Annual Report (for the period 06/04/2023 – 05/04/2024
The Brian Nolan Art Trust
Charitable Incorporated Organisation
1199427
Registered Address
Willow View Crooked Way Stembridge Martock Somerset TA12 6BP
Trustees
Martin Brown Andrea Cooper Joanne Dean Russell Dean Angela Henley Ian Nolan Edward Yardley
Introduction
The object of the CIO is: The advancement of art
To advance education in the arts by the establishment and maintenance of a major collection of artwork by the artist Brian Nolan, this will be achieved by:
Exhibiting his work in a wide range of galleries, museums and public collections, particularly, but not exclusively, in the Manchester and Peak District areas
Promoting participation in watercolour painting and an interest in the medium
Permitting images to be used as appropriate
Enabling access to digital images and original work for research and educational purposes
Exhibitions
Exhibition at Salisbury Library
The charity held an exhibition at Salisbury library during April 2023 which was attended by 814 people over 20 days. The exhibition provided a valuable an opportunity to introduce Nolan to a new audience and demonstrated, through the feedback received, that his work has a wide appeal and is appreciated far beyond the area in which it was created.
Derbyshire Open Arts
The charity exhibited Nolan’s work alongside Hayfield artists during Derbyshire Open Arts weekend, in May 2023. Many pictures were exhibited for the first time in many years, enabling visitors to see a wider range of
work. A small selection of pictures was available for sale and two were sold, in addition to cards and booklets.
Exhibition at Patchings Art Centre, Nottinghamshire
The charity held an exhibition at Patchings Art Centre from May to June 2023. This was the largest exhibition of Nolan’s work since the 1990s (with 90 pictures displayed) and enabled the trust to show a wide range of pictures to a new audience. An illustrated talk was presented by two of the charity’s trustees on the opening day.
Hayfield and New Mills Libraries
Displays were held in each library from August to October 2023 and from December 2023 to January 2024. The first displays presented a selection of local pictures, featuring many of Nolan’s most popular pictures. The displays over the winter drew from Nolan’s wide range of snow scenes.
Staff at both venues reported that the displays had brought more people into the libraries, with very good footfall being noted.
Storage and Conservation
Conservation work was completed on a number of pictures which the trust identified as being an important part of the core collection of work.
At the start of 2024 the trust was offered storage for our collection of pictures at the Rock Mill Centre in New Mills. Discussions took place with the centre and it was agreed that we would accept the generous offer and arrange the transfer of the collection from the storage unit where the work was housed into the new space.
Plans were drawn up for how the space could be used most effectively and the temperature and humidity of the area were assessed. Towards the end of the reporting period, the charity paid for the installation of a wooden screen to secure the area, with a lockable door and ventilation. This was completed by a local joiner.
It is proposed that a permanent display about Nolan’s work is installed on the public facing side of the store room and that an adjacent room could be used as a study area. This phase will be an important focus through 2024 – 2025.
Framing
Over the past year 11 pictures were framed or reframed in preparation for exhibitions.
Sale of Pictures
The charity owns a large collection of Nolan’s work. Some are framed and were exhibited by him in the past, but many are not. Most of the work we own was completed in the later part of his career, when he had decided not to sell so many of his pictures. We currently have a very limited range of his work from his early career and would like to acquire examples of this work when it becomes available. The trustees have therefore agreed that some of his pictures can be sold in order to help to fund the charity’s work and, in particular, to enable us to buy work which is under-represented in our current collection. The work selected for sale is not part of the core collection. The pictures are generally from the later stage of his career and are not the best examples of his work (in a particular style or of a particular area), but are still appealing to the public.
Over the past year we sold 13 pictures, mainly through the exhibitions which were held.
Sale of Prints
It was agreed by the trustees that high quality giclee prints of Nolan’s work should be made available to the public in order to contribute to the income that we require for the charity’s activities. 10 of Nolan’s most admired pictures are now available to purchase, either as a large limited edition print or a smaller unlimited edition one. A net amount of £952 was raised during the reporting period through the sale of prints.
Acquisition of Pictures
In the autumn of 2023 the charity was approached, via our website, regarding a picture which the owner was wishing to sell. The picture was an example of Nolan’s early work and the trustees agreed that it should be acquired by the trust. The charity therefore offered to buy the picture and this was accepted. Once the picture was collected it was discovered that it had been exhibited in the first solo exhibition which Nolan had held in 1960 and is therefore a significant addition to our collection.
A portrait of Elaine Nolan (Nolan’s wife) was donated to the charity by a relative in May 2023.
Three paintings, a number of mounted sketches, exhibition catalogues, competition medals and other ephemeral items were donated to the charity by the estate of Ann Dean (Nolan’s sister) following her death in 2023.
Public Benefit
During this time the charity held two major exhibitions (in Salisbury and Nottingham) and five displays of pictures in the New Mills and Hayfield area, all freely available to the public.
The charity continued to review all the pictures in its collection, identifying those which require conservation, framing or particular storage requirements. Investing in the work in this way is a vital part of the charity’s work and will ensure that the art work can be appreciated by the public in the future.
Storing the pictures in New Mills, within easy reach of two of the trustees, will greatly facilitate public access to the collection. Members of the public will be able to view the work by appointment and enjoy regular displays in the centre. The proposed study area, with a display of information about Nolan will enable there to be a permanent display of information about Nolan’s work, which the charity will be able to promote.
