A prolific artist in his own right, Francis (Fra) Newbery is best known as an innovative art educationist. As director of Glasgow School of Art from 1885 to 1917, Newbery introduced numerous initiatives which helped to establish the school as one of the leading institutions in the UK.
Newbery qualified as a teacher before training to be an art master at Bridport School of Art in Dorset. He then taught in London, while also taking classes at the National Art Training School. In 1885, at the age of 30, he was appointed director of Glasgow School of Art.
Newbery was a progressive leader who believed in the importance of traditional techniques. To that end, he established technical art studios in 1893, appointing practising artists as teachers rather than relying upon certified art masters approved by the Department of Science and Art. He also appointed several women to the staff, including his wife, Jessie Newbery, to lead the embroidery department.
Newbery worked tirelessly to promote the school and its students through publications, exhibitions and lectures, helping to establish an international reputation for Glasgow’s artists, and, in particular, the famous ‘Glasgow style’ of applied and decorative arts.
It was under Newbery’s direction that Charles Rennie Mackintosh was selected to design the new School of Art building and the two worked closely together throughout the design and construction phases. In 1917, Newbery retired and returned to Dorset, where he continued to paint until his death in 1946.
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