Annual Review 2013-2014 We Are Bath’S University Museum

Annual Review 2013-2014 We are Bath’s University Museum. We have a long-standing, successful and mutually beneficial relationship with both Bath Spa University and the University of Bath and acknowledge the financial support they provide to the Museum. In 2013 we formalised our relationship with Bath Spa University by becoming its Cultural Partner. As a hub of creativity and culture, with a strong focus on enterprise and education, Bath Spa University provides students with opportunities to develop new skills and gain new experiences through a year long programme of lectures by Museum staff, placements, projects and volunteering. Cover: Beadwork basket (about 1665-70), detail All images © Holburne Museum unless otherwise stated Event images thanks to Cardwell Photography CHAIRMAN’S REPORT This has been a wonderful year for the Holburne Museum with record breaking exhibitions and more people than ever before attending and enjoying our events, concerts, lectures and workshops. In April 2014 we were pleased to This was the first year, since well reported elsewhere, we also purchased welcome his Royal Highness the Duke before we set out on our development a fascinating Bath miniature and of Gloucester to the Museum, to show project over a decade ago, in which acquired an intriguing ivory portrait. him what we have achieved over the our budgeted operational deficit was Most importantly we were the grateful last several years, and to take him round more than covered by the income from recipients of the wonderful portrait our building and our critically acclaimed our Capital Fund. This has long been by Joseph Wright of Derby given by ‘Joseph Wright of Derby’ exhibition. a key objective for the Board and I am my predecessor, David Posnett, under During the visit he had the opportunity delighted that we have achieved it. the Cultural Gifts scheme. Wright has to meet many of those who contribute But it is also right to offer a word of long been a notable absentee from our to the Museum’s success from our caution. We currently rely on significant fine collection of British eighteenth- teams of volunteers and staff, to our levels of revenue funding, including a century portraits and it was a typically Friends and major supporters. number of grants from individuals and imaginative and generous act from trusts which are specifically intended to David to fill that particular gap so In last year’s review I set out what I provide funding as we seek to raise our beautifully. believed to be the priorities for the endowment. It remains imperative that Holburne in the coming years. I am we achieve our objective. In January, Xa Sturgis announced that happy to report significant advances he would be leaving the Holburne towards achieving those objectives There is also, it seems to me, a risk to take up the role of Director of the over the last twelve months. Our that comes with success – a possibility Ashmolean Museum in Oxford after campaign to build an endowment with that grant giving bodies will believe nine years at the Museum. These have the ambitious target of increasing the Holburne is not in as much need been momentous years for the Museum our Capital Funds to £8million by our as others. We must therefore continue and he has been an inspirational anniversary year of 2016 got off to a to make our case for support as Director through the development very encouraging start. 2013 saw us all strongly as we can. It is only through and re-opening of the Museum. Its but complete our ‘Catalyst Campaign’, the support of so many of you that current success and standing owes matching the grant of £1million from we can continue to act as a Museum much to that leadership. His new role the Heritage Lottery Fund, which will for everyone, offering free entry and is testimony to the reputation of the see our Capital Funds increase to a little encouraging so many people from a Holburne, as was the exceptionally shy of £5million. In addition we have broad cross-section of society to enjoy strong field from which we were able to also received an exceptionally generous our collections, our exhibitions and our select his successor. We are delighted pledge from the Medlock Charitable activities and events. to be welcoming Jennifer Scott, Foundation which, once it too is currently Curator of Paintings at the matched, will see the creation of an If raising our endowment is one of Royal Collection, as the Museum’s new Education Fund, the income from which the priorities the Trustees have set for Director in August and look forward will provide secure funding for our the Museum, continuing to enhance to working with her as we take the Education work now and into the future. our collection remains another. When Museum forward over the coming years. We hope that this will be the first of a I suggested as much last year I could number of lead gifts over the coming not have foreseen what a spectacular year to help us reach our target. year for acquisitions we would have. Not only was our campaign to raise Thanks in no small part to the success the money for the exquisite beadwork of our Catalyst Campaign, 2013 marked basket that appears on the cover of Richard Fleck CBE an important milestone for the Museum. this year’s review successful, but as CHAIRMAN 1 BELOW RIGHT: Bath Spa University Heritage DIRECTOR’S REPORT and Context Degree students volunteer at the Museum as part of their course The last twelve months have been exceptionally successful ones for the Holburne. Visitor figures remained high at just under 125,000 through 2013, while more people came to see our temporary exhibitions than ever before. Vesuvius and the firework display at the undergraduate and MA students from Castel Sant’Angelo in Rome from Tate the Bath School of Art and Design, and The Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool in which they have created works respectively, versions of which were first responding to the collection, are among exhibited in Bath some two hundred the many collaborations undertaken as and forty years ago. part of our flourishing and important partnership with Bath Spa University. As ever thanks are due to the many generous lenders both institutional and If the temporary exhibition programme private for supporting the Museum and and thriving education programme, trusting it with their treasures and to speak of the Museum’s ambition and those funders including Arts Council energy, I am particularly pleased England, The Paul Mellon Centre, Bath that perhaps the most significant Spa University, the Foyle Foundation, developments for the Museum over There have been many highlights Iwan and Manuela Wirth and our the last twelve months have been during the year, few of which could Friends who provided vital support for permanent. These have included the match the thrill of welcoming the our exhibition programme, including our building of our endowment to almost astonishing group of Dutch and Flemish series of contemporary commissions £5million which will provide income to paintings from the Royal Collection and displays in the Wirth Gallery and support the Museum for years to come, for our summer exhibition. It was a on our Ballroom table. The role of and the spectacular additions to the huge pleasure and privilege (if slightly the Museum and its collection as an permanent collection including Joseph nerve-racking responsibility) to have inspiration for artists and a catalyst for Wright’s beautiful profile portrait of these great works by Rembrandt, De commissions is an important element Mrs Balguy given by David Posnett Hooch and company under our roof, of what we do. The dialogue between and the splendidly elaborate beadwork quite apart from the joy of having them past and present, encouraged by such basket bought after a public campaign a step away from my office to be visited commissions and installations, can at and described elsewhere in this review. at will over the summer months. I’m its best deepen our engagement with Exhibitions, events and activity are of happy to say that I was not the only and enjoyment of both the art of the course vital to the life of a museum. one enticed into the Roper Gallery past and the present. Stunning works They generate press coverage, attract by their presence and the exhibition created for the Museum by Bettina proved itself to be the most successful von Zwehl, Junko Mori and Kathy in the Museum’s history. Not that these Dalwood over the past year have made were the only distinguished visitors the point particularly forcefully, each to the Museum over the last year. The in their very different ways casting group of works from the Arts Council a thoughtful eye onto the Museum’s Collection included its own share of collection or setting while at the same stonkers and, as I write, we have just time creating exceptionally beguiling closed the splendid Joseph Wright of works. As important for us has been the Derby exhibition which among its many use of the collection by art and design highlights paired the great views of students. The projects we have run with 2 BELOW LEFT: BELOW RIGHT: Visitors wore 3D glasses to The Holburne Lantern enjoy the never before exhibited Procession had over 1000 images in ‘Stereoscopic participants in 2013 photographs of Pablo Picasso by Robert Mouzillat’ ‘Don’t miss this wonderful gem in Bath’s cultural crown’ Trip Advisor October 2013 is a ridiculously small city to have supporters. The Holburne is much loved 17 museums acting unilaterally and and it has been an honour to have been I am confident that the project will trusted with helping it reach something demonstrate the benefits of us working of its potential over these years.

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