View source for City and Guilds of London Art School

{{Short description|Art school in London, England}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2020}}
{{Infobox university
| name                   = City and Guilds of London Art School
| image                  = C&gLASlogo.png
| image_size             = 200px
| established            = {{start date and age|1854}} as the '''Lambeth School of Art'''
| type                   = Charity
| head_label             = Principal
| head                   = Dr Lois Rowe
| undergrad              =
| postgrad               =
| city                   = London
| country                = United Kingdom
| campus                 = Kennington
| affiliations           = [[Ravensbourne (college)|Ravensbourne]],
[[Birmingham City University]],
[[University of the Arts London]],
[[City & Guilds of London Institute]]
| website                = [http://www.cityandguildsartschool.ac.uk/home www.cityandguildsartschool.ac.uk]
| faculty                =
}}
Founded in 1854 as the '''Lambeth School of Art''',<ref>[https://sculpture.gla.ac.uk/view/organization.php?id=msib2_1207870826 University of Glasgow Mapping Sculpture Project]</ref> the '''City and Guilds of London Art School''' is a small specialist [[art college]]<ref>[http://london.floodlight.co.uk/london/courses-classes-lessons/city-and-guilds-of-london-art-school/subject/qualification/study/lambeth/16180339/220706/100/12975/domain.html College listed age in http://london.floodlight.co.uk (accessed 5 April 2009)] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091202154904/http://london.floodlight.co.uk/london/courses-classes-lessons/city-and-guilds-of-london-art-school/subject/qualification/study/lambeth/16180339/220706/100/12975/domain.html |date=2 December 2009 }}</ref> located in central London, England. Originally founded as a government art school,<ref>Stuart Macdonald, ''The History and Philosophy of Art Education'' (Cambridge: Lutterworth Press, 2004) p. 383</ref> it is now an independent, not-for-profit charity, and is one of the country's longest established art schools. It offers courses ranging from art and design [[Foundation Course|Foundation]], through to BA (Hons) [[undergraduate degree]]s and MA [[postgraduate education|postgraduate]] courses in fine art, carving, conservation, and art histories. In addition, it offers the only undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in Britain in stone and wood carving: architectural stone and woodcarving and gilding.<ref>[http://www.cityandguildsartschool.ac.uk/courses Courses listed on school's website (accessed 25 March 2010] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090202192337/http://www.cityandguildsartschool.ac.uk/courses |date=2 February 2009 }}</ref>
The Art School is housed in a row of [[Georgian architecture|Georgian]] buildings in London's [[Kennington]] district,<ref>[http://www.geraldlaing.com/index.php/articles/articles_full/city_and_guilds_of_london_art_school/ Artist describes location at www.geraldlaing.com (accessed on 5 April 2009)]</ref> as well as in an adjoining converted warehouse building close to the south bank of the river [[Thames]].
==History==
===Foundation in the 19th century===
The City and Guilds of London Art School was founded in 1854 by the Reverend Robert Gregory under the name Lambeth School of Art.<ref>[http://www.worldcollectorsnet.com/magazine/issue19/iss19p5.html www.worldcollectorsnet.com describes potter John Sparkes leading the college in 1856 (accessed 5 April 2009)] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090605234647/http://www.worldcollectorsnet.com/magazine/issue19/iss19p5.html |date=5 June 2009 }}</ref> It began as a night school in rooms occupied during the day by a [[National school (England and Wales)|National School]] in his south London parish of St Mary the Less. With the support of [[Henry Cole (inventor)|Henry Cole]] Director of the [[Victoria and Albert Museum|South Kensington Museum]], who supplied Gregory with teachers, the school flourished and became a leader in the provision of instruction in applied art and design to working artisans, many of whom were employed by local manufacturing firms, including [[Royal Doulton|Doulton's]] and [[Farmer and Brindley]]. The rapid expansion of the school led to the need for new premises, and in 1860 [[Edward VII|Albert, Prince of Wales (Edward VII)]] laid the foundation stone for new premises in Millers Lane, built on the site of the [[Vauxhall Gardens]] as part of a redevelopment that included St Peter's church. The buildings are still standing, although the road is now called St Oswald's Place.