Grayson Perry: Painting grim picture for Walsall New Art Gallery's future

He is one of the most famous artists in the country, known for his ceramic vases and cross-dressing.

Now Grayson Perry has joined the fight to save a Black Country art gallery.

Mr Perry, a Turner Prize winner in 2003, is one of 35 leading figures from British art to sign a letter detailing their 'deep concern' about the potential closure of Walsall's New Art Gallery.

The letter, whose signatures also include incoming Tate director Alex Farquharson and Charles Saumarez Smith, the CEO of the Royal Academy of Arts, says the gallery has become a 'symbol of the social and economic regeneration of Walsall' and that closing it would be a 'devastating blow to the life of the community'.

It reads: "We are writing to express our deep concern about the threatened closure of the New Art Gallery Walsall as a result of cuts to public funding.

"Since it opened in February 2000, just before Tate Modern in London, the gallery has become a symbol of the social and economic regeneration of Walsall. It has been proof that the nation is committed to the principle that everyone should have access to the arts wherever they live in the UK.

"The gallery is the home of the world-famous Garman Ryan Collection – 365 works gifted by Kathleen Garman to the people of Walsall in 1973. This donation features many works by her husband, the renowned sculptor Jacob Epstein, their friends and family members, including Modigliani and Lucian Freud, alongside masterpieces by artists such as Turner, Van Gogh, Monet and Constable."

The letter finishes by saying: "The gallery has worked with many leading contemporary artists over the years, presenting a programme of outstanding commissions and exhibitions. Its closure would be a devastating blow to the life of the community and send a signal that the authorities have no regard for the value of the arts to those very communities."

But with such clear support for the highly-regarded art gallery, just why is it under threat?

The answer to that lies at the door of Walsall Council, which has proposed to cut its funding to the art gallery as it looks to save £86 million in the next four years.

In its proposal, which is out for public consultation until Tuesday, the authority wants to withdraw its revenue subsidy to the gallery, meaning £100,000 would be lost in 2017/18, £20,000 in 2018/19 and £390,000 in 2019/20.

This total loss of £510,000 by 2020 means the gallery would be left with just its £880,000-a-year grant from the Arts Council. Effectively, without the council's support, the gallery would need to become self-sufficient by introducing an entrance fee, or face closure.

This threat of closure has left the borough's residents up in arms, with a large-scale demonstration taking place outside the gallery last night. But as this most recent letter suggests, the gallery's threat of closure affects more than local residents.

Since its opening 16 years ago in February 2000, the gallery has featured exhibitions from the likes of Damien Hirst and currently has paintings from Vincent van Gogh, Amedeo Modigliani and Claude Monet in its 3,000-strong collection.

However the significance of the gallery is more than its displays, it is the effect it has had on arts across the whole of the UK.

As the Grayson Perry signed letter put it: "It has been proof that the nation is committed to the principle that everyone should have access to the arts wherever they live in the UK."

The gallery, which was opened by The Queen, is said to have been the template for other regional galleries that have opened in recent years, including the Hepworth Wakefield, the Turner Contemporary in Margate and the Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art.

It is no wonder the likes of artist Richard Wentworth, the artistic director of the Serpentine Gallery Hans Ulrich Obrist and the director of Somerset House Jonathan Reekie have leapt to the gallery's defence.

And they are not the only famous faces to defend the New Art Gallery, with Slade frontman and Walsall-born Noddy Holder warning closing the gallery would be a 'disaster'. Speaking exclusively to the Express & Star he said: "I think the arts is a big part of people's lives. It is a huge part of the Walsall skyline as well and a beacon at the top of Park Street. I think the gallery is great for the community. They put on some wonderful exhibitions and closing it will be a disaster."

Residents were warned about the threat to the art gallery at the start of October when Councillor Sean Coughlan, the Labour leader of Walsall Council, delivered a press conference in which he outlined the council's perilous situation.

The council and Councillor Coughlan originally received sympathy for the situation they had been put in by central government cuts, but this soon turned to anger when it emerged the sums for the gallery had not be done properly.

Councillor Sean Coughlan, leader of Walsall Council, has stressed that his council's proposal is not to close the gallery.

He said: "The proposal is not to close the Gallery and it never has been. We will not make any final decisions about the New Art Gallery Walsall, nor on any other proposals out for consultation until we've finished consulting with our residents and we've have had time to carefully consider the feedback we receive.

"The proposal for the Gallery is to see a gradual reduction in the financial support the council gives to its operational costs. This gradual reduction in subsidy would allow the Gallery two years to review its entire operation – to reduce costs and generate new income.

"If the Gallery is unable to have reduced costs and increased income by year three of the budget, then yes, it may have to close. And, as a local authority, we must be clear and inform the public that this is a risk."

As reported by the Express & Star, closing the gallery will actually cost MORE than keeping it open.

David Carver, chairman of Walsall Museums and Galleries Development Trust, wrote to the council last month warning it had failed to take into account the cost of maintaining the empty building and its collection if the gallery were to close. Then, at a meeting on November 24, council officers admitted they had not done their sums.

They originally stated a running cost for the gallery of £861,000, but after rates and other payments were taken out of the equation, Councillor Mike Bird, leader of the opposition, argued that the actual running costs of the gallery were £194,000.

With consultation on Walsall council's proposed cuts, including the art gallery, open until Tuesday, residents can give their views by emailing budgetconsultation@walsall.gov.uk or writing a letter to Budget Consultation, Walsall Council, Civic Centre, Darwall Street, Walsall, WS1 1TP. No final decision will be made over council funding to the art gallery until February next year.