on both BAFTA
and the Royal Television Society Awards juries.
Muriel is a former Rector of
Edinburgh University, still the only woman to have held this post, and has been
awarded honorary degrees from the University of Abertay and Glasgow School of
Art and Glasgow University.
Edinburgh University, still the only woman to have held this post, and has been
awarded honorary degrees from the University of Abertay and Glasgow School of
Art and Glasgow University.
Her public duties have included
serving as trustee on the boards of Lomond Shores, Event Scotland, The
Lighthouse, The Glasgow Science Centre, The National Maritime Museum, The
Children’s Parliament, and the GSA Development Trust. She also served as a
judge on the committee which selected the winning design for the Seona Reid
building. She is a working patron of Trees for Life, The Craighalbert Centre,
and the Scottish Additional Needs Mediation Forum.
serving as trustee on the boards of Lomond Shores, Event Scotland, The
Lighthouse, The Glasgow Science Centre, The National Maritime Museum, The
Children’s Parliament, and the GSA Development Trust. She also served as a
judge on the committee which selected the winning design for the Seona Reid
building. She is a working patron of Trees for Life, The Craighalbert Centre,
and the Scottish Additional Needs Mediation Forum.
Most importantly of all, she has appeared as herself
in The Broons.
in The Broons.
The Glasgow School of Art is an independent,
university level School, one of a handful of acclaimed, small specialist
institutions in the UK. Internationally-recognised
as one of Europe’s foremost university-level institutions for creative
education and research in fine art, design and architecture, the GSA is
becoming established as a world leader in studio-based education and research. It is a creative hothouse, a small
concentrated community of committed, creative people bound together by a shared
visual language and a concern for visual culture. At the heart of one of
Europe’s most influential and creative artistic communities the GSA provides an
energetic environment in which new ideas can flourish. Its Researchers produce
work that influences world culture by generating new knowledge through
creativity and conceptual thinking, and the GSA supports economic growth
through knowledge exchange and the application of creativity and innovation.
Since the School was founded in 1845 as one of the first Government Schools of
Design, as a centre of creativity promoting good design for the manufacturing
industries, the GSA’s role has continually evolved and been redefined to
reflect the needs of the communities of which it is part of, embracing in the
late 19th century fine art and architecture education and today, digital
technology.
university level School, one of a handful of acclaimed, small specialist
institutions in the UK. Internationally-recognised
as one of Europe’s foremost university-level institutions for creative
education and research in fine art, design and architecture, the GSA is
becoming established as a world leader in studio-based education and research. It is a creative hothouse, a small
concentrated community of committed, creative people bound together by a shared
visual language and a concern for visual culture. At the heart of one of
Europe’s most influential and creative artistic communities the GSA provides an
energetic environment in which new ideas can flourish. Its Researchers produce
work that influences world culture by generating new knowledge through
creativity and conceptual thinking, and the GSA supports economic growth
through knowledge exchange and the application of creativity and innovation.
Since the School was founded in 1845 as one of the first Government Schools of
Design, as a centre of creativity promoting good design for the manufacturing
industries, the GSA’s role has continually evolved and been redefined to
reflect the needs of the communities of which it is part of, embracing in the
late 19th century fine art and architecture education and today, digital
technology.
Board
of Governors of the GSA
of Governors of the GSA
Philip Rodney LLB
– Chair
– Chair
Ms Alison Lefroy
Brooks BA (Hons) ACA MCT – Vice-Chair
Sir Muir Russell
KCB FRSE – Vice-Chair
Professor Linda
Drew BA (Hons) MA PhD FRSA FDRS
Ms Kerry Aylin BA
(Hons) FHEA EADiM
Ms Sharon Bamford
BA (Hons) MBA
Mr Douglas Brown BA
(Hons) Dipl Arch (Oxford) FRIAS RIBA
Dr Janet Brown BSc
PhD FInstP FRSE
Mr Bob
Downes DipTP, B.Phil.
Dr Simon Groom MA
(Hons) PhD
Mr Daniel Ibbotson
BA (Hons)
Professor Tom Inns BEng (Hons), DIC, MDes(RCA), PhD, CEng,
MIMechE, FRSA
Mr Douglas Kinnaird
BA CA
Mrs Linda McTavish
CBE BA (Hons)
Dr Ken Neil MA
(Hons) MFA PhD PGCert FHEA
Mr Nicholas Oddy BA (Hons) PGDipDes MA (RCA)
Ms Christa Reekie
MagPhil Dip Ed LLB NP
Mr Kenneth Ross OBE
Mr. Sam De Santis
BA (Hons)
Ms Lesley Thomson
Professor Alison Yarrington BA (Hons), PhD, FRSE,
FSA, FRSA
For further information,
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images and interviews contact:
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0779 941 4474