<ref>[http://www.southwark.anglican.org/parishes/265p Streatham, St Peter – Lambeth, South Deanery] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131227134625/http://www.southwark.anglican.org/parishes/265p |date=27 December 2013 }}</ref><ref name=sculp>{{cite web|title=South London Technical School of Art (also Lambeth School of Art and City and Guilds of London Art School)|url=http://sculpture.gla.ac.uk/view/organization.php?id=msib2_1207870826|website=Mapping the Practice and Profession of Sculpture in Britain and Ireland 1851–1951|publisher=Glasgow University, the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Henry Moore Institute|access-date=13 October 2014}}</ref>
===Development under John Sparkes===
In 1857 [[John Charles Lewis Sparkes]] started teaching at the art school, soon becoming its Headmaster. Under Sparkes City and Guilds of London Art School was at the forefront of opposition to the monopoly claimed by the Royal Academy of Arts on the teaching of fine art practices, particularly drawing from the human figure. An attempt had been made to resolve this conflict in 1852, with the introduction by the British Government of the National Course on Instruction for art and design education, which was in effect a [[national curriculum]] for art training. This allowed for some elements of drawing to be taught, but within a broader curriculum that stressed the teaching of techniques to aid workers in artisan manufacturing industries rather than the training of artists.
In the case of City and Guilds of London Art School it was suggested at the time that Sparkes was ignoring the National Course on Instruction and teaching his students to be fine artists, particularly in 1865, when students from the art school won three medals at the annual awards handed out by the Royal Academy of Arts,<ref>The Athenaeum, vol. 1991, 23 December 1965, p. 894</ref> and again in 1867 when its students won three out of ten of the gold medals for art awarded by the Government, along with four silver medals awarded annually by the Royal Academy of Arts, and a bronze medal at the International Exposition held that year in Paris.<ref>'Lambeth School of Art' in ''The Art Journal,'' February 1866, p.45</ref> Certainly Sparkes and his colleagues at City and Guilds of London Art School ignored the general prohibition on life drawing being taught outside the Royal Academy of Arts, and the success of Sparkes's students at City and Guilds of London Art School in fine art competitions can be traced to this willingness by Sparkes to ignore regulations he believed were wrong.<ref>Stuart Macdonald, ''The History and Philosophy of Art Education'' (Cambridge, James Clarke and Co Ltd, 2014). p. 176</ref>
This radicalism in Sparkes can also be seen in his concern for the art and design tutors working both at City and Guilds of London Art School and elsewhere in Britain. In the 1860s a block grant was given by the British Government to the [[Royal College of Art|South Kensington Government School of Design]] for teachers' pay and this was then redistributed to other art schools across the country. As well as being widely considered an insufficient sum in the first place, the Government School of Design was accused by people such as Sparkes of holding on to too much of the money leading to the payment of what were called starvation wages at other art schools. Sparkes, in particular, was instrumental in campaigning for an increase in these wages, through both direct appeals to parliament and the establishment of the first national union of art teachers, the Association of Art Masters, in 1863.<ref>Stuart Macdonald, ''The History and Philosophy of Art Education'' (Cambridge, James Clarke and Co Ltd, 2014). p. 216</ref>
===Connection to Doulton's Pottery, Farmer and Brindley and other companies===
Recognising the limitations of government patronage of art schools, Sparkes cultivated a number of connections between the City and Guilds of London Art School and local manufacturing industries which would lead ultimately to City and Guilds of London Art School attaining the independent status it has today. One of the most notable of these was with [[Henry Doulton]] whose pottery factory, later known as [[Royal Doulton]], was located near to the City and Guilds of London Art School.
