THE MORAY ART CENTRE

A Centre for Beauty

The message of Sir George Trevelyan in the 1970s spoke of a new Renaissance:

The new society that is coming to birth will show standards and a sense of values … in the days of the great Renaissance, the whole society was geared for creativity … I come back to my picture of the new Renaissance, as you are all working not simply for yourself and your own craft, but for a united vision, of the living spirit … It may need great things, as I see a time when you build this great city. We may even build a cathedral.

As a little boy of seven, in my family’s New York suburban house, alone after carrying out my Saturday chores, I turned on the television. The programme was Appalachian Spring by the modern dancer, Martha Graham. I remember that I felt this performance physically as a wave of awe from my toes to my head — a feeling of elevation.

Again as a child in front of the TV, I watched the opera star Maria Callas in her dressing room abruptly turn towards the interviewer, stating, “People work all day at jobs they hate. They come to the opera for beauty.”

When I moved to Scotland I was turned upside down; no longer the hard, lonely graft of my old life, but a magic-carpet ride, an invitation to meet my soul’s purpose. I received a message on the day that I was given permanent leave to remain in the UK: Now that you can stay, build the birthplace of the next Golden Age. All resources will come and all the right people will be called.

Very simply, I began to speak of the next Golden Age; of beauty as an anti-depressant, felt viscerally and physically. Of transformation uplifting the body and soul. And people gave me, unsolicited, £1 million to create a centre.

Now, the Moray Art Centre, with two exhibition spaces and seven studios, is nearing its fifth anniversary with an exhibition of Classical Greek sculpture from The British Museum and neverbefore-seen pieces from Lord Elgin’s collection. We have partnerships with The British Museum, National Galleries of Scotland, The Courtauld Gallery, Glasgow Museums and we are currently moving into European partnerships also.

I find myself at table in castles with earls and duchesses, museum directors and international art historians. I gave the keynote speech to 600 of the world’s greatest museums in Amsterdam. Reflecting, I ran in tears to the gents in the Concertgebouw, wondering how this all came about. God did this! God did this!

Recently I addressed all the UK’s museums and galleries in Edinburgh. I showed a clip from Appalachian Spring. I broke into tears. I wanted to show them why I do what I do. Why do you go to work? Why do you get up in the morning? This sea of arts people had had their dream, their vision beaten out of them. Fifty years, nearly, since I saw that dance on the television, I cry. Why? It penetrates, it relieves me of the burden of my problems, it caresses my soul.

It is because of this – the aesthetic orgasm – that I have created this art centre; bringing the possibility that others can experience the balm, the awe of beauty, and have their own souls caressed.

Recently an aristocratic family approached me. Can you please design and be at the helm of a new larger art centre?

And so on goes the vision, ever expanding. This is how manifestation works; desire breeds desire, excitement breeds excitement. Go on Universe, surprise me!

Randy Klinger