The Trustees

The Agreement(1989) establishing a permanent gallery for the Ashington Group collection of paintings at Woodhorn Colliery Museum, was originally between Oliver Kilbourn (who held the collection in trust from all the other painters) and Wansbeck District Council.

Under the terms of the Agreement there is a CoTrustee (Bill Feaver) who has the power of veto and must be consulted about the paintings in the collection, including their disposal if there is a serious default in their management.

The present Trustees are:

Management Trustee

Bill Feaver: Art critic
The original co-trustee, he wrote the book Pitmen Painters (published by MidNAG). He has also installed exhibitions at galleries such as the Tate and the Grand Palais, Paris

Anne Bacon: Head of conservation at Northumbria University

George Stephenson: (who negotiated the original agreement on behalf of the Council) - former Deputy (later Chief) Leisure Officer Wansbeck District Council, Director of MidNAG

Ian Lavery: Chairman of the National Union of Mineworkers and Scretary of the NUM Northumberland Area (Ian is Chairman of the Trustees)

Philip Browell: Co-founder of Browell Smith & Co, Newcastle, solicitors specializing in industrial legislation