Why charities need patrons

As Art in Healthcare appoints a new patron, Martine Foltier Pugh considers the relationship between charities and patrons.

In July last year, AiH trustee Gavin McEwan wrote a blog about the role of a charity’s board of trustees, how they safeguard the organisation’s activities, its legal and financial accountability. It would be fair to say that despite their considerable governance and managerial power, the identity of the trustees often remains largely unknown.

It would be equally fair to say that the exact opposite is true of the patron. Recently, prominent painter and Royal Academician Barbara Rae RA CBE RE who featured in the ‘Artist Uncovered’ blog of March this year, accepted Art in Healthcare’s invitation to be their patron. This is a good opportunity to reflect on what the role means.

Mull Ferry  by Barbara Rae  watercolour, 105x88cm

Art in Healthcare collection

Historically, it has long been the privilege and the pleasure of wealthy individuals to fund artists and the art world would be much depleted if for instance, the Medicis or the Steins had not supported and commissioned great works from da Vinci, Michelangelo or Picasso. Patrons were not only influential through their financial support but also in terms of taste. They were the trendsetters of their time. 

The idea of patronage has evolved since and today what charities look for in a patron is an individual who not only commands public attention, but is also passionate about what they stand for and can promote and lend credibility and weight to their cause. The royal family is a good example of such patronage.

I asked Barbara Rae what this appointment meant for her and she replied:

“Besides being an important charity in itself, without one like AiH hospitals would be barren, antiseptic places. It is essential patients and visitors have some visual stimulus that lifts the spirit, takes their mind off their immediate health problem, even momentarily.In ward or waiting room art can make the difference between gloom and hope. A good art image is always superior to a No Smoking sign.”

Ballachulish 1  by Barbara Rae monotype, 87x70cm

Art in Healthcare collection

With this statement, the artist not only captures what is at the heart of the AiH vision, it also reveals her enthusiasm for it, her love of colour and sense of humour.

To be a patron has a definite air of glamour about it. But like any other ‘job’ it depends on a good relationship between the two parties to fulfil their mutual expectations and any appointment will be preceded by an exchange of documents that spell out clearly what is required from each party.  Typically, these documents will outline how to maintain the flow of communication with regular updates from both sides, how many events the patron will be asked to attend per year and how the charity will make use of the patron’s name and picture.

The roles of the board of trustees and of the patron may be poles apart yet the charity’s performance depends on this disparity. The trustees ensure the long-term good practice and sustainability of the organisation and this in turn guarantees the backing of high profile patrons who are mindful about with whom their name is associated. The board of trustees and the patron are as interdependent and complementary as Yin and Yang. 

 Magic Happening no1 by Alan Davie  gouache, 93x81cm

Art in Healthcare collection

This appointment is a momentous occasion in the history of AiH as Barbara Rae is only their second patron. Their other patron, Alan Davie, was appointed by Paintings in Hospitals in the mid 1990s and stayed with AiH after its creation at the start of the new millenium. This new development also indicates a significant period of growth for the organisation as it continues to expand geographically and in its range of services.

Martine Foltier Pugh is a freelance writer and visual artist based in Edinburgh.

With thanks to Barbara Rae.


Royal Academy http://www.royalacademy.org.uk/
Royal Society of Painter-Printmakers http://artmondo.net/printworks/workshops/re.htm
Royal involvement with patronage http://www.royal.gov.uk/charitiesandpatronages/royal%20involvement%20with%20charities/royal%20involvement%20with%20charities.aspx
The House of Medici http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_Medici
The Stein family http://www.sfmoma.org/about/press/press_exhibitions/releases/862
Yin and Yang http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/taoism/ataglance/glance.shtml

Volunteering with Art in Healthcare

My name is Martine, I started volunteering for Art in Healthcare (AiH) in January this year and have been involved in five different projects since. This first blog allows me to look back and reflect on my experiences over the past six months.

AiH has a large collection of high quality contemporary artworks which they place in hospitals and care homes all around Scotland. My first job was to promote this service to care homes and explain how it can improve their patients’ quality of life. It was a revelation to me. I learned as much about these homes and patients’ care as they did about AiH’s services. The length of calls varied between a few seconds to 20 minutes and I am grateful to that manager who took the time to educate me in the needs of her patients.

'April 1997', Barbara Balmer, currently at the new Royal Victoria Hospital

Next I helped with the documentation of AiH paintings for the Public Catalogue Foundation, a national project which will eventually make available online every oil and acrylic painting in the public domain. Led by the collection manager, the AiH team of volunteers went to track down all such relevant paintings hired out to hospitals and homes. Eventually each artwork was taken down, photographed and rehung.  A considerable achievement made even more interesting wherever the description on ‘the list’ had become somehow disconnected over the years with the actual painting. We met some wonderful hospital staff as we searched around. Somehow, when put together, the words ‘art’ and ‘healthcare’ seem to make people want to talk and share anecdotes.

I also met up with another volunteer and shadowed her as she gave a talk in a care home about two paintings hired from AiH. I was able to see for myself the positive impact this carefully planned activity can have. At the end of the talk, some of the residents who had appeared disengaged at the beginning were chatting with her about the paintings and reminiscing about their own experiences.

'Energy is Delight', Alan Davie, currently at the new Royal Victoria Hospital

Next I became involved with the QR (Quick Response) code project. AiH are gradually encoding each of their work on display in hospitals and I was part of a team tasked with writing up reviews for the paintings going to the new Royal Victoria Building in Edinburgh’s Western General Hospital. I found this opportunity very enjoyable and it allowed me to put into practice my training in art history. My list of artists included some prominent Scottish painters such as Barbara Balmer, Elizabeth Blackadder and Alan Davie. It was a pleasure to research the artists and to correspond with some of them. It was also enlightening to consider their works from a healthcare perspective and the effect they can have in a nursing environment.

Finally I was asked to write the introduction to the NHS Lothian art collection for the Public Catalogue Foundation mentioned earlier. AiH were recently appointed to develop and implement their arts strategy. As part of my research I visited the Chaplain of the Royal Infirmary who has an encyclopaedic knowledge of the collection. He gave me some fascinating insights into its history and the logistics of displaying works in hospitals, an exercise which can provoke strong reactions, positive and negative, from staff and patients.

When I started to volunteer for AiH I never imagined the range of activities they are involved with or the variety of tasks that would be opened to me. It has been, and still is, an education.