Mall Galleries is 50 years old and the FBA is 60!

Two anniversaries

In February, two anniversaries occurred

• the Federation of British Artists achieved its "Diamond Jubilee"  having been 
• established as a Company Limited by Guarantee - following a Memorandum and Articles of Association dated 13th February 1961; and 
• registered as a Charity with the Charities Commission (see website)

The Federation provides exhibition facilities and organises open art exhibitions for public viewing in the Mall Galleries. The open exhibitions provide opportunities for developing artists to exhibit alongside more established artists. Our education programme incorporates collaboration with people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities.

• It also acts on behalf of its nine members societies, eight of which are also charities.  
• the FBA was originally formed when this group of national Art Societies joined together to offer each other mutual support in exhibiting their members’ works.
• the Mall Galleries celebrated its 50th anniversary. The Mall Galleries were opened by HM The Queen on 25 February 1971 - as a brand new gallery in London.  It provides a home for the Federation of British Artists.  It is also the trading side of the operation of the exhibitions and events which happen at the Mall Galleries - covenanting the profits of Mall Galleries Trading Limited to the FBA.  In doing so it helps.....
• support the 500 member artists of the 9 Art Societies that make up the FBA. 
• enables c.5,000 other artists get their work exhibited in a prestigious Central London Gallery each year. That's a LOT OF ARTISTS!
• provide much enjoyment to all those who travel from near and far to visit the art exhibitions in the Mall Galleries.

Sadly, what should have been a time to celebrate properly has instead morphed into recognition online only.

It's time to take stock....

Just imagine, for a moment, if there were no Mall Galleries...............

What's been happening in the last 12 months?

The Mall Galleries - closed most of the last 12 months

The pandemic - and associated lockdowns and constraints on opening - in 2020 and the beginning of 2021 - has created a very challenging time for both the FBA, its societies and the Mall Galleries.

• The Gallery has been open for only a few weeks in the last 12 months. It closed from March - August 2020 and again from November until now - with a brief period of opening in early December. 
• It had to create 
• a brand new way of running exhibitions - which worked really well - and 
• a brand new way of booking visits to them (to keep numbers under control and facilitate contact tracing)
• It has been continuing to run the annual exhibitions of the FBA Societies - not knowing whether and when they will run in reality (I remember well the Annual Exhibition of the RI being postponed twice from April before it finally opened in September)
• My exhibition reviews this year have been much reduced! see 
• my first exhibition at the Mall Galleries in six months was held by the RI - which got postponed twice (moved from April to September 2020)- see Review: 208th Exhibition of the Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours
• the second society to exhibit were the portrait painters - see Review: Annual Exhibition 2020 of the Royal Society of Portrait Painters
• the RSMA (I think) opened at its normal time - see Review: Royal Society of Marine Artists Annual Exhibition 2020 It had LOTS of red dots!
• the SWLA closed early due to the second lockdown - but I got to see it before it did - see
• SWLA's new website and annual exhibition closing early
• NEAC was also caught by both the first and second lockdown - and finished one day before the third! See New English Art Club - Annual Exhibition 2020 (Part 1) and the New English Art Club - Annual Exhibition 2020 (Part 2) - but also had the very first virtual exhibition (see below)
• The Annual Exhibition of the Pastel Society has had to be postponed - but is available to view online and (fingers crossed) will be in the Gallery later this year
• It has delivered one virtual exhibition - of an exhibition hung for opening - but unable to do so until allowed to do so - see A Virtual New English Art Club Annual Exhibition 2020 - online now!
• It has continued to achieve sales for the member artists and those selected for the open entry via online exhibitions of the artwork. I had a discussion with the Chair of one society recently who said sales had held up remarkably well
• However it has lost 
• sales associated with the shop - which is now very successful and generates significant income. 
• income generated by third party / corporate events in the Galleries - again an important source of income.

It will, of course, have received grants for the government to offset its running costs and provide furlough income for its employees. 

However it will face a very different set of numbers in its accounts in 2020 and 2021.

We receive no on-going public funding. With the doors of the gallery closed, we have lost a large source of income that we usually obtain from gallery rental and corporate events in the evenings which helped to fund our Exhibitions and Events.

Which is one of the reasons why it has now created a NEW DONATION PAGE.

A NEW DONATION PAGE

We are a registered charity, providing opportunities for developing and established artists. Any amount will be greatly appreciated.

The banner image for the Donation Page reflects the opening exhibition 50 years ago.

There are a number of ways you can help - listed in their recent email

• Make a donation
• Join as a Friend (I've kept my Friends membership running the whole year - just as I have done for all the Art Galleries I'm a Friend on in London. We need our art galleries and that means we need to support them)
• Renew your Friends membership
• Buy Art - which benefits the artists exhibiting as well as the FBA. You can buy via the online exhibitions or via a curated collection of images of works for sale
• Leave a Legacy either via a gift in your will or "In Memory" Donations.