Hatton head resigns

The director of Newcastle University's Hatton Gallery resigned six weeks before the gallery was targetted for closure, in protest at the university's "stonewalling tactics", writes Alison Utley.

Art lovers lurched from despair to euphoria in a tense 24 hours this week as the university's Pounds 3 million collection of paintings and sculpture was secured at the eleventh hour by a donation from novelist Dame Catherine Cookson.

Gavin Robson, former head of fine art at the university, resigned after an "exasperating" five years running the gallery. His efforts to turn it round were, he says, undermined by the university's determination to use the space for research.

Despite successful exhibitions run with the Arts Council, the Barbican and London's South Bank Centre, plus a developing overseas student exchange programme, Mr Robson claims the university gave him "nil recognition". It commissioned a report on the Hatton in 1993 which Mr Robson has never been allowed to see.

"There was a great deal of hearsay about weak, self-indulgent management of the gallery, but no matter what I did it went unregarded," he said. He quit as head of fine art and as director of the gallery before the proposal to cease its funding was publicised. Mr Robson is still a lecturer in painting at the university.

The university said Dame Catherine's donation of Pounds 50,000 a year for the next five years created a solid financial base for the Hatton. The aim is now to raise matching funds to revitalise the gallery.