On 26-27 September 2015 Watts Gallery trustees, staff & supporters will undertake a relay challenge: 100 miles from London to the Isle of Wight, following in the footsteps of the great artist G F Watts.
The Physical Energy Challenge will be completed in 4 stages by 10 team members: Sandy Nairne CBE FSA (Former director of the National Portrait Gallery), Perdita Hunt OBE, DL (director of Watts Gallery Trust), Richard Ormond CBE (chairman of the trustees), Daniel Robbins (Curator Leighton House), Sarah Giles (Project 5) & staff members Nicholas Tromans, Deborah Denis, Sarah Mitchell, Inga Garriock & Sarah James. The journey will cover the arduous Surrey Hills & the Solent.
Stage 1: London to Guildford = 36 mile bicycle ride
Stage 2: Guildford to Gilkicker Point = 50 mile bicycle ride
Stage 3: Gilkicker Point to Ryde Sands = 2.5mile swim
Stage 4: Ryde Sands to Freshwater Bay = 18.5mile run
This Challenge takes inspiration from one of Watts’s masterpieces & aims to raise money to conserve & care for the Watts Collection. The Collection comprises over 7,000 works of art, ranging from sculptures to landscapes, & costs £21,000 per year. To ensure that these works of art are preserved for future generations, we need your help. As an independent museum that receives no regular government funding, every donation is important.