The artist, curator and academic Rebecca Fortnum has said she is 'thrilled' to have been appointed to head up Glasgow School of Art's prestigious School of Fine Art.
Ms Fortnum is currently Professor of Fine Art and Research Lead in the School of Arts & Humanities at the Royal College of Art (RCA).
She said that as an artist she had long been aware that GSA had nurtured "generations of talent of international renown."
The school has produced 15 Turner Prize nominees of which 6 were winners including Douglas Gordon and Charlotte Podger as well as other internationally renowned names including photographer Harry Benson and painter Jenny Savill. Ms Fortnum will take up the post on June 1, 2021
She has shown work in exhibitions around the world, including solo shows at Freud Museum London and the V&A’s Museum of Childhood, and a group show at 601 Space inNew York).
Her academic career has included University of the Arts London, where she was Reader in Fine Art, and Middlesex University, London where she was Professor of Fine Art.
She led the Master of Fine Art programmes at both these institutions and was most recently a Visiting Research Fellow in the Creative Arts at Merton College, Oxford University.
Prof Fortnum said: “I am truly excited to be joining The Glasgow School of Art, one of the global leaders in art education.
“As an artist I have long been aware that GSA has nurtured generations of talent of international renown, and I am thrilled to be given the opportunity to contribute to this illustrious lineage.”
“I am looking forward to working with staff and students across the GSA and to collaborating with Glasgow’s wider cultural community on the next chapter in the history of the School of Fine Art, as well as contributing to the vibrant contemporary art community for which Glasgow is internationally known.”
Announcing the appointment, Professor Penny Macbeth, the GSA’s Director said: "In Professor Fortnum we have found an outstanding candidate who brings the extensive experience as an academic leader that will enable us to take the School of Fine Art forward addressing the current challenges whilst developing innovative approaches to future learning and teaching.”
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