The governors of Glasgow's art school have vowed to do everything they can to "bring back The Mack", two weeks after a disastrous fire at the world-famous building.

An open letter signed by the board of governors of ­Glasgow School of Art (GSA), led by chairwoman Muriel Gray, thanks supporters of the school following the fire that engulfed the western side of the Charles Rennie Mackintosh-designed building.

The support of the public, the letter says, has provided the GSA with the "strength they need to carry on in this next stage of our history".

It adds: "Once we have helped our students through this, as they are our absolute first priority, then rest assured we will do everything we can to bring back The Mack, and we'll do it together.

"So from every single one of us at GSA we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for everything you've said, and everything you've done."

The letter said the fire on May 23 "broke our hearts and scoured our souls".

"Given what the building and its contents mean to us all, and that it was packed with precious, irreplaceable work by our graduating students, then that reaction is one that would be expected," it adds.

"What wasn't anticipated was that the city would start to arrive, not as rubber-necking tourists, but as our fellow citizens as much in love with 'The Mack' as we are, who'd come in their hundreds to express their own anguish, and to do whatever they could to comfort students, staff and each other.

"And when the flames had been brought under control and the crowd took their sorrow home, the kindness didn't stop."

Fine Art graduates, who were the most affected by the fire, will this week receive a special show at the McLellan Galleries in the city as the rest of the degree shows for the school proceed as normal.

The letter says the school has been "overwhelmed by the variety, depth and sincerity of public reaction.

"Everyone, it seems, has a story about what the GSA means to them, and all wanted to find ways to express their horror at watching it suffer."

The school once again thanked the "incredible" firefighters who "battled courageously, tirelessly and brilliantly day and night to save what they could".

"Despite their palpable exhaustion, they continued to treat our students, and all with whom they came into contact, with the utmost respect and sensitivity," the letter sad. "We think, and hope, they've got the message by now that when we shout 'We love you!' we really do mean it."

More than 100 fine art students will be able to show a single example of their work at the exhibition at the McLellan Galleries.

The school's Design and ­Architecture Degree Shows are to proceed as planned in other art school buildings, along with the MFA show at the Glue Factory venue.

The show in the McLellan Galleries will run from June 14 to 21 and each student will have one image included in the exhibition, which will take the form of a group show of digital prints.

The prints will be for sale to the public.