Michael Kitson Memorial Scholarship Fund

The Scholarship Fund, launched two years ago by the Association of Former Students, has been renamed the Michael Kitson Memorial Scholarship Fund in his honour. He has very generously donated £5000 to the Scholarship Fund, a donation which helps enormously with our stated annual objective of £6000. The recipient of the Scholarship this year is MA student Daniel Porter who is studying early 20th century art with Chris Green.


Annual Reunion, 1999
Why Looking at Pictures Isn’t Necessarily Bad for You

The Annual Reunion 1999 of the Courtauld Association of Former Students is scheduled for 15th June. We are very privileged to welcome Richard Kendall, the organiser of the hugely successful exhibition of late pastels by Edgar Degas at the National Gallery several years ago, as our speaker. His talk will be "Seeing Painting, Painting Seeing; Why looking at Pictures is not necessarily bad for you". Afterwards a party will be held in the Witt Library. We can also offer first chance at the 4th Annual Second-Hand Book Sale. On that day access to the Courtauld Gallery will be free for former students on production of a ticket to the Reunion. We do hope that as many former students as possible will attend, thereby supporting the Association, enjoying a stimulating talk and renewing old friendships. Please call CAFS: Telephone 020 7848 2518.


Second Hand Book Sale - Are You Running out of Book Space?

CAFS once again appeals to former students for books which they either no longer need or have no room for. In past years the sales have created enormous enthusiasm as former students, present students, members of Courtauld Staff pick up books at excellent prices. Proceeds from the sale help to fund the newsletter, so any donations you make are much valued by many people.


Careers Seminar, 29 January 1999

Once again present students gathered for a day of intensive briefing from the careers personnel of London University. The final session of the day was the CAFS Careers Seminar where five former students kindly gave their time to describe their jobs, relate how they got them and explain the advantages and pitfalls involved. Ben Heywood came from The Arts Council, Kate Anderton from English Heritage, Charlotte Mullins from The Independent on Sunday, Martin Randall from Martin Randall Travel and Toby Treves, from an art consultancy. The participants gave lively and informative talks which current students found extremely useful. Questions were asked during the session and afterwards more questions were asked privately over a glass of wine.


Message from Robin Simon, Chairman of CAFS to former students

This is my first opportunity to say hello as the new Chairman of the Courtauld Association of Former Students. The first thing we try to do is to stay in touch with all former students, and so if you know of names and addresses we might not have, please let us know.

The next thing - the vital thing - we try to do is to raise money to help current students in need, and those who might not otherwise be able to take up a place at the Institute. At the moment we feel that the area where this need is greatest is at the level of the MA degree. There is no shortage of high quality applicants for the MA but a distressing number of students find themselves unable to take up hard-won places because they can find no adequate funding. Among those who do come to the Institute there are always several for whom money worries remain pressing and whose ability to complete the course to the very best of their undoubted ability is thus placed in doubt.

CAFS has already been able to assist several deserving MA students whose review of their theses appears in this newsletter and further help is at hand, in the most appropriate shape. As you will know we have renamed the fund the Michael Kitson Memorial Scholarship Fund, in honour of my predecessor and founder of CAFS and Michael himself has left, I am delighted to say, £5000 for this purpose.

Do please consider helping this most worthy cause, or contributing to the Institute in any of the other ways detailed alongside.

The Annual Reunion is on 15 June. Tickets include a visit to the Gallery, first look at the Second Hand Book Sale, a lecture by Richard Kendall which will provoke much thought and of course a party in the Witt Library. See you there.