In 1863 Doulton joined the school's board of management and the following year he gave the school its first commission, for a terracotta frieze for his factory's new extension. Following on from this Doulton was a strong supporter and promoter of the art school's activities, including exhibiting experimental works by students at the [[1867 Paris Exhibition]] and at the [[Annual International Exhibitions (London 1871–74)|1871 London Exhibition]].<ref name=dick>{{cite book|last1=Wardleworth|first1=Dennis|title=William Reid Dick, Sculptor|date=2013|publisher=Ashgate Publishing|location=Farnham, Surrey|isbn=9781409439714|page=21|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9oJmPfmQ7SgC|access-date=14 October 2014}}</ref>
From about 1869, Doulton and his staff helped the art school to develop a curriculum that trained students for the pottery trade, and to carry out design work for Doulton. This collaboration provided [[Royal Doulton|Doulton's]] with a supply of higher-quality artwork for its trade, and gave students at Lambeth School of Art employment opportunities, and many noted English modellers and sculptors of the late nineteenth century owe their careers to this partnership.<ref name=sculp/><ref>{{cite book|last1=McKeown|first1=Julie|title=Royal Doulton|date=1997|publisher=Osprey Publishing|isbn=0747803382|page=10|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YxBdYICh0cwC&pg=PA10}}</ref>
The close connection between the art school and Doulton's meant that the ethos of City and Guilds of London School of Art was based, from very early days, on a belief in a strong connection between the fine arts, craft and design. Consequently, its students and teachers became associated with the [[Arts and Crafts movement]], and to some extent the [[Art Nouveau]] movement.<ref>[http://www.cityandguildsartschool.ac.uk/the_school/history/1854_1932_timeline College timeline at www.cityandguildsartschool.ac.uk (accessed 8 March 2009)] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090228232823/http://cityandguildsartschool.ac.uk/the_school/history/1854_1932_timeline |date=28 February 2009 }}</ref>
In addition to Doulton's, Sparkes also cultivated contacts with other local craft trade companies, one of the most notable of which was Mssrs Farmer and Brindley, a Lambeth-based architectural stone carving and terra-cotta company.<ref>Emma Hardy, 'Farmer and Brindley, Craftsmen and Sculptors, 1850–1930' in The Victorian Society Annual 1993, pp. 4–17 [https://issuu.com/artcyprus/docs/farmer_and_brindleybw Full Text]</ref> As with Doulton's, a number of apprentices at Farmer and Brindley augmented their training with study at the Art School. This included the sculptors Charles John Allen (1862–1956), Harry Bates (1850–1899) and Nathaniel Hitch (1846–1936), and others, who became prominent sculptors in the Victorian and Edwardian periods.<ref>[https://sculpture.gla.ac.uk/search/index.php?searchtype=all&search=farmer+and+brindley&x=0&y=0 University of Glasgow Mapping Sculpture Project]</ref>
Individuals from other companies were also involved in teaching at the art school, most notably [[John Henry Dearle]] in the 1880s, who was one  of the chief designers for [[William Morris]] and [[Morris and Co.]]
===City and Guilds Institute and City Livery Companies===
In 1878 Sparkes secured funding in the art school of the newly founded [[City and Guilds of London Institute]] which also ran one of the precursor institutions to [[Imperial College London]], the CGLI Central Technical College.<ref name=dick/> The new backing secured the financial future of the art school without the strings attached to government funding. Under the new arrangement, the art school moved to new buildings in Kennington Park Road in Lambeth, which it still occupies, and was renamed the South London Technical School of Art. In 1932 it changed its name to the City and Guilds of London Institute Kennington and Lambeth Art School, reflecting the historical and continued support of the city of London [[Livery Companies]]. This was shortened in 1938 to the City and Guilds of London Art School.<ref>Jennifer Lang, ''City and Guilds of London Institute Centenary 1878–1978'' (London: City and Guilds Institute, 1978) p. 94</ref> The formal link between the parent body, the City and Guilds Institute, and the City and Guilds of London Art School was ended in 1971, when the art school became and independent trust.<ref>Jennifer Lang, ''City and Guilds of London Institute Centenary 1878–1978'' (London: City and Guilds Institute, 1978) p.138</ref>
===20th and 21st centuries===
Graduates of the Art School were involved in some of the leading social and political movements of the early twentieth century, including [[Clemence Housman]] and [[Laurence Housman]], who co-founded, in 1909, a society for artists who supported the [[Suffragette Movement]], called the [[Suffrage Atelier]].<ref>Elizabeth Crawford, ''The Women's Suffrage Movement: A Reference Guide 1866–1928'' (London: Routledge, 1999) p. 662</ref> [[Laurence Housman]] later went on to found the radical bookshop, which still bears his name, located in Caledonian Road, near London's [[London King's Cross railway station|King's Cross]] railway station.
