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National Galleries of Scotland
06/01/2010
Minister for Culture and External Affairs Fiona Hyslop has announced the re-appointment of James Knox and Richard Burns to the Board of Trustees of the National Galleries of Scotland.
James Knox is managing director of The Art Newspaper. He has run a consultancy advising institutional and private patrons on the commissioning of contemporary art.
Richard Burns was a joint senior partner of independent investment management firm Baillie Gifford. He has been Governor of Donaldson's College - the school for children with hearing, speech and language difficulties - since 1999 and has been a member of the Court of the University of Dundee since August 2006.
Mr Knox and Mr Burns both provide a range of skills required by the National Galleries. These reappointments will be for four years and will run from January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2013.
The posts are part-time and attract no remuneration for a time commitment of four days per month. Neither Mr Knox nor Mr Burns hold any other Ministerial appointment.
These Ministerial public appointments were made in accordance with the Commissioner for Public Appointments in Scotland's Code of Practice.
All reappointments are made on merit and political activity plays no part in the selection process. However, in accordance with the original Nolan recommendations, there is a requirement for appointees' political activity within the last 5 years (if there is any to be declared) to be made public. Neither Mr Knox nor Mr Burns have declared any political activity.
The National Galleries of Scotland is one of the leading galleries in the UK and Europe, with one of the world's finest collections of Western art.
The Galleries' permanent collection is displayed at three locations in Edinburgh - the National Gallery Complex, Edinburgh; the Modern Art Galleries, Edinburgh (Dean Gallery and the Scottish Gallery of Modern Art); and the Scottish National Portrait Gallery. It also has outstations at Duff House, Banff and Paxton House near Berwick-Upon-Tweed.
The Scottish National Portrait Gallery which opened in 1889 as the first purpose-built national portrait gallery in the world is currently undergoing major refurbishment.