Brad Pitt and Peter Capaldi Join Glasgow Art School Campaign

Brad Pitt. Photo: © 2014 Patrick McMullan Company, Inc.

Actors Brad Pitt and Peter Capaldi have signed on to be trustees of The Mackintosh Appeal, a campaign that the Glasgow School of Art (GSA) launched on June 18 to restore the school’s Mackintosh Building, including the ornate library designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh, which was badly damaged in a fire last month, BBC News reports. Pitt is a known fan of Mackintosh’s work—and spent a good amount of time in Glasgow in 2011 while filming World War Zand Capaldi is an alumnus of the prestigious university, having graduated from its graphic design program in 1980. The school estimated the cost of repairing the fire-damaged building at £20–£35 million ($34–$59 million).

“We are now beginning to look forward to the work we will need to do to return the Mackintosh building to its former glory, and to make sure it continues to be a fit and inspiring place for our students to make work,” GSA director Tom Inns said in a statement. “We are delighted that both Peter Capaldi, one of our most celebrated alumni, and Brad Pitt, whose admiration for Mackintosh is well known, have both joined our campaign and will be Trustees on The Mackintosh Appeal.”

The Mackintosh Appeal was established with the goal of raising £20 million, and Inns reported many pledges of support already from around the world, as well as an injection of funds from the Scottish government.

“I hope we can come together to help raise the funds to restore the Mackintosh Building it to its former grace,” Capaldi said. “
It always seemed to me, when I studied there, both as a student and as a child in Saturday morning art classes, an exotic place of the imagination…. all nooks and crannies, guarded by stern ancient statues and full of artistic possibilities.”

Capaldi also recorded a video message from the set of Dr. Who, consoling the GSA students who lost their art in the fire:


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