ART AT R G S BY GRAHAM MASON (89-96) ON & RGS HEAD OF ART Having been spread across six studio spaces all of different past subject and teaching histories, our previous accommodation – the now ‘old art department’ branched out from the original singular Art studio of 1931 through four science labs.
Above: Art teacher Christine Egan-Fowler and a student in the new Art Department. Opposite: Graham Mason, Head of Art at RGS
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nder the ambition and vision of Kevin Egan-Fowler, art@rgs was expansively and progressively developed into an art department that continues to enjoy a stellar reputation for launching a countless number of inspired, creative and academically successful student experiences. We hadn’t been motioning to move, but in 2014 when, then Head, Bernard Trafford (08-17) asked if a new Art Department was something I’d be interested in, it was an opportunity that drew immediate attention and one that had to be acknowledged that if not grasped may never come around again. With a strong history of popularity with students and academic success which has only increased under our current staff team, space was becoming ever more restricted. We’d have gone on and we’d have found imaginative ways around things, but we have a regional and national reputation to uphold. Could we continue to go on attracting the most interesting students from RGS and the North East community when we were struggling to house students and provide the exciting, diverse and spacious facilities needed to accommodate the ambitions of our current and future students? You can’t stay in out-of-date accommodation. The advantages of being able to have a purpose-built Art Department that fulfilled an “art school” vibe are extraordinary, never mind one of
