Tributes paid to arts champion Professor Stuart MacDonald

Professor Stuart MacDonald died on Thursday

Tributes have been paid to Professor Stuart MacDonald - one of Scotland's best-known champions of the arts - who has died suddenly.

Born in 1948, he was a leading arts educationalist and a founding director of The Lighthouse, Scotland's National Centre for Architecture and Design.

Professor MacDonald died after suffering a heart attack on 2 June.

Arts agency Creative Scotland said he was "hugely respected" and "a mentor and friend to many".

'Many legacies'

A statement from Creative Scotland said: "Stuart was a hugely-respected, well-liked and trusted colleague, mentor and friend to many.

"Stuart dedicated his working life to the development of the arts, design, architecture and wider creative industries.

"Stuart made a huge difference and one of his many legacies include The Lighthouse, Scotland's Centre for Architecture, Design and the City."

Professor MacDonald served as director of The Lighthouse in Glasgow between 1998 and 2006.

For the next three years he was Head of Gray's School of Art in Aberdeen until retirement, and followed this role as Emeritus Professor of Creative Industries at The Robert Gordon University.

As well as writing books on design and architecture, he held a range of professional interests, including being a board member of Wasps - a not-for-profit body which provides studio space for artists.

In a statement, Wasps said: "Stuart's first involvement with Wasps was as a painter, when he became a studio holder at the newly-developed Briggait in 2010.

"After retiring from full-time employment, Stuart was keen to spend more time working on his own painting practice.

"Stuart will be greatly missed by Wasps staff, by board colleagues and by fellow artist tenants at the Briggait. He will be greatly missed by the many people he has met, influenced and mentored over the years, for his commitment to art, architecture and education."