After the Second World War, new restoration and carving courses were established at the Art School to train people for the restoration of London's war-damaged buildings. However, during the 1960s the art school also developed a fine art programme, although it still maintained and strengthened its programmes in restoration and carving. This resulted in the Art School evolving into both a school for fine art education, and a unique specialist training centre for the education of restorers and conservators of architectural stone and wood work.
In 1971 the Art School became an independent charitable trust, with the new Deed of Incorporation signed by [[Geoffrey Agnew]] (chairman of the art gallery [[Thomas Agnew & Sons]]), Sir Colin Skelton Anderson (Provost of the [[Royal College of Art]]), [[Sir John Betjeman]] (poet), [[Adrian Maurice Daintrey]] (artist), Gilbert Samuel (Lord Mayor of London), [[Charles Wheeler (sculptor)|Charles Wheeler]] (sculptor and Former President of the [[Royal Academy]]), and [[Carel Weight]] (artist), amongst others. Support also came from artists such as [[Henry Moore]] and [[Graham Sutherland]].<ref>Companies House, London, Articles of Association, reference no. 00992490</ref>
In 1997 and 1998 the Fine Art Painting, Sculpture and Conservation courses were validated at undergraduate BA (Hons) level. In 2000 the MA course in Fine Art was validated by the University of Central England (now [[Birmingham City University]]).<ref>[http://www.biad.bcu.ac.uk/about/associatedcolleges.htm Birmingham Institute of Art and Design validation at www.biad.bcu.ac.uk (accessed 5 March 2009)]</ref>[[File:CIty and Guilds of London Art School.JPG|thumb|Exterior at twilight]]
In a 2008 letter to the [[Observer (newspaper)|Observer]] newspaper and [[Art Monthly]] by Graham Crowley, former Professor of the Royal College of Art, the City & Guilds of London Art School's Fine Art Department was singled out for its "magnificent job" in "maintaining the transformative power and joy of education through art".<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2008/feb/10/art.furthereducation | location=London | work=The Guardian | first=Vanessa | last=Thorpe | title=Low morale devastates art colleges | date=10 February 2008}}</ref>
In 2009 [[Man Booker Prize|Booker Prize]] shortlisted writer [[Tibor Fischer]] became the [[Royal Literary Fund]] writing fellow at the City and Guilds of London Art School.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.rlf.org.uk/fellowshipscheme/current_fellows.cfm|title=Fellows Fellowships Categories}}</ref>
In April 2011 the magazine [[Modern Painters (magazine)|Modern Painters]] surveyed art world professionals to create a list of the top ten British art schools, resulting in the City and Guilds of London Art School coming third after the Royal College of Art and the Royal Academy.<ref>{{cite web|title=City and Guilds of London Art School - Modern Painters Survey Ranks School as 3rd Best UK Graduate Arts Programme|url=http://www.cityandguildsartschool.ac.uk/news/school_news/modern_painters|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140228073945/http://www.cityandguildsartschool.ac.uk/news/school_news/modern_painters|archive-date=28 February 2014|access-date=15 February 2014}}</ref>
Since 2018 art school's undergraduate and postgraduate degree courses have been validated by [[Ravensbourne (college)|Ravensbourne]].
==Current departments==
The current Principal, since 2022, is Dr Lois Rowe.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Art School welcomes new Principal: Dr Lois Rowe {{!}} City & Guilds {{!}} London Art School |url=https://www.cityandguildsartschool.ac.uk/art-school-welcomes-new-principal-dr-lois-rowe/ |access-date=2023-01-23 |website=www.cityandguildsartschool.ac.uk}}</ref>
'''The Foundation Department''' is currently led by Acting Course Leader Joshua Uvieghara. The department teaches the [[University of the Arts London|UAL]] Foundation Course syllabus to prepare students to make applications to undergraduate art and design programmes at universities and art schools. Other tutors include Kim Amis, Andrea Barber, Niamh Clancy, Gary Colclough, Alex Hough, Lucy Le Feuvre, [[Nicholas Middleton]], Daniel Mifsud, Emma Montague, Jacky Oliver and Sage Townsend.
