Arts & Business Scotland has appointed David Watt, currently Director of Glasgow Sculpture Studios as Chief Executive to succeed Barclay Price, who is retiring.

David Watt’s recent experience of leading Glasgow Sculpture Studios through a major capital development has involved him in creating astute partnerships with both the business, public and arts sectors, and through this partnership working he has provided the Studios with a splendid new home, The Whisky Bond. Based at Speirs Locks the impressive space joins a growing creative neighbourhood around Glasgow’s canal, including National Theatre of Scotland, Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Scottish Opera and The Glue Factory.

Jane Ryder, Chair of Arts & Business Scotland, said: “We are delighted to have appointed David Watt as our new Chief Executive. Building on the platform firmly established by our outgoing Chief Executive, Barclay Price, David is the ideal person to take Arts & Business Scotland forward. I am confident that this appointment ensures that Arts and Business Scotland is ideally placed to promote even more effective partnerships between the cultural and business communities in Scotland.”

David Watt said: “I am delighted to be moving to Arts & Business Scotland at an exciting and challenging time for the organisation. I look forward to working with the Board and staff to further cement existing, and establish new, partnerships to enable the arts in Scotland to flourish”.

David trained at Glasgow School of Art and following a year’s scholarship at the British School in Rome, was appointed as Lecturer in Printmaking at GSA. He then worked at Dundee Contemporary Arts as Print Studio Manager before becoming Director of Edinburgh Printmakers in 1999. In 2006 he moved to become Director of Glasgow Sculpture Studios where he led a major capital campaign to take the studios to new premises at The Whisky Bond. Through a range of partnerships David has provided the Sculpture Studios with state of the art studios, workshops and a world class canal-side gallery. The Whisky Bond opened late last year.

David will take up the post at the end of April.