Sarah King was appointed as Watts Gallery Trust’s Chair of Trustees in May 2023. We sat down with her at the start of her tenure to chat about what inspires her about Watts Gallery and what she's most excited about during her time here.

What has drawn you to Watts Gallery and the work we do here?

SK: I have been coming to Watts Gallery for years as we regularly visit Surrey from our home in Southwest London, so I know what a lively and friendly place it is, with the breadth of activity and spectacle on offer, and the lovely woodland setting. Not to mention that the tea shop is a great treat! But what really drew me here was the vision that Mary and George Watts had when they created it – that art and creativity more broadly, has a role in the lives of everyone.

Watts Gallery is so much more than just an attractive gallery to display one couple’s art. They turned the traditional artist’s studio and home into an innovative social experiment that provided training and jobs and created one of the most extraordinary small buildings in the country – a late-nineteenth century version of Rosslyn Chapel with its fusion of Celtic-style symbolism and Art Nouveau!

In previous roles you have focused largely on the role of the arts in transformational change. What do you believe the role of art in our society is or should be?

SK: With a background in communications and marketing, my career has been spent working with organisations wanting to develop and thrive by focussing on the needs and aspirations of the people they seek to serve. Art is one of the most basic and powerful forms of communication there is - just the outline of a hand on paper can have a profound impact on our senses and, like nature, a beautiful artwork can lift one’s spirits, make one laugh or trigger a sense of foreboding. More than that, it can change the way we view ourselves, other people and our world.

The drive to create is innate within us and, just like nature, is something we should all have access to – to see, experience and do ourselves. We need art and creativity to help us to imagine, reflect and inspire us. The impact on human endeavour can be transformational. This is as true in politics as health, where it can help children and adults experiencing severe mental health problems express themselves and break down barriers to support their return to wellbeing. On a personal level I struggled to learn to read and write as a child and it was art that inspired me to overcome my Dyslexia. I didn’t want to always be dependent on others to learn more of the stories I only experienced through the visual arts. Having found strategies to overcome my Dyslexia, I ended up working with words all my life, first as a journalist and then in PR. So, I understand the power of words, but I still come back to the old adage that a ‘picture is worth a thousand words’.

What does Watts Gallery Trust’s vision for Art for All by All mean for you?

SK: Art is not just about seeing; it is about experiencing and creating. The visual arts provide a means not only to understand what others are trying to convey, but also to express yourself, to share your feelings, thoughts and views of the world with others in a way that goes beyond the power of the written or spoken word. So Art for All by All is a vision in which everyone has the opportunity to see art and create art. This could mean the opportunity to come to Watts Gallery to take part in workshops, but also for the Watts Gallery Trust to go out into the community to create more opportunities and reach more people outside of the gallery!

One societal concern I have is that not enough attention is given to ensuring children and young people have access to creative learning through art and the natural environment. Nature and art are two of the most positive forces available to us – and Watts Gallery has an abundance of both.

What do you want to achieve during your tenure here as Chair of Trustees?

SK: It is early to answer that question, but helping ensure the future sustainability of the organisation has to be at the top of any list; ensuring it continues to thrive and grow for many years to come. That’s no small ask since, if they managed to survive the pandemic at all, arts organisations have now been hit by the worst economic crisis and dramatic lift in the cost of living in a lifetime. What is exciting for me is how determined Watts Gallery is to see this as an opportunity rather than a threat, to take a fresh look at what it offers and ensure this is in tune with the needs of its community.

What are you most excited about getting involved with at Watts Gallery?

SK: I love being a charity volunteer and trustee because it is a two-way street – you get to pass on what you have learnt and in return you get the opportunity to learn from others; its “a win-win”! I am getting to know not just the lovely people who work and volunteer at Watts Gallery but those who visit! Most of all I am getting to know more about Mary Watts. George Watts was one of the most successful artists of the 19th century but, however much of a supportive husband he was, it is time for Mary Watts to come out from under his shadow. Women were largely excluded from higher education and any professions, including in the arts, and yet Mary persevered to become an extraordinary example of what can be achieved – as an artist and designer, a visionary, and a social reformer.