Artist Jonathan Harvey OBE, cofounder of Acme Studios in London, a charity which provides affordable studio and living space, residencies and awards for visual artists, who was also chief executive of the charity, has died aged 74. Harvey and David Panton started Acme in 1972, when both were recent art graduates seeking out low-cost work space in London. Both received honours and became OBEs for their services to art in the 2014.
‘A staunch advocate for helping artists be artists, Jonathan’s unwavering belief in the fundamental importance of support at the level of production was integral in shaping Acme’s trajectory over the past 50 years and, most importantly, affordable studio provision in London and beyond’, Acme Studios have said in a statement. Since its founding, Acme Studios has supported over 7,000 artists and currently runs more than 500 studios in Greater London, including purpose-designed new-build studio complexes such as Wharton House in Stratford and High House Artists’ Studios in Purfleet. Acme will be honouring Harvey’s legacy as part of an event to mark the organisation’s 50th anniversary in London on 9 November 2023.
