| Bill Buchanan | |
| Birth Date: | 7 October 1932 |
| Education: | Glasgow School of Art |
| Occupation: | Artist, educationalist |
| Office: | Director of the Glasgow School of Art |
| Predecessor: | Tom Pannell |
| Successor: | John Whiteman |
| Nationality: | Scottish |
Bill Buchanan (7 October 1932 - 4 September 2018) was an artist; and former Director of the Glasgow School of Art. He was interim director from 1989 to 1990.[1]
He was born in Trinidad in 1932 as William Menzies Buchanan. He studied at Glasgow School of Art.[2]
He married Elspeth and they had four children: Andy, Aji, Gavin and Janie. The marriage did not last and Buchanan remarried Alison.[2]
Alison and Bill lived at Allan Water, eight miles south from Hawick. However Alison died from breast cancer.[2]
He then moved to Edinburgh and later partnered with Ann until his death.[2]
He joined the Scottish Arts Council in 1961.[3]
He became Head of the Department of Fine Arts at Glasgow School of Art in 1977. He contributed to many publications on the history of photography.[3]
He expanded the Fine Arts syllabus at the School.
In 1989 he was made the interim Director of Glasgow School of Art, taking over from Tom Pannell.[4]
He negotiated with St. Andrew's House a major investment with the Mackintosh building. He also edited the book Mackintosh's Masterwork in 1989, the standard work on the building.[2] [5]
He was replaced by John Whiteman.[6]
Along with Mackintosh's Masterworks, Buchanan also wrote a book on the pioneering Scottish photographer James Craig Annan; The Art of the Photographer.[7]