ECA Principal appointed secretary of Royal Scottish Academy

RSA Electees

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Edinburgh College of Art (ECA) Principal Ian Howard has been elected treasurer of the Royal Scottish Academy (RSA), the prestigious visual arts institution based on the Mound in Edinburgh.

Other appointments included Professor Bill Scott as president, and Arthur Watson as Secretary. The appointments are the first of their kind in eight years, as the preceding office-bearers were re-elected and have held the posts continuously throughout that time.

The RSA holds a unique position in Scotland as an independent organisation led by eminent artists and architects, promoting contemporary Scottish art.

Incoming president Professor Bill Scott, a graduate of the ECA, is a renowned sculptor who previously held the position of Head of Sculpture at the College. He comes to the position of president having previously served as secretary of the RSA, from 1998 to present. His work includes a number of public sculptures in Edinburgh, Glasgow and other towns and cities across Scotland.

New secretary Arthur Watson is Director of the Master of Fine Art programme and head of Graduate Studies at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design – part of the University of Dundee. His own work includes printmaking, painting and sculpture, often in combination.

The appointments come at a busy time for Professor Howard, who was recently awarded an honorary doctoral degree from the University of Edinburgh.

The ECA is celebrating its centenary this year, with a major exhibition continuing at the City Art Centre until January 20, after which it will move to the Fleming Collection gallery in London.

A centenary charity auction was also held on 22 November at the Royal Academy of Arts in London. The auction included works by ECA alumni John Bellany, Dame Elizabeth Blackadder and by Professor Howard himself. More than £150,000 was raised, with proceeds being used to restore the College’s Grade-I listed drawing and painting studios.

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