A Life Long Love of Art and Art History

By Beth Williamson

I've always loved art. As a seven-year-old primary school child I won a painting prize, the only art prize I have ever won. At secondary school I studied art amongst my exam subjects. Although I was aware of Saturday Morning Classes at Glasgow School of Art, I was never able to attend, probably because there was no one to take me. Fast forward several decades and a career change and I found myself fascinated by the history of art education in post-war Britain, the art schools, artists, teachers and methods and how these shifted across the years into the very different model we see today.

Now, when arts education in schools and universities is being squeezed, the provision of extramural classes is more important than ever. While these exist in the form of Saturday Art and Design Clubs, it is unclear, to me at least, how they are integrated into the broader provision. As an art historian, I am always drawn to the history of things, not to be in thrall to that history, but to learn from it in contemporary times. From my personal memories of Saturday Morning Classes being something just out of reach, to my encounters with accomplished artists who benefited from them, I am curious to dive into that history and understand their importance then and now.