Glasgow: Scotland with style - Prestigious World Friends of Museums conference comes to Glasgow

Bailie Liz Cameron, Chair of Culture and Sport Glasgow and Vice-Chair of Glasgow City Marketing Bureau, has announced that the city is to host the World Federation of Friends of Museums (WFFM) conference in 2009.

The WFFM is an international organisation that represents two million individual friends of museums, single associations and national federations around the world, including the Friends of Glasgow Museums.

In previous years, the WFFM conference has been held in Singapore, Seville and Buenos Aires and is due to be held in Paris in 2008.

News about the WFFM conference comes after the recent success of the Museums Association conference, which drew over 450 delegates to the Scottish Exhibition + Conference Centre last month (22 – 24 October).

Bailie Cameron, said: “I am delighted to announce that the World Federation of Friends of Museums conference will be held in Glasgow in 2009. The WFFM brings together friends and volunteers from all over the world, who understand the importance of combining their efforts in the conservation of mankind's cultural heritage. With one of the richest cultural collections in Europe and some of the best conference facilities in the UK, Glasgow is ideally placed to host such an event.”

Barclay Lennie, Chair of the Friends of Glasgow Museums, joined Bailie Cameron in welcoming the news.

Mr. Lennie said: “The British Association for Friends of Museums nominated Glasgow as their preferred destination to host the event. The city is home to some of the Europe’s finest civic museums and their collections are envied around the world. The Friends of Glasgow Museums have made significant contributions to the city’s civic art collection including the recent purchase of a portrait of Dr. Tom Honeyman for the newly restored Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum.“

Mr. Lennie continued: “Dr. Honeyman was Director of Glasgow Art Galleries from 1939 to 1954 and is credited with putting Glasgow Museums, and particularly Kelvingrove, on the map. He also founded the Friends of Glasgow Museums in 1944. I’m sure that Glasgow and the city’s museums will win themselves some new admirers during the delegates’ visit.”

The WFFM conference will bring delegates from over thirty countries around the world to Glasgow. Events are scheduled for 30 April – 3 May 2009.

ENDS

Released by and more information from:

Russell Paton, Brand Public Relations Executive

Glasgow City Marketing Bureau

Phone: +44 (0) 141 566 0834

Email: russell.paton@seeglasgow.com

Notes for Editors:

Pictured are Bailie Liz Cameron, Chair of Culture and Sport Glasgow and Vice-Chair of Glasgow City Marketing Bureau, and Barclay Lennie, Chair of the Friends of Glasgow Museums, who today announced that the prestigious World Federation of Friends of Museums (WFFM) conference is to meet in Glasgow in 2009. The WFFM is an international organisation that represents two million individual friends of museums, single associations and national federations around the world including the Friends of Glasgow Museums. Bailie Cameron and Barclay Lennie are pictured with a portrait of Dr. Tom Honeyman – who founded the Friends of Glasgow Museums in 1944 – which was purchased for the restored Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum by the Friends of Glasgow Museums in conjunction with the Heritage Lottery Fund. The portrait by Leslie Hunter takes pride of place, hanging inside the main entrance to Kelvingrove.

Dr. Honeyman is remembered today as 'the man who bought the Dali' (Salvador Dali's Christ of St John of the Cross, in 1952); but his proudest achievement was the compilation of the city’s world famous collection of French 19th and 20th century paintings.

Honeyman’s chief aim was to make Glasgow’s museums more accessible to people of all ages. This he did by a series of stimulating exhibitions, modernising displays and high profile promotions. These activities were echoed recently with the reopening of Kelvingrove in 2006 after a three-year, multimillion pound restoration. Since re-opening, over 3.7 million people have visited Kelvingrove.