Sir Mark Jones, director of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and a firm supporter of plans to established a branch of the V&A in Dundee, last night spoke of his delight at being asked to lend his name to the relaunch of Hospitalfield House in Arbroath.
The charitable trust that runs the property has announced ambitious plans that aim to place the house — once the family home of renowned Scottish artist Patrick Allan-Fraser and now a place with an international reputation as an inspirational centre for artists — at the forefront of art and cultural life in Angus and beyond.
Sir Mark said, “I came here on a couple of occasions in the mid-1990s and Hospitalfield House was as it is now — a very atmospheric and impressive place.
“Its mission, for want of a better word, has always been to provide a special and inspiring place for artists to work in and around.
“I am very excited to hear about the ambitious plans for the future and feel honoured to have been invited to become a founding patron of the Patrick Allan-Fraser of Hospitalfield House Trust.”
Trust chairman Kenneth Cargill said, “This event marks the beginning of what we all know is a pretty ambitious programme which is designed to ensure that Hospitalfield House doesn’t simply continue to tick over nicely, as it has been doing for perhaps too long, but actually starts to prosper.
“We have no public subsidy which means we will have to raise the money we need to carry forward our plans from a variety of other sources.
“We are, however, confident that once people become more aware of what Hospitalfield House is all about and what it has to offer, then they will want to use it in a huge variety of ways.
“It has been, and still is, used in a relatively limited way for events and functions but it has so much untapped potential that just needs to be released.
“I brought some visitors here just recently and as we moved from room to room and they saw more and more of the architecture, decor, paintings, sculptures and artefacts, their eyes just got wider and their expressions more stunned.
“So the place has plenty to offer and what we need to do now is up the ante and start to let it fulfil its potential.”
Mr Cargill continued, “A building which has this much to offer would, in the normal scheme of things, have a full-time professional promotional and business development staff but, as it stands at present, we have no actual staff.
“Starting from now, we need to aim for that point in the future where we can achieve these goals.
“We must, however, never forget that this is a place with a very special nature and history and must do nothing which will detract from that.
“Those who choose to become Friends of Hospitalfield and help us towards our goals will, for a relatively modest sum, be given privileged access to the property and be first in line for the series of special events we are in the process of organising.
“These will include visits by authors of the calibre of Alexander McCall Smith and Alasdair Gray, gourmet evenings-we have a marvellous chef here-and other events.
“We are also encouraging our alumni-both artists who have been in residence here and the many students who have visited over the years-to become Hospitalfield ambassadors and spread the word of what we are hoping to achieve here around the world.
“All in all, we look at this as the start of a new and successful era in the life of Hospitalfield House and one which will make it accessible to many, many more people.”
“So the place has plenty to offer and what we need to do now is up the ante and start to let it fulfil its potential.”
Mr Cargill continued, “A building which has this much to offer would, in the normal scheme of things, have a full-time professional promotional and business development staff but, as it stands at present, we have no actual staff.
“Starting from now, we need to aim for that point in the future where we can achieve these goals.
“We must, however, never forget that this is a place with a very special nature and history and must do nothing which will detract from that.
“Those who choose to become Friends of Hospitalfield and help us towards our goals will, for a relatively modest sum, be given privileged access to the property and be first in line for the series of special events we are in the process of organising.
“These will include visits by authors of the calibre of Alexander McCall Smith and Alasdair Gray, gourmet evenings-we have a marvellous chef here-and other events.
“We are also encouraging our alumni-both artists who have been in residence here and the many students who have visited over the years-to become Hospitalfield ambassadors and spread the word of what we are hoping to achieve here around the world.
“All in all, we look at this as the start of a new and successful era in the life of Hospitalfield House and one which will make it accessible to many, many more people.”