The Bermuda National Gallery's recent exhibition of American Impressionist Paintings and the Gallery's own show, "Through British Eyes'' staged in 1996 at the Morgan Library in New York, are clear indicators that Bermuda's newest art institution (now almost six years old) is a success.

That is the verdict of The Royal Gazette Editor David L. White, who recently took over the chairmanship of the National Gallery.

"I suppose that, as with any major charity of this sort, people have doubts about whether it can succeed and grow in the long term. I believe these two latest successes have demonstrated that it can.'' Mr. White, whose own considerable collection of American impressionist art is based on American artists who painted in Bermuda, says the Gallery's show, on loan from The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, should have important implications for the future.

"The availability of that show was due, almost exclusively, to the Gallery's director Laura Gorham and her personal contacts in Philadelphia. That has had a wonderful spillover effect, as we now have a very good working relationship with the Academy and can look forward to more shows in the future.

"But more than that,'' he adds, "the art museum world is a small one and we have received enormous praise from the Academy for the way in which we handled the show -- the treatment and hanging of the pictures, the high quality of the catalogue and for the care given in terms of security and temperature control in the Gallery itself.'' That praise, says Mr. White, will go a long way in the US art world and can only benefit the Gallery when it negotiates future loan exhibitions.

Mr. White reveals that `Through British Eyes', the first Bermudian art exhibition ever to be staged in the US, will almost certainly be shown at the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa. "These things take a while to arrange because of the availability of space and the fact that well-run museums plan years in advance, but we are pretty sure it will go to Canada some time in the not too distant future.'' While elated with the success of the American Impressionist show, the new chairman voices his disappointment at the lack of support shown by the Department of Tourism.

"We saw this exhibition as a boon to Bermuda in terms of cultural tourism, but we had considerable difficulty in getting the Ministry of Tourism to agree with us,'' he said. "We wanted them to promote it, not as the sole reason for coming to Bermuda, but as a considerable, added attraction for people coming here in the fall months. But I'm afraid it didn't work that way and I think that was something of a missed opportunity.'' Asked about major aims under his chairmanship, Mr. White says there are two main items on his agenda. "My personal aim for the future is to stage a major African-American show. These things are not easy to arrange or assemble but that is definitely one of my aims.'' Pointing out that the Gallery has already earned high praise for its policy of integration, he elaborates: "That integration has not only been in terms of people, but in terms of shows -- and I think that's exactly the way the Gallery should go. There was very high enthusiasm for the first African show, `Secrecy' and for Flip Schulke's photographic exhibition on Martin Luther King.

"So I think a contemporary, African-American show would be wonderful, especially for all the young people who are now involved in the arts here. In the meantime, we have a very talented director who takes a lot of care, and is very precise and particular in getting things right. That, to me, is extremely important when we are trying to build a reputation.

"We are blessed, too, in having people who are truly interested -- people like Dennis Sherwin and Fay and Geoffrey Elliott. We have good staff and, like every charity in this country, we couldn't open the doors without our volunteers. We couldn't function without them,'' he emphasises. "Also, in common with every other charity, we need money. So my other main aim as chairman is a major fundraising to get the Gallery on a solid financial basis.'' Mr. White believes the Gallery's emphasis on small, good shows is the correct approach: "We are dealing in quality rather than quantity, starting with the very distinguished Watlington Collection.'' While conceding that the Gallery has not, so far, acquired a great deal of works for a permanent collection, he points out that the Gallery, again, is concentrating on a small but good collection.

"We bought our own African Collection which is stunning, and have sculpture by such artists as Bill Ming''.

Mr. White was encouraged that the historically important pictures of Mr. and Mrs. Gilbert by 18th Century portraitist Joseph Blackburn not only form part of the permanent collection, but have been fully and "wonderfully'' restored.

"They were in terrible condition. It was discovered, during restoration, that Blackburn had painted Mrs. Gilbert with a very low decolletage. Then, somebody -- presumably in the Victorian era -- had carefully painted over that. Now the painting has been beautifully restored -- with Blackburn's original, substantial exposure!'' With the Princess Louise Exhibition, the Biennial (in May) and a show devoted to American sculptor Nancy Graves planned for the coming year, Mr. White admits the Biennial of two years ago was not, perhaps, the Gallery's "best effort. But we are having two outside jurors and I hope that the best of Bermuda's artists will take part this time and that the show will therefore be of a better standard this time around.'' In summing up the Gallery's progress thus far, Mr. White says: "Given Bermuda's size and facilities, I think the distance the Gallery has come in the past five years has been really quite amazing.'' `I think a contemporary, African-American show would be wonderful, especially for all the young people who are now involved in the arts here.' -- David L.

White