John Passmore Edwards

Newlyn Art Gallery

History Page 3

Until the 1950s the Gallery was managed by a Committee appointed by both the Newlyn Society of Artists (NSA) and the Trustees of the Passmore Edwards Art Gallery. The LeGrice family has remained Trustees throughout. Whilst the money to run the Gallery was generated by the artists, and supported by the members subscriptions, the responsibility for the maintenance of the building fell to the Trustees. Except for repairs, the addition of electric light, indoor plumbing, heating and periodic redecoration, no major structural changes were made until the early 1950s.
The importance of the role of Stanhope Forbes in not only the founding but the continued existence of the Gallery was recognised by the sculptured panel, by the Reverend Allan Wyon, affixed to the front of the building and unveiled in 1948 by Sir Alfred Munning, RA.
In 1921 the Committee was extended, at the suggestion of Charles LeGrice to include lay members in a move to provide wider support. After WW2 the Committee was again expanded to 12 members and the Trustees handed over the responsibility for maintenance of the building to the artists. This was finalise in 1959 when the Chairman of the NSA became ipso facto the Chairman of the Gallery Committee, with the Trustees appointing a one liaison person to represent their interests. The position as either Chairman or Committee member was, however, not so much an honorary post but meant numerous hours of not only organising the exhibition space but also, at times, physically cleaning or redecorating the building.
The financial contributions from sales commissions and members subscriptions were rarely sufficient to give the Gallery the security needed, even when added to by a multitude of fundraising activities and so grants were sought from wherever possible, including the Arts Council, South West Arts and the Carnegie Trust and the Henry Moore Foundation.

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© Dean Evans 2004

May 2, 2005