News
Release
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| Muriel Gray |
Author, broadcaster, businesswoman, sometime
punk rock star and presenter of The Tube,
Muriel Gray is to be recognised with an honorary Doctor of Letters by The
Glasgow School of Art it was announced today, 31 May 2013. A graduate in Graphic Design and Illustration at the GSA,
Gray has had a successful and high profile career with her
intelligent, witty and often outspoken views on matters as wide ranging as
politics, Munro Bagging, and being a Grumpy Old Woman making her one of
the best known personalities in the UK media.
The GSA’s honorary
degrees recognise individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to art,
architecture and design. In her varied career Gray has served as Assistant Head of Design at the National Museum of Antiquities in
Edinburgh; was a presenter of Channel 4’s ground breaking music programme, The Tube; has run a successful TV production
company, Gallus Besom; and been a regular contributor to many publications
including Time Out, the 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.
degrees recognise individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to art,
architecture and design. In her varied career Gray has served as Assistant Head of Design at the National Museum of Antiquities in
Edinburgh; was a presenter of Channel 4’s ground breaking music programme, The Tube; has run a successful TV production
company, Gallus Besom; and been a regular contributor to many publications
including Time Out, the 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.
“Muriel Gray is
a remarkable woman,” says Professor
Seona Reid, Director of The Glasgow School of Art. “She has made a hugely important contribution to the cultural life of
Scotland as a writer, broadcaster and businesswoman, and is a great inspiration
to our students.”
a remarkable woman,” says Professor
Seona Reid, Director of The Glasgow School of Art. “She has made a hugely important contribution to the cultural life of
Scotland as a writer, broadcaster and businesswoman, and is a great inspiration
to our students.”
“Muriel has always
been generous with her time, tirelessly supporting many charities and
foundations,” adds Professor Reid. “She has been an active champion of the GSA,
most recently serving as Vice Chair of the International Jury which selected
the architects to design the Phase 1 of the campus development, which is
currently nearing completion opposite the Mackintosh Building.”
been generous with her time, tirelessly supporting many charities and
foundations,” adds Professor Reid. “She has been an active champion of the GSA,
most recently serving as Vice Chair of the International Jury which selected
the architects to design the Phase 1 of the campus development, which is
currently nearing completion opposite the Mackintosh Building.”
“Being lucky enough to have studied at the
wonderful Glasgow School of Art was a privilege that changed my life,” says
Muriel Gray.” It should be me honouring the school instead of the other way
around, and I am utterly delighted and moved by this honour, regardless of
feeling slightly unworthy.”
wonderful Glasgow School of Art was a privilege that changed my life,” says
Muriel Gray.” It should be me honouring the school instead of the other way
around, and I am utterly delighted and moved by this honour, regardless of
feeling slightly unworthy.”
The
Honorary Doctorate, which will be conferred by The University of Glasgow, will
be awarded at the GSA Graduation ceremony on Friday 14 June 2013 at the Bute
Hall, University of Glasgow.
Honorary Doctorate, which will be conferred by The University of Glasgow, will
be awarded at the GSA Graduation ceremony on Friday 14 June 2013 at the Bute
Hall, University of Glasgow.
Ends
Lesley Booth
0779 941 4474 / press@gsa.ac.uk
Notes for Editors
Muriel Gray
Born in East Kilbride in 1958, Muriel Gray graduated from the Glasgow
School of Art with a BA (Hons) in Graphic Design and Illustration and became Assistant
Head of Design at the National Museum of Antiquities in Edinburgh, but it was
her secondary career as a member of a band called the Von Trapp Family which
would have the greater influence on the direction of her career. It was
this which led to her presenting the Channel 4 television series The Tube
from 1982 and The Media Show from 1987 to 1989, the start of a career in
television and radio which has spanned 30 years and included many highlights
including the definitive documentary for BBC 2 about the Glasgow Boys, shows as
varied as the Booker Prize and Ride On, a motoring magazine programme,
for Channel 4 , and appearances on BBC2’s Grumpy Old Women and the
Design Awards for BBC.
School of Art with a BA (Hons) in Graphic Design and Illustration and became Assistant
Head of Design at the National Museum of Antiquities in Edinburgh, but it was
her secondary career as a member of a band called the Von Trapp Family which
would have the greater influence on the direction of her career. It was
this which led to her presenting the Channel 4 television series The Tube
from 1982 and The Media Show from 1987 to 1989, the start of a career in
television and radio which has spanned 30 years and included many highlights
including the definitive documentary for BBC 2 about the Glasgow Boys, shows as
varied as the Booker Prize and Ride On, a motoring magazine programme,
for Channel 4 , and appearances on BBC2’s Grumpy Old Women and the
Design Awards for BBC.
In 1989 Gray formed the television production company, Gallus Besom,
which produced shows like the hugely popular Munro Show (accompanied by
a book entitled The First Fifty: Munro Bagging without a Beard) and Art
is Dead –Long Live TV, a spoof series about 5 artists. Gallus Besom
became Ideal World, the biggest TV production Company in Scotland. It merged
with Wark Clements in 2004 to form IWC Media which was then sold in 2005 to RDF
and is now part of the Zodiak Media Group.
which produced shows like the hugely popular Munro Show (accompanied by
a book entitled The First Fifty: Munro Bagging without a Beard) and Art
is Dead –Long Live TV, a spoof series about 5 artists. Gallus Besom
became Ideal World, the biggest TV production Company in Scotland. It merged
with Wark Clements in 2004 to form IWC Media which was then sold in 2005 to RDF
and is now part of the Zodiak Media Group.
In 1995 Gray became a best selling horror writer with the publication of
her first novel The Trickster, followed by Furnace in 1997, and The
Ancient in 2001, and in 2006 she wrote the definitive history of
Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum to mark its reopening.
her first novel The Trickster, followed by Furnace in 1997, and The
Ancient in 2001, and in 2006 she wrote the definitive history of
Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum to mark its reopening.
Gray is the only woman to have held the post of Rector of the University
of Edinburgh; she became the Patron of Trees for Life (Scotland) in 2005; the
first Patron of Scotland’s Additional Support Needs Mediation Forum,
RESOLVE:ASL in 2009; chaired the Orange Prize for Fiction 2007 and was a judge
for the Robert Burns Humanitarian Award. She has also sat on the boards of many
charitable and heritage organisations.
of Edinburgh; she became the Patron of Trees for Life (Scotland) in 2005; the
first Patron of Scotland’s Additional Support Needs Mediation Forum,
RESOLVE:ASL in 2009; chaired the Orange Prize for Fiction 2007 and was a judge
for the Robert Burns Humanitarian Award. She has also sat on the boards of many
charitable and heritage organisations.
The Glasgow School of Art is internationally
recognised as one of Europe’s foremost university-level institutions for
creative education and research in fine art, design and
architecture. 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.
recognised as one of Europe’s foremost university-level institutions for
creative education and research in fine art, design and
architecture. 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.