A new book by Mike Catto charts the development of the Belfast School of Design, which was founded in 1849, through to the 1960s when it became the Ulster College of Art and Design. Later it became part of the University of Ulster.
The school opened in 1849 in the north wing of the Belfast Academical Institution and the first headmaster was Claude Lorraine Nursey. Among the many notable students was the sculptor Samuel F Lynn (1836-1876), whose work included the statue of Dr Henry Cooke, known locally as 'the Black Man', and the statue of Prince Albert on the Albert Memorial Clock.
A major retrospective exhibition will open at the Ormeau Baths Gallery on 3 December, the day that the School of Design opened in 1849, and it will feature work by staff and students from 1849 through to the present day.
I look forward to reading the book and to seeing this exhibition, which should be well worth a visit.
A point of pride for any city, indeed. And for this one, a fount of renewal. May Belfast retain her artists and adorn herself with their prized creations.
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