Get arms dealers out of the Gallery!

A message from our friends at Campaign Against Arms Trade:Get the arms dealers out of the Gallery!The National Gallery is one of our most iconic public institutions. It is also supporting the arms trade.Last year the National Gallery hosted an evening reception to celebrate the first day of business at DSEi, the world's largest arms fair. This July, the Farnborough Airshow will also bring authoritarian regimes and weapons manufacturers from around the world to the UK. Unless we act, it looks like the Gallery will again host arms dealers for this event.Arms company Finmeccanica buys the opportunity to use the Gallery's rooms to impress its clients for just £30,000 a year. This deal means the Gallery is giving both practical support and a veneer of legitimacy to an industry based on death and destruction.Public criticism can make the Gallery reconsider. Please write to the Gallery's Director now: www.caat.org.uk/email-the-galleryWe can disarm the GalleryThe Gallery's 'ethical fundraising policy' says nothing at all about what might be ethical or unethical. But it does say that sponsorship should not be accepted if it would result in "a level of criticism ... disproportionate to the benefit derived" or if it could cause serious damage to the Gallery's reputation. We can't think of much that is more likely to damage the Gallery's reputation than supporting arms companies!The Gallery's executive team, led by Director Nicholas Penny, can decide to reject controversial sponsorship.Hundreds of letters to the Director will give him a taste of just how controversial it is to support the arms trade. Write now to ensure the Gallery does not host an event for the Farnborough Airshow in July and ends its support for the arms trade: www.caat.org.uk/email-the-galleryRead more about our new campaign.There's loads happening in the next month...Join us to launch the campaign to Disarm the Gallery with a mass art-action on 31 March, take part in the Global Day of Action Against Military Spending on 17 April or join us at one of our Campaign Days to plan more hard-hitting action for 2012. Find out more:www.caat.org.uk/eventsThank you for supporting the campaign,Sarah Waldron
Core Campaign Co-ordinator
Campaign Against Arms TradeP.S. The National Gallery has said it will consider turning down sponsorship if it results in "a level of criticism ... disproportionate to the benefit derived" - so your action counts! Take action today: www.caat.org.uk/email-the-gallery