IPSWICH SCHOOL OF ART

1859 - ?

Ipswich School of Art opened for students on 10 January 1859, in the Lower Apartments of the then New Assembly Rooms in the town’s Northgate Street under the direction of William Thompson Griffiths. It was established in connection with the Department of Science and Art, South Kensington, London, and under the direction of a local committee, for the promotion of a knowledge of practical Art, and the inculcation of an improved taste among all classes of Society. The courses of study embraced Drawing by aid of instruments-Geometry, Linear Perspective, Mechanical and Architectural Drawing. Freehand Drawing-Outline from the Flat and Round, Shading in Chalk, &c., Model Drawing. Painting in Oil and Water Colours-Landscape, the Figure, Flowers, &c., from the Flat and from Nature. In September 1868, the Ipswich Fine Arts and Industrial Exhibition, a forerunner of the Ipswich Fine Art Club was held at the Assembly Rooms. It forged close working with the School of Science and from about 1871 was called the Ipswich School of Science and Art. In 1878 the School of Art moved to the Old Masonic Hall, in Upper Brook Street, Ipswich and as it attracted more students, more space was needed, and the school was moved to High Street when a new museum was built and officially opened on 27 July and for students on 19 September 1881. Further space was required, and new buildings were erected being opened in 1892 and when Christchurch Park was purchased by Ipswich Council in 1896 further space was made available at the Christchurch Mansion which had been donated by Felix Thornley Cobbold. In 1934 construction began on a new building with its distinctive glass-roofed, octagonal gallery which also housed the Ipswich Art Gallery. It was conceived as a place to inspire, transform and educate and the School of Art has attracted many talented artists, sculptors and printmakers, including local artists such as Frederick George Cotman, William Symonds, Walter Batley, Arthur Southgate and Leonard Squirrell among others with Leonard Squirrell also becoming a teacher at the School and Colin Moss became the Senior Lecturer in Painting in 1947. With the building of the University of Suffolk Campus, many of the 'industrial' tutors moved to its site in the Rope Walk in 1983 but High Street remained active until 1998 when the Art School completely moved to Suffolk University. The Museum and Art Galleries are still being run by the Colchester & Ipswich Museums in 2018 and works of many modern and contemporary artists of both regional and national significance, have entered the Ipswich Collection by gift, bequest, or purchase. Amongst these are paintings by Cedric Morris and Arthur Lett-Haines who founded and ran the East Anglian School of Painting and Drawing firstly at Dedham, then Benton End, near Hadleigh, Suffolk and there are also several paintings by members of their circle, including Lucy Harwood, Joan Warburton and Glyn Morgan. The collection also includes work by Amy Katherine Browing/Dugdale, Cecil Lay, Mary Potter, Russell Sidney Reeve, Peter Campbell, Roderic Barrett, Cor Visser, Valerie Thornton, Adrian Ryan, Bernard Reynolds, Lawrence Self, John Hirst Addyman, Colin Moss, Maggi Hambling, Constance Stubbs, Margaret Mellis, and Jeffery Camp, amongst many others.

Other artists who studied at the school and are noted as a prize winner, but further details are needed were: -
In February 1900
Miss Annie Burton - Drawing Ornament from Cast (Elementary)
Miss Gertrude Clark - Shading Ornament from the Cast (Elementary)
Miss Gertrude Fitch - Shading Ornament from the Cast (Elementary)
Miss Eliza Jackson - Plant Drawing in Outline and in Modelling Design
Miss Kate Flemons - Shading Ornament from the Cast (Elementary)
Miss Amy Smith - Decorative Design
Miss Frances Waring - Model Drawing (Advanced)
Mr Ernest Wootten - Drawing in Outline from the Cast

Post 1945
David Barton - joined the staff in 1951
Roy Beston - visiting lecturer
Isabel Carter - Ipswich Charter Hangings
Ed Cory - technical support
John Cresswell - silversmith & jewellery
Ian Crook - majolica ceramics
Tony Dockerill - tutor
Brian Driver - pupil life drawing
Norman Grantham - photography
Maggi Heywood - student 1966-1968
Brian P. Holder - 1997-2007 higher level courses
Eric Holton - student 1951-1953
Sue Holden - student died 2008
Mary Last - textile tutor
Brian Milne - student
Ken Roberts - tutor
Robert Rolfe - tutor
June Stock - student 1962-1964
Freda Sage - tutor in pottery
Rodney Stringer - pupil artist
David Ward - tutor

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Works by This Artist