All Past Presidents

John Richardson Gauld 1951-60

John Gauld was a portrait, landscape and mural painter and he also produced lithographic prints. Born in Gateshead, he lived for a number of years in London and studied at
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Charles Oppenheimer 1948-51

James Patchell Chettle 1934-45

John McCombs 2009-2015

MAFA President 2009 – 2015 John McCombs was born in Manchester in 1943. After attending the city’s High School of Art he studied at St Martin’s College of Art in
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Gerry Halpin 2015-2019

MAFA President 2015-2019 Gerry Halpin spent the earlier part of his career as a teacher but has been painting professionally since 1990. Gerry’s work reflects a wide range of interests
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Elias Mollineaux Bancroft 1891-92

MAFA President 1891-1892 Not much is known about Elias Bancroft. We know he was born at Northwich, Cheshire and married Louisa Mary Bancroft. He studied at the RCA and later taught at Manchester
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Henry Clarence Whaite 1892-1912

MAFA President 1892-1912 Henry Clarence Whaite, also fondly called Clarence Whaite, was a skilled Manchester-born artist, popular for his landscape paintings of Wales. Whaite studied at Manchester Grammar School and also
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Malcolm Taylor 2019-2022

Malcolm Taylor was President of MAFA from 2019 to 2022. Malcolm is also also a member of The Pastel Society and The Royal Society Of British Artists. He has been
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Kathleen Cecilia Lowe 2022-24

Kath Lowe B.A.(Hons); M.A.; PPMAFA  MAFA President 2022-2024 Award winning artist specialising in Portraiture, joined the Manchester Academy of Fine Arts in 2001. Since becoming a member, Kath has been
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John McPake 2003-09

MAFA President 2003-2009 Painter and printmaker John McPake was born in 1943 and grew up in Merseyside. He studied at Wallasey School of Art, and at Liverpool, Birmingham and Leeds
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Ian Thompson 1997-2003

MAFA President 1997-2003 Born 1937 in Manchester, Ian Thompson was brought up in Preston and trained at the Regional College of Art, Manchester. He taught in comprehensive schools in Preston,
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Peter Oakley 1993-97

MAFA President 1993-7 Peter Oakley was famous for his semi-abstract paintings and murals – including the Pete McCarthy Memorial, which was installed at the Pyramid Arts Centre, Warrington. He was
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Glenys Latham 1990-93

MAFA President 1990-1993 Glenys Latham was Head of Art at Leigh Girls’ Grammar and later at Wigan and Leigh College. She took early retirement to pursue her own sculpting work
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Norman Jacques 1984-90

MAFA President 1984-1990 Norman Jacques lived and worked in Manchester where he was born, studied and taught. He attended the Manchester College of Art and Technology from 1937 until 1942. 
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John Lamont Brodie 1862-65

MAFA President 1862-1865 John Lamont Brodie is a rather shadowy figure and not much is known about him. He was born in London sometime between 1824 and 1827 and became
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William Knight Keeling 1865-78

MAFA President: 1865-1878 Manchester-born artist William Keeling, fell in love with Spain. As a portrait painter, illustrator and the first President of the renamed Manchester Academy of Fine Arts, Keeling
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Robert Crozier 1878-91

Robert Crozier (1815-1891) MAFA President 1878-1891 Robert Crozier was a portrait artist, based in Manchester, and helped to found the Manchester Academy of Fine Art. He was born in 1815 in Blackburn,
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Francis Dodd 1920-23

MAFA President 1920-1923 Francis Dodd was an etcher and painter of realistic portraits, landscapes and genre. He was born in Anglesey, Wales, the son of a Wesleyan minister. He trained at
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Bertram Nicholls 1923-34

MAFA President 1923-1934 Bertram Nicholls was a landscape painter and loved architectural details such as ruins and stone bridges. He was extremely successful and highly regarded by his peers who
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Tom Mostyn 1917-20

MAFA President 1917-1920 Tom Mostyn was born in Liverpool, son of Edwin Mostyn – an artist. Raised in Manchester, he studied at the Manchester Academy of Fine Arts, where he
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John Ely 1913-15

MAFA President 1913-1915 John Ely was the only architect to have been appointed as President of Manchester Academy of Fine Arts. He was born at Rochester, Kent, in 1848 and
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Thomas Cantrell Dugdale 1945-48

MAFA President 1945-1948 Thomas Dugdale was born in Blackburn, Lancashire in 1880. He was educated at Manchester Grammar School before enrolling at the Manchester School of Art. He furthered his
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Harry Rutherford 1961-69

MAFA President 1961-1969 Harry Rutherford attended the Manchester School of Art together with the likes of Lowry. Rutherford was the first and youngest pupil to enrol in Walter Sickert’s new
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Roger Hampson 1969-78

MAFA President 1969-1978 Roger Hampson was an important Northern School painter and printmaker. He was born in 1925 and grew up in Tyldesley, Wigan. He is best known for his
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Keith Godwin 1978-84

MAFA President 1978-1984 Keith Godwin was born in Worksop, Nottinghamshire to Fred, a coal miner, and his wife Ida. Kevin studied at both Nottingham and Leicester College of Art, then
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James Astbury Hammersley 1858-62

MAFA President 1858-1862 James Hammersley was a modeller, teacher and painter. For a brief time he worked for Wedgwood modelling designs, including two portrait medallions of Queen Victoria and Prince
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