'''The Fine Art Department''' is currently led by Acting Course Leader Andy Bannister, and consists of BA (Hons) Fine Art, GradDip Arts: Fine Art and MA Fine Art. A range of contemporary artists teach at the Art School including [[Kiera Bennett]], Kate Dunn, [[Andrew Grassie]], Jane Hayes Greenwood, [[James Jessop]], [[Reece Jones (artist)|Reece Jones]], [[Hugh Mendes]], [[Alex Gene Morrison]], Kate Palmer, Charley Peters, Candida Powell-Williams, Frances Richardson, Jack Southern, [[Amikam Toren]], and Tom Worsford.
'''The Carving Department''' consists of DipHE/BA (Hons) Carving: Woodcarving & Gilding, DipHE/BA (Hons) Carving: Architectural Stone, Graduate Diploma Arts: Carving and PgDip/MA Carving. The Department is led by Tom Young,<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Art School appoints a new Head of Carving {{!}} City & Guilds {{!}} London Art School |url=https://www.cityandguildsartschool.ac.uk/the-art-school-appoints-a-new-head-of-carving/ |access-date=2023-10-06 |website=www.cityandguildsartschool.ac.uk}}</ref> who is supported by professional carvers in stone and wood including Tom Ball, Richard Barnes, Nina Bilbey, Sarah Davis, Mark Frith, Paul Jakeman, Takako Jin, [[Richard Kindersley]], Tom Merrett, and Ghislain Puget, alongside Kim Amis who teaches modelling and Diane Magee who runs the Drawing Studio.
'''The Conservation Department''' led by Dr Marina Sokhan, comprises DipHE/BA (Hons) Conservation: Books & Paper,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cityandguildsartschool.ac.uk/books-paper-conservation-course-launches-in-september/|title = Books & Paper Conservation course launches in September &#124; City & Guilds &#124; London Art School}}</ref> DipHE/BA Conservation: Stone, Wood & Decorative Surfaces, GradDip Arts: Conservation and MA Conservation. The Department has a number of specialist tutors including Gerry Alabone ACR, Kim Amis, Louise Ashon, Sophie Barton ACR, Peter Bennett, James Bloxam, Amanda Brannan, Dr Tracey Chaplin, Edward Cheese ACR, Sarah Davis, Jennifer Dinsmore ACR, Rosella Garavaglia, Graeme Gardiner ACR, Judith Gowland ACR, Christopher Harvey, Sarah Healey-Dilkes ACR, Hugi Hicyilmaz, Joel Hopkinson, Rian Kanduth, Katy Lithgow ACR, Dr Naomi Luxford ACR, Dana Melchar, Bridget Mitchell ACR, Richard Nichols ACR, Dr David Peggie, Cheryl Porter, Dr Joanna Russell ACR, Alex Schouvaloff, Alison Seed ACR, Vanessa Simeoni ACR, Victoria Stevens ACR, Shaun Thompson, and Piers Townshend ACR.
'''The Art Histories Department''' is led by Thomas Groves and provides art historical, contextual and theoretical instruction to students in all the practical departments at the Art School. In addition to Thomas Groves, tutors include Dr Oriana Fox, [[John Goodall (author)|John Goodall]], Viv Lawes, Dr Nigel Llewellyn, [[Michael Paraskos|Dr Michael Paraskos]], Jaimini Patel, Harrison Pearce, Dr Matthew Rowe, Dr Jon Shaw, Dr Rebecca Sykes, and Laura White.
The Art School works with a network of institutions and individuals, including the [[Victoria & Albert Museum]], the [[Museum of London]], the [[British Museum]] and Tate Modern.
