Graham Wilkinson of Behaviour & Attitudes – An Appreciation

At the Allianz Business to Arts Awards 2008, Graham Wilkinson of Behaviour & Attitudes and Robert Russell of Graphic Studio Dublin accepted the Jim McNaughton Perpetual Award for Best Commissioning Practice from Gerard McNaughton of TileStyle

It was with great sadness that we learned of the death in late September of our friend of long standing, Graham Wilkinson, just days after we joined his colleagues to toast Behaviour & Attitudes’ 30th Anniversary.

We first had the pleasure of engaging with Graham Wilkinson and Behaviour & Attitudes in 1992 when they joined our fledgling membership network, and they have been loyal supporters and champions since then. Graham was always quietly supporting our work, with letters on file giving us advice on the preparation of Membership Surveys over the years. Along with his wife Carol, he was a great attendee of our events, and always ready with an encouraging or appreciative word and constructive feedback on things we should consider doing.

For us, Behaviour & Attitudes are most notably associated in cultural circles, for their Corporate Collection and Commissioning. During their early years, the Partners thought hard about what would make an appropriate ‘thank you’ gift for clients at the end of each year. It proved prescient (in terms of loyalty building) and ahead of its time (for gifting) to develop an annual commission of fine-art hand-made prints by leading Irish artists in traditional techniques such as lithography and etching.

Adding enormously to the excitement on delivery, each year the print arrived to clients in specially designed and commissioned packaging with light-hearted copy which brought a sense of fun, engagement and added value to the work itself.

The Commission project proved its worth in communicating Behaviour & Attitudes’ appreciation of their relationships with their clients; highlighted their values and the synergies of their business with the arts; and showcased talented Irish artists to a broad range of businesses and individuals. We know that the Behaviour & Attitudes Editions form the corner-stone of many private and corporate collections having kickstarted a love and interest for many.

Graham worked hard to grow the B&A commission process over the years, ensuring its engagement throughout the company and nurturing the partnership with Graphic Studio Dublin who supported the project throughout, as well as nurturing many of the Artists themselves.

The Series has now run for over 30 years, a worthy winner in 2003 and has been highly commended on a number of occasions at the Allianz Business to Arts Awards, winning the inaugural Jim McNaughton Perpetual Award for Best Commissioning Practice in 2008.

Rest in Peace Graham, you are already missed immeasurably.