 When Richard Verdi first arrived in Birmingham to take up his post as Director of The Barber Institute of Fine Arts, it was his mother who predicted the daunting task ahead: "She said 'well you're going to have to raise it from ashes - and then you'll get a heart attack' - because it was that neglected," says the professor who bows out this September after 17 auspicious years at The Barber. Back in 1990, the institute based on the University of Birmingham campus was the city's best-kept secret, with its enviable collection of art from the likes of Degas, Van Gogh, Gainsborough and Monet. The average Brummie did not realise it existed. "When I first came [to Birmingham] people said to me: 'why have you been keeping this from us?' - I said 'leave me alone - I just moved down from York a month ago...' I got all the blame, I could have killed them! "We're severely disadvantaged geographically, we're three miles out of the city centre, we're on a university campus and people regard university campuses as a no-go area," says the professor, who was awarded an OBE in the New Year's Honours. "The assumption was that we must just be for university use, which couldn't be further from the truth and I tried to break that down." Housed in a Grade II listed Art Deco building, The Barber Institute was opened by Queen Mary in 1939, and was established by Dame Martha Constance Hattie Barber (1869-1932), widow of local property developer and solicitor William Barber. Though she never lived to see its completion, Lady Barber founded the institute, leaving the entire Barber fortune to the Trustees to enable the construction of a new building, the development of the art collection and funding of public concerts, the institute's other main function today. Lady Barber stipulated that no 20th century works should be displayed in the gallery and all paintings should be of a quality worthy of the National Gallery. Whilst the latter is still upheld, some post 1899 works have been acquired by Verdi, the most notable being a stunning portrait by Derain. With its collection reading like a Who's Who of the art world, it was little wonder that The Barber was named Art Gallery of the Year in the Good Britain Guide 2004. Much of the credit for that award must go to the work of Professor Verdi and his 'wonderful staff': "What I didn't realise when I first applied for the job in 1989 was that the public hardly knew it [The Barber]," says Verdi. "I realised that it had been out of bounds for whatever reasons to the general public for more or less all of its past; for three or four years I got so sick, sick, sick of hearing the phrase 'Birmingham's best-kept secret' - I never hear that any more, that's the biggest achievement of my career I think." He adds: "I didn't really know The Barber Institute at all when I got the job - I had visited it twice when I was living in York; I had always admired enormously the collection, which is by any standards a very, very great small collection - the fact that it had all been assembled since 1936 seemed to me astonishing - it spoke for an initiative and imagination that indicated to me that it was a gallery that must be taken very, very seriously." Opening the Institute to a wider audience has been Verdi's principle aim and his legacy. As well as school parties and the general public, Verdi started a new History of Art course at the university, which now boasts around 150 undergraduate and postgraduate students. "It was a great underused resource, and I think any university with an outstanding collection is duty bound to use it as a teaching tool," he says. "We were nearly the last ones to realise that we had here a sitting giant in terms of a teaching tool; the initiative came not from me but the Vice Chancellor at the time, Michael Thompson, who had set up the Sainsbury centre at UEA and then he became Vice Chancellor here; I owe it all to him." Another initiative during his tenure has been the establishment of Friends of the Barber in 1991 - a membership scheme for loyal supporters of the museum which has proved another great success, with around 700 currently signed up: "I was told when I launched the Friends that we had far more enemies than friends and that we should be very careful," Verdi laughs. "The initial subscription was £2, I didn't dare go any higher... "They are a staunch and loyal group of supporters in almost everything we do - funding acquisitions, conservation, education; they support us tremendously and they've been one of the great joys of my career here." During his 17 years, Professor Verdi has "just tried to plug almost every hole" in The Barber's collection with an average of one acqusition every year, but admits that with ever rising prices in the art market, the task of acquiring great works is harder than ever: "I don't think I could do it again if I started today, no way... "This searingly intense self-portrait by Beckman," he points out as we tour the gallery. "I bought that in 1998 for £18,000 - and the last one that went through the sales rooms was £84,000... I can't believe it," he whispers. "I've never bought names for the sake of names, I have bought quality irrespective of names. "The Derain is one 20th century painting I have bought, it's a masterpiece; I've looked at others but the easiest thing to do with a collection like this is to dilute it by buying secondary works to fill gaps - but what you do is create a gap and I've tried not to do it." Verdi's acquisitions include the more familiar names such as Rubens and Van Dyck alongside lesser known but no less stunning works by the likes of Dahl and Baschenis. It's a patient game, he admits, waiting for the right pieces to come along: "Quality is all important, names are much much less so I think," he stresses once more. "It's all about being in the right place at the right time, you have to be so careful too; you know when we go into the supermarket, we're prone to impulse shopping - well you can't impulse shop for works of art. "I never buy anything over the counter, I always sleep on it at least one night and usually I try to let someone else see it beforehand so it's not just my pair of eyes saying yes. "I have had many sleepless nights, wondering if I had any mistakes," he confides with an emotional crack in his voice. "I hope not..." If there are any mistakes at The Barber, it would take Hercule Poirot to detect them; what was already a world-beating collection of art has, during Verdi's 17 years, been embellished and embraced, more people than ever now aware and able to enjoy one of Birmingham's biggest cultural delights. He can be justly proud. * The Barber Institute of Fine Arts University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TS 0121 414 7333 Open: Mon-Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 12pm-5pm www.barber.org.uk Admission to the Barber is free. | 