==Notable alumni==
{{See|Category:Alumni of the City and Guilds of London Art School|Category:Alumni of the Lambeth School of Art}}
==Notable teachers and lecturers==
* [[Basil Beattie]]
* [[Kiera Bennett]]
* [[Ralph Beyer]]<ref>{{Cite book|last=Neilson|first=John|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1199327978|title=The inscriptions of Ralph Beyer|date=2021|isbn=978-1-84822-475-9|location=London, United Kingdom|oclc=1199327978}}</ref>
* [[Emma Biggs]]
* [[Sonia Boyce]] [[Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire|MBE]]
* [[Rodney Joseph Burn]] [[Royal Academician|R.A.]]
* [[James Butler (artist)|James Butler]] ([[Royal Academician|R.A.]] sculptor)
* [[Philip Connard]]
* [[Matthew Collings]]
* [[Aimé-Jules Dalou]] (1870s)
* [[Sir Roger de Grey]] [[Royal Academician|R.A.]] (Principal 1973–95, President of the [[Royal Academy]])
* [[Bernard Dunstan]] ([[Royal Academician|R.A.]] painter)
* [[Michael Fell (artist)|Michael Fell Hon RE]]
* [[Tibor Fischer]] RLF Writing Fellow 2009
* Elizabeth Fitzgerald (Principal)<ref>{{Cite news|date=1 December 1997|title=Elizabeth Fitzgerald; Obituary|work=The Times}}</ref>
* [[William Silver Frith]]
* [[Andrew Grassie]]
* [[Charles Sargeant Jagger]]
* [[James Jessop]]
* [[Jasper Joffe]]
* [[Alfred Garth Jones]]
* [[Reece Jones (artist)]]
* [[Michael Kenny (sculptor)|Michael Kenny]] [[Royal Academician|R.A.]] (Principal 1995–1999<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/Archive/Article/0,4273,3946184,00.html Guardian Obituary]</ref>)
* [[Ben Levene]] ([[Royal Academician|R.A.]] painter)
* [[Hew Locke]]
* [[Robin Mason]]
* [[Alex Gene Morrison]]
* [http://www.dunhillandobrien.co.uk/ Tamiko O'Brien] (Principal 2014-2022)
* [https://www.dickonianssculptor.co.uk/ Dick Onians]
* [[Michael Paraskos]]
* [[Benedict Read]]
* [[Charles Ricketts]]
* [http://www.john-roberts-sculptor.co.uk/ John Roberts]
* [[William Sharpington]] (also alumnus)<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Nash|first1=John|date=2002|title=In Defence of the Roman Letter|journal=Journal of the Edward Johnston Foundation|url=http://www.ejf.org.uk/Resources/JRNarticle.pdf|accessdate=13 October 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Lubell |first1=Stephen |title=William Sharpington: a man of letters |journal=Ultrabold: The Journal of St Bride Library |date=2010 |issue=8 |pages=22–27}}</ref>
* [[John Charles Lewis Sparkes]]<ref>[http://sculpture.gla.ac.uk/view/person.php?id=msib4_1245238812 John Charles Lewis Sparkes]</ref>
* William Wheeler<ref>{{Cite web|title=Founder of Carving and Conservation at the Art School honoured with new plaque {{!}} City & Guilds {{!}} London Art School|url=https://www.cityandguildsartschool.ac.uk/founder-of-carving-and-conservation-at-the-art-school-honoured-with-new-plaque/|access-date=2022-02-01|website=www.cityandguildsartschool.ac.uk}}</ref>
* [[Amikam Toren]]
==References==
{{Reflist}}
==External links==
* [http://www.cityandguildsartschool.ac.uk Website of City and Guilds of London Art School]
* [https://sculpture.gla.ac.uk/view/organization.php?id=msib2_1207870826 GSA's Mapping Sculpture Entry for the Art School]
* [http://chestofbooks.com/food/household/Woman-Encyclopaedia-2/The-Lambeth-School-Of-Art.html Extract from "Every Woman's Encyclopaedia" published 1910.]
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{{Art schools in the United Kingdom}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:City And Guilds Of London Art School}}
[[Category:Educational institutions established in 1854]]
[[Category:Art schools in London]]
[[Category:Higher education colleges in London]]
[[Category:Education in the London Borough of Lambeth]]
[[Category:1854 establishments in England]]
[[Category:Kennington]]
[[Category:Arts organizations established in 1854]]