Image: John Walton, ‘Self portrait’
John Walton RP
RIP
1925 – 2023
In 1976 John Walton was elected a member of the Royal Society of Portrait Painters, a Member Society of the Federation of British Artists (FBA), an arts educational charity
which administers the Mall Galleries.
During the eighties the FBA experienced difficulties and in 1990,
John Walton, ‘Family Group’
with the agreement of the trustees, John Walton assumed the responsibilities of Executive Chairman on a voluntary basis. John continued to provide the leadership which the FBA required at an important time while reducing its cost base, enabling the organisation to enter crucial lease renewal negotiations from a position of greater financial stability. John skilfully led the lease renewal negotiations, which he brought to a successful conclusion on terms which the FBA was able to afford for the duration of the renewed 20-year lease.
He continued as unpaid Executive Chairman until 1995 when he relinquished the Chief Executive part of his role to a part time paid CEO. By this time, due to John’s leadership and willingness to work on a voluntary basis, the FBA was in a much stronger financial position. In 1996 he retired as Chairman of the FBA.
John Walton, ‘Miss Camilla Close-Brooks with Nuthatch’
Throughout this period he continued in his role as principal of the Heatherley Art School and took commissions for portraiture. Undoubtedly, his personal income from portraiture must have suffered as a result of the time and energies expended in leading the FBA from 1990 to 1996. His determination to ensure that the nine Art Societies should continue to be able to exhibit in their home base at the Mall Galleries outweighed any consideration of the detriment to his personal remuneration.
From 2016 to 2019, in spite of failing physical health, John Walton served again as a Trustee of the FBA, making a valuable contribution to the activities of the governing board.
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