Muriel Gray returns to lead troubled Glasgow School of Art

Glasgow School of Art chairwoman Muriel Gray is to return to the institution this week.

The broadcaster and writer temporarily stood down from her role last June, almost a year after a second fire engulfed the iconic Charles Rennie Mackintosh building.

Staff became aware of her return when she sent an email inviting them to meet the school’s new governors on Thursday.

She said it would be a “great opportunity to find out more about our new governors and their plans for working with the board”.

Ms Gray temporarily stood down last June for personal reasons. She said at the time: “Given the challenges the school has faced over the past 12 months this was an incredibly difficult decision to take.”

Three months previously, MSPs on the Scottish Parliament’s culture committee had accused the art school of failing to protect the Mackintosh building which was devastated by two fires in 2014 and 2018. Professor Nora Kearney, who was vice-chair, took over as interim chair in Ms Gray’s absence.

The art school is currently searching for a new director. Former director Tom Inns was forced to leave work after a rift with Ms Gray, as revealed in emails first published by The Sunday Post.

Two weeks ago, leading architect and academic Gordon Gibb was sacked as director of professional studies at the GSA’S architecture department after criticising the school board in The Sunday Post and social media.

A Glasgow School of Art spokesperson said yesterday: “We are delighted to have her back.”