Angus Anderson: Tributes paid to 'wonderful' Highgate centre's artist
Angus Anderson with artwork at Highgate Newtown Community Centre in 2016. - Credit: Polly Hancock
A community centre's resident artist who died over the festive period was "passionate about London" and supportive to "all he came in contact with".
Angus Anderson, 72, passed away suddenly on December 28 after a heart attack. He had been artist-in-residence at Highgate Newtown Community Centre (HNCC) since 2013, and was previously a trustee of the charity ActionSpace, which works to help young artists with learning disabilities.
Born and brought up in south London, where he met wife Liz when they were both teenagers, Angus worked in the public sector for the majority of his adult life.
Art became a great passion for Angus, and after taking a foundation course and then a diploma, he got involved with HNCC and had his work exhibited around north London.
Angus Anderson, who died on December 28, 2020. - Credit: Polly Hancock
Liz told this newspaper: "I have had so many emails, so many people saying what a great teacher he was.
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"He was passionate about London. He always had great energy and put so much into all of the things he did for other people. He'd come home and just be sleeping on the sofa."
Angus and Liz brought up two children in Islington, and most recently have lived just over the border in Hackney, near Old Street.
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Liz added: "We met just after our A Levels, it was going to be our 50th anniversary this year."
They had two children and two grandchildren - with another on the way.
Liz said: "He really loved the process of art, and had such generosity of spirit."
Angus Anderson had a "passion for London" and tributes have been paid to his skill as an artist and a teacher. - Credit: Polly Hancock
Andrew Sanalitro, director at HNCC, also paid tribute and said the community centre would be looking to launch a foundation in Angus' honour in the near future.
He said Angus' caring nature would be much-missed, adding: "He was a wonderful person to have around. He was such a calming presence. He was the last of the old-school, and didn't do anything for self gain."
Andrew said Angus had already been planning for how the HNCC art programme would make use of the new studio space in the rebuild community centre, and pledged HNCC would be following his example in the years to come.
"He always said he'd have people painting in an hour," Andrew added. "He went to great lengths to make people comfortable with art. We will be carrying on his legacy."
READ MORE: Artist-in-residence launches classes to help people 'release creative self'
