No regrets—director

Press, 26 November 1986, Page 22

No regrets —director

Next month there will be a changing of the guard at the C.S.A. Gallery. KAY FORRESTER, “The Press” arts editor, talked to the retiring director Nola Barron, and her successor, Chris Taylor.

Nola Barron decided to resign as director of the C.S.A. Gallery after 10 years because it was time for a change for the gallery. "I know I will miss it,” she said looking around her small office, its walls lined with paintings, her own and the gallery’s. “But, after 10 years, I think maybe it’s time for the society to go in a new direction. In order to grow there should be change.” Mrs Barron took the job as director of the Canterbury Society of Arts gallery in Gloucester Street “because I was asked to do it.” She has no regrets about the 10 years she spent in charge of the gallery, and says she has always enjoyed wonderful

support from the council of the society. She could quite easily carry on in the job, she says, but it is time for a new direction. Her own work — in ceramics and bronze — has suffered because of the emotional and time commitment to the gallery. “I tried to keep working on my own pieces but I didn’t have the thinking time. The director’s job is a demanding one and the emotional energy it demands is exhausting. "I found my work was not very good so I devoted my time to the director’s job instead. I’m not complaining about it — but I am looking forward to getting back to work.” The last time Nola Barron exhibited at “her”

gallery was earlier this year in the annual president’s exhibition. She does not want to commit herself to any future exhibitions.

“Other people have been working in the field. I haven’t really done anything for 10 years. We’ll just see how the pieces are, if they’re any good.” Probably the most satisfying part of her stint at the gallery has been following the careers of young artists, watching them develop.

“I suppose the most satisfying is being able to sev the growth of a good artist’s work, to have a free enough hand to give people the chance to exhibit their work and to be able to foster the acceptance of their work by the public.” She says she has always tried to be careful in what she had said to artists.

“They are vulnerable when they’re showing their work. A careless criticism can crush them — not just in their work but their personality also.”

More craft has been shown at the gallery in Mrs Barron’s time. She'

has tried hard for a balance of exhibitions. The C.S.A.’s building was purpose-built as an art gallery and has six separate exhibition spaces. That gives a good scope for contrast and balance, she says.

Some of the shows she has most enjoyed were the posthumous exhibition of sculpture by John Panting, several shows by sculptor Pauline Rhodes, Stephen Gleeson’s first exhibition of paintings, two exhibitions by Japanese photographers Nakamura and Saiga and an exhibition of fine craft selected for the Farmers Weaving Award.

One of her favourite exhibitors is Canterbury’s Sam Mahon, who delighted in startling her, and everyone else, at the opening of his shows with loud noises.

The gallery has in the last few years developed its children’s art classes. Among those who have said they will miss the director have been youngsters from these classes. But Nola Barron will still spend time at the gallery' as a vice-president of the society.