Jago Cooper, the recently appointed director of the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts, burst onto the stage at the Blake Studio last night with a flash of lightning. A dramatic photo of the iconic Norman Foster building illuminated by freak weather left us in no doubt that this bright spark - fresh from the British Museum - intends to take Norwich by storm.
NCAS members and non-members were first sworn to secrecy and then given a sneak preview of how Jago plans to shake up this world-class and internationally famous art gallery and museum. The first thing he intends to do (I don’t think this bit is a secret) is to make sure that everyone - literally everyone - in Norwich loves and visits his museum. There will be no more gown and town separation or campus-fear! Instead there will be a clear and enjoyable route, better signage and improved transport facilities between the city and SCVA. When you get there, he intends for everyone to feel welcome and involved in the artworks.
“A vibrant and very engaging talk”, said ncas member and trustee, Diana Heuvel, “…a new approach with energy and fast creative thinking that gives us real hope for future events”.
Unfortunately we’ve promised not to disclose more, so if you missed it, you’ll have to wait a bit longer for his vision to go public. Suffice it to say, Professor Jago Cooper is definitely high energy and electrifying.