A meeting of the Friends of Rye Art Gallery (FRAG) was held at St Mary’s Centre on November 30. Chaired by Paddy Harvey, it followed on from the meeting held earlier this year, when it did not prove possible to form a new committee.
Paddy Harvey welcomed all the members of the Friends and Gill Harvey agreed to keep notes of the meeting. Mr Harvey outlined the recent challenges presented to the FRAG Committee and invited contributions and discussion from the floor. There followed a very lively debate, concerned with the relationships between the Friends Committee members and the Trustees of the Art Gallery.
Opinions on this were widely divided. Michael Miller, Chairman of the Trustees, had tabled a letter shortly before the meeting and this was made available for all attendees as they left, although some members had already received a copy. The financial information provided in the letter was disputed by the past Chairman of Trustees, Colonel Anthony Kimber, and this was put on record at his request.
On a more positive note, one member of the audience, Davida Smith, offered to arrange to meet with the Trustees to find a way forward, and this was agreed with thanks by the members present.
It was noted that the members had very much enjoyed the lectures and social events which this committee had organised, and the private views arranged at the start of new exhibitions. The work of the Gallery Director, Jane Fenn, was praised by Paddy Harvey and supported by the membership. It is hoped Davida will shortly be able to report back. The meeting was closed and members were reassured that further information would follow.
As mentioned in the report above, Anthony Kimber was also at the meeting and we publish, below, his personal comments on the proceedings:
Since the early 1970s, the Friends of Rye Art Gallery Trust have provided support and resources to keep this centre of culture going. However, with a dwindling number of volunteers to provide leadership and management, in the last two years, the organisation has been struggling.
The situation has been aggravated by difficulties between the Friends and the Gallery Trust Board. Vested interests and clashes between personalities have resulted in constraints on Friends’ activities to the extent that it has become clear that the objectives of both parties are now out of step.
All this came to a head at the 2016 Friends’ AGM in the spring, when there were questions without answers about the future. Matters were deferred to a further meeting held last week in St Mary’s Centre. Some 40 people attended and several more sent apologies, indicating that there was still plenty of interest.
Chairman of Friends, Paddy Harvey presented a gloomy picture of the future, prompting some heated debate about what had to be done to get back on track. Problems with the Gallery were highlighted in a lengthy letter from the Trust Chairman, Michael Miller, hand delivered to the meeting. This was long on issues but short on solutions. Some complained that the letter was another indication that the Trust Board had become remote from the community. After some years when Board support for the Friends had been less than solid, he did acknowledge the value of the Friends and the Board’s wish for them to continue.
During the meeting some accepted Miller’s written assertions, but as a former Chairman, I questioned parts, which I considered included inaccuracies and misunderstanding, particularly of what had happened during his period from 2004 to 2012. It is regrettable that there seemed to be little acknowledgement of the enormous amount of work completed during this period by Board and the Friends. However I did note that Miller now talks of having custody of a “wonderful gallery”. I felt that he would need to write back to clarify, as regrettably no Trustee was present to answer the many questions which arose.
What was clear was the regret by many, that the Friends’ programme of activities had all but ceased and this was a loss not only to the Gallery but the Rye community. Some reminded that the Gallery had been left in trust by Mary Stormount in the 1960s to the people of Rye. With many fences to be mended, the next stage will be another early meeting to hear Davida report back.
Photo: Rye News Library
Your item entitled “Unfriendly friends” stated that a meeting had been held by the Friends of Rye Art Gallery, this is NOT the case. The meeting was for those who had expressed an interest in becoming Subscribers of the Rye Art Gallery following the loss of the Friends.
I find your choice of title surprising and inappropriate.
Paddy Harvey, Acting Chair of FRAG.
Unfriendly Friends, I must say that the headline is very negative and unhelpful to the Friends and the Committee, all of whom worked very hard during the years of their existence and in the last year 2016 to find some solution to the continuation of the Friends, having to find a new chair and secretary (replacing Paddy and Gill).
First, no-one came forward to take their tasks which were many and the Trusties were very clear at the one meeting we all had together that they did not need the Friends any more. It was after this meeting that most of the Friend’s Committee resigned as the attitude of the Trustees was so negative about them and there was no appreciation. Any further meetings we asked for were not forthcoming.
Without Jane and her two committed helpers the Art Gallery would not function so well and bring in the money it does. However what is not realised is that Friends contribution is missing, especially at week-ends when the staff is lone working and having to be responsible for selling, wrapping money, talking to people and being aware of what is going on in the two Galleries where usually a Friend would give their time and talk to visitors.
It is a great pity that the Friend’s Committee, who did so much to educate, entertain and give pleasure, are portrayed as if they did not enough to save themselves which is totally the opposite. We tried many times over the year to discuss a move forward with the Trustees without success. Heidi Foster