Vanessa Branson
Vanessa Branson (born 1959) is an English entrepreneur, and the founder of the Marrakech Biennale.
Biography
Branson is the sister of Virgin founder Richard Branson. She founded the Vanessa Devereux Gallery (1986–91) in Portobello Road, London where she showed a number of emerging artists including William Kentridge’s UK debut exhibition. Along with Prue O’Day and Anatol Orient she initiated the Portobello Arts Festivals in 1987, 1988 and 1989.[citation needed]
Between 1999 and 2004 Prue O’Day and Vanessa Branson curated the Wonderful Fund collection which was first shown at the Museum of Marrackech.[1]
She owns and runs Eilean Shona, an island on the west coast of Scotland at the entrance to Loch Moidart.[2] In 2002 she developed the Riad El Fenn hotel in the centre of Marrakech, together with her business partner Howell James.[citation needed]
In 2005 she became the President and Founder of the Arts in Marrakech Festival, now known as the Marrakech Biennale.[3]
In October 2014, Vanessa Branson was awarded the Royal distinction of Officer of the [of Ouissam Alaouite], at the occasion of the ceremony inaugurating the Mohammed VI Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Rabat for her contributions to Moroccan Arts and Culture.
Branson's memoir, One Hundred Summers, was published in May 2020.[4]
References
- ^ Gleadell, Colin (14 February 2000). "It's wonderful being a patron". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 12 November 2012. Retrieved 12 February 2019.
- ^ Coren, Giles (12 September 2009). "La Tante Claire at Selfridges, London". The Times. Retrieved 12 February 2019.
- ^ "Marrakech Biennale: History". Marrakech Biennale. Retrieved 12 February 2019.
- ^ Cole, Olivia (23 May 2020). "Vanessa Branson's memoir is a perfect 1980s time capsule". GQ Magazine. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
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