Through the year the charity has continued to take a great interest in the research, which is being completed by an admirer of Nolan’s work, into the history of the locations depicted in Nolan’s early pictures, particularly those set in Manchester. The research has been shared with trustees and included on the trust’s website, making it available to the public.
Objectives for 2024 – 2025
-
Transfer the charity’s collection of Nolan’s work to its new storage facility at the Rock Mill Centre in New Mills.
-
Create a display about Nolan’s life and work for the Rock Mill Centre.
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Seek opportunities to exhibit Nolan’s work at suitable galleries, with the aim of drawing up a programme of future exhibitions in a variety of venues and areas of the country.
-
Secure an income for the charity through the sale of high quality prints of Nolan’s work.
-
Promote watercolour painting through the charity’s links with the Rock Mill Centre and New Mills Festival.
Joanne Dean, Chair of The Brian Nolan Art Trust 16.10.24
| The Brian Nolan Art Trust The Brian Nolan Art Trust |
The Brian Nolan Art Trust The Brian Nolan Art Trust |
The Brian Nolan Art Trust The Brian Nolan Art Trust |
The Brian Nolan Art Trust The Brian Nolan Art Trust |
The Brian Nolan Art Trust The Brian Nolan Art Trust |
1199427 | 1199427 | 1199427 | CC16a | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| For the period from |
06/04/2023 Period start date |
To | 05/04/2024 Period end date |
||||||
| Section A Receipts and payments | |||||||||
| A1 Receipts | Unrestricted funds to the nearest £ |
Restricted funds to the nearest £ |
Endowment funds to the nearest £ |
Total funds to the nearest £ |
Last year to the nearest £ |
||||
| - | - | ||||||||
| Donations | - | - | - | - | 10,000 | ||||
| Sale of cards and booklets | 933 | 933 | |||||||
| Sale ofprints | 1,270 | - | - | 1,270 | - | ||||
| Interest earned on deposit account | 64 | - | - | 64 | - | ||||
| - | - | - | - | - | |||||
| - | - | - | - | - | |||||
| - | - | - | - | - | |||||
| ~~Sub total~~~~(Gross income for~~ AR) |
2,267 |
- | - | 2,267 | 10,000 | ||||
| 5,251 5,251 7,518 1,473 119 100 415 - 179 110 172 550 740 96 47 665 2,673 475 7,813 100 - 100 7,913 - 395 - 7,990 7,595 |
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - |
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - |
5,251 - 5,251 7,518 1,473 119 100 415 - 179 110 172 550 740 96 47 665 2,673 475 7,813 100 - 100 7,913 - 395 |
||||||
| A2 Asset and investment sales, (see table). |
|||||||||
| Sale ofpaintings | 5,251 | 1,670 | |||||||
| - | |||||||||
| ~~Sub total~~ | 5,251 | 1,670 | |||||||
| Total receipts A3 Payments |
|||||||||
| 11,670 | |||||||||
| Framing | 1,473 | 1,364 | |||||||
| Publicityandprinting | 119 | 603 | |||||||
| Equipment and stationery | 100 | 480 | |||||||
| Transportingartwork | 415 | 396 | |||||||
| Exhibition refreshments | - | 210 | |||||||
| Accommodation | 179 | 182 | |||||||
| Exhibition fees | 110 | 175 | |||||||
| Website | 172 | 144 | |||||||
| Printingof booklets | 550 | - | |||||||
| Prints | 740 | - | |||||||
| Insurance | 96 | - | |||||||
| Commission on cardpayments | 47 | - | |||||||
| Commission on sale ofpictures | 665 | - | |||||||
| Storage of art work | 2,673 | - | |||||||
| Conservation work | 475 | 126 | |||||||
| **Sub total ** | 7,813 | 3,680 | |||||||
| A4 Asset and investment purchases, (see table) |
|||||||||
Purchase ofpicture |
100 | ||||||||
| - | |||||||||
| **Sub total ** | 100 | - | |||||||
| Total payments Net of receipts/(payments) A5 Transfers between funds A6 Cash funds last year end Cash funds this year end |
|||||||||
| 3,680 | |||||||||
| - 395 | - | - | - 395 | 7,990 | |||||
| - | - | - | - | - | |||||
| 7,990 | - | - | 7,990 | - | |||||
| 7,595 | - | - | 7,595 | 7,990 |
CCXX R1 accounts (SS)
14/09/2024
1
Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period
| Categories Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the trustees B5 Liabilities B3 Investment assets B2 Other monetary assets B4 Assets retained for the charity’s own use B1 Cash funds |
Details Details Works of art by Brian Nolan Storage boxes Details (agree balances with receipts and payments account(s)) Money owed for storage overpayment Details Co-operative bank current account Co-operative bank deposit account Cash Details Exhibition equipment Signature |
Unrestricted funds Restricted funds to nearest £ to nearest £ 1,523 6,064 - 8 - 7,595 - OK OK Unrestricted funds Restricted funds to nearest £ to nearest £ 255 - - - - - - - - - - - Fund to which asset belongs Cost (optional) - - - - - Fund to which asset belongs Cost (optional) - - - - - - - - - Fund to which liability relates Amount due (optional) - - - - - Print Name Joanne Dean |
Endowment funds to nearest £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| OK | |||
| Endowment funds to nearest £ |
|||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| Current value (optional) |
|||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| Current value (optional) |
|||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| When due (optional) |
|||
| Date of approval |
|||
| Joanne Dean | 12.09.24 | ||
CCXX R2 accounts (SS)
14/09/2024
2