Sudbury trustees pay tribute to ‘enduring legacy’ of departing Gainsborough’s House director Mark Bills

The outgoing director of a museum celebrating Sudbury’s most famous son was bid a fond farewell, as colleagues paid tribute to his legacy.

Trustees at Gainsborough’s House held a special farewell party on Friday, in honour of director Mark Bills, who has left for pastures new after more than 10 years in the role.

During his tenure, he oversaw the multi-million-pound National Centre for Thomas Gainsborough from conception to completion, creating what is now thought to be the largest art gallery in Suffolk.

Christy Stewart-Smith, interim chairman of the board of governors of Gainsborough’s House, told attendees that the delivery of this project – which included persevering through the Covid-19 pandemic – would be Mr Bills’ “enduring and endearing legacy”.

In his address to the farewell party, he stated that Gainsborough’s House currently has greater support than ever, with visitor numbers more than double since the new gallery extension opened.

“Mark, it has been an honour to watch you at work over the last ten years and a pleasure to be able to support you,” he said.

“As soon as you arrived here, you changed Gainsborough’s House for the better.

“You brought energy, ambition and a clear vision that everyone could get behind.

“You recognised how deeply the community was invested, personally and collectively, in the Gainsborough’s House story, and understood how to harness that in a way that celebrated what had already been achieved by so many people, but also challenged all our beliefs of what could be achieved here.

“Crucially, you understood how to build an exciting vision that attracted new supporters, with new energy, new enthusiasm and new money.

“And you got the trustee board working for you, rather than the other way around, which is entirely as it should always be.

“Of course, seeing how things should be – and could be – is never, on its own, enough to make them that way, so I would like to suggest another ingredient in the Mark Bills recipe for success – perseverance.

“I have rarely met anyone who has lived more thoroughly Churchill’s famous advice – ‘when you’re going through hell, keep on going’.

“You are creative, you are opportunistic, you are resourceful, and you always keep on going – and, even when it looks like the battle is lost, you get up and you go again.

“All that takes its toll. Delivering this project has involved more than a few sleepless nights, I know – and yet here we now are, celebrating in the wonderful space that you and your team have created.”

Mr Bills, who previously served as curator at the Watts Gallery and the Museum of London, will now move on to pursue a research project in his specialist subject, Victorian art.

In his place, Gainsborough’s House announced that it had appointed cultural historian Dr Steven Parissien as its new interim director.

Formerly the director of Compton Verney Art Gallery, Dr Parissien will take the reins at Gainsborough’s House for the next nine months, while the search for a permanent successor to Mr Bills is carried out.

The trustees also confirmed Professor Simon Ofield-Kerr, vice-chancellor of the Norwich University of Arts, as their new chairman.