Tag: News

News | Major painting by renowned artist eX de Medici donated to Australian War Memorial

by Katrina Grant • March 27, 2021

One of the most significant artwork donations in the Memorial’s history, Cure for pain, by renowned Australian artist eX de Medici, is now on display at the Australian War Memorial. Donated by Erika Krebs-Woodward through the Australian Government’s Cultural Gifts Program, Cure for pain is a detailed, multi-layered work that reflects the themes of mortality and equality in death throughout a century of Australian military history. At more than four metres long the painting is also the largest work produced by de Medici, who was appointed official war artist to the Solomon Islands in 2009 and is one of Australia’s most celebrated contemporary artists. Director of the Australian War Memorial Dr Brendan Nelson said the donation added to the Memorial’s world-class art collection, and that the work is an important tool in our evolving understanding of the Australian experience of war.…

News | ACMI announces new commissioning program for Australian artists worth $240,000 over 3 years

by Katrina Grant • March 13, 2021

ACMI (Australian Centre for the Moving Image) has announced the $80,000 Mordant Family VR Commission, in partnership with Catriona and Simon Mordant AM, the City of Melbourne and ACMI, for new works by Australian artists and filmmakers. Building on ACMI’s existing commissioning initiatives, this program heralds a new era of artist support at ACMI for emerging platforms. The Mordant Family VR Commission invites visual artists to produce bold new and ambitious works using virtual reality (VR) and associated technology. Open to mid-career and established visual artists, the Mordant Family VR Commission supports gallery-based practitioners to move into VR, encouraging experimentation and enabling the creation of ambitious artworks that push the limits of technology to engage audiences in new ways. ACMI, through these partnerships, is providing unique opportunities in contemporary Australian film practice with this commission. ACMI Director and CEO Katrina…

News | Judith Neilson creates Chair in Contemporary Art at UNSW

by Katrina Grant • February 15, 2021

News from UNSW that founder of the White Rabbit Gallery has donated money to create The Judith Neilson Chair in Contemporary Art, which will focus on contemporary Chinese art and culture. Philanthropist and White Rabbit Gallery founder Judith Neilson AM has made her second major donation to UNSW with the announcement of The Judith Neilson Chair in Contemporary Art. The Professorial Chair will work between UNSW Art & Design and Sydney’s internationally recognised White Rabbit Gallery to lead rigorous scholarly research. White Rabbit Gallery is home to one of the world’s most significant collections of Chinese contemporary art and UNSW Art & Design is ranked in the top 30 art and design schools in the QS World University Rankings. With privileged access to the White Rabbit collection, The Judith Neilson Chair in Contemporary Art will develop new knowledge and a…

News | New Executive Director at Craft Victoria

by Katrina Grant • December 23, 2020

The Chair of Craft Victoria has announce the appointment of Richard Ferguson as the new Executive Director at Craft Victoria. Richard will be commencing his role in mid-February 2017. From Craft Victoria Richard has been involved in the cultural, heritage and education sectors for more than 30 years in both Australia and England. He is also a craft and arts practitioner. His initial tertiary training was at the National Art School in ceramics. Later training in visual arts and photography enabled him to undertake original research and Antarctic field work, on five expeditions, on the use of photography on polar expeditions initially based at the Mawson Institute for Antarctic Research at the University of Adelaide. This and both other creative and curatorial projects ultimately gave rise to direct engagement with and entry into management of collections, cultural institutions and philanthropic…

NGV calls for public help to find art from 1968 exhibition ‘The Field’

by Katrina Grant • December 16, 2020

The National Gallery of Victoria is planning to re-stage the 1968 exhibition The Field in 2018 as The Field Revisited and is calling for help finding the final 14 missing works of art. See the NGV Find The Field website for details of the missing works: http://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/findthefield/ From the NGV The Field is regarded as a landmark exhibition in Australian art history – a radical showcase of 74 abstract and conceptual, colour field, geometric and hard edge artworks. Influenced by the American origins of abstract art, the exhibition opened to much controversy at the NGV in 1968 with its silver foil-covered walls and geometric light fittings, boldly launching the careers of a generation of young Australian artists including Sydney Ball, Peter Booth, Janet Dawson and Robert Jacks. Following a year-long search by the NGV, across Australian and international galleries, collections and auction houses…

News | New gallery for the State Library of Victoria

by Katrina Grant • December 15, 2020

A new gallery space will be constructed at the State Library of Victoria, which will include the re-opening of the Russell Street entrance. Full details below or read more here. A partnership between the Victorian State Government and the John and Myriam Wylie Foundation is delivering a funding boost of $13 million to State Library Victoria and is set to reinvigorate an historic Melbourne precinct. The John and Myriam Wylie Foundation has donated $8 million to reopen the Russell Street entrance and to thoroughly transform the eastern end of the Library with the creation of a new world-class exhibition gallery and state-of-the-art collaborative spaces, along with a vibrant café and retail area on Russell Street. This donation is one of the largest in the State Library’s history and will be a major driver in achieving the aim of increasing the…

News | Australian Catholic University appoints first curator

by Katrina Grant • October 20, 2020

Furthering its commitment to celebrating and sharing art Australian Catholic University (ACU) has appointed Caroline Field as its first curator. In the newly-created role, Ms Field will be responsible for managing the University’s extensive art collection and documenting, developing and displaying the collection across each of its seven campuses. “The University is very fortunate to be holding such magnificent treasures and artworks,” Ms Field said. “We want to use and enliven them and we want to share and promote them with the University community and the general public.” Previously the Curator and Manager of the Deakin University art collection, Ms Field is a well-known figure in the Australian art community. She has curated more than 20 major exhibitions and is currently writing a book on the history of the Australian Galleries, for which she has been awarded a Creative Fellowship…

News | Kirsty Grant to leave Heide MOMA at the end of 2016

by Katrina Grant • September 23, 2020

News that after only two years, Kirsty Grant is to step down as director and CEO of Heide. Press release After two years in the role of Director and CEO of Heide Museum of Modern Art, Kirsty Grant will step down from the position in December 2016 in order to focus on freelance art and curatorial projects. At Heide, Kirsty has overseen a series of acclaimed exhibitions including Colour Sensation: The Works of Melinda Harper, Aleks Danko: My Fellow Aus-tra-aliens and the forthcoming O’Keeffe, Preston, Cossington Smith: Making Modernism. Prior to joining Heide, Kirsty held curatorial positions at the National Gallery of Victoria and the Queensland Art Gallery. In her previous role as Senior Curator of Australian Art at the NGV, Kirsty curated major retrospective exhibitions on the work of artists including John Brack and Robert Jacks, as well as…

News | National Art School appoints Michael Lynch CBE AM as Interim Director

by Katrina Grant • July 28, 2020

The National Art School has announced that it has appointed Michael Lynch CBE AM as Interim Director, commencing September 2016. The appointment follows the recent resignation of current Director Michael Snelling, who is relocating to Hong Kong to support his partner Suhanya Raffel as she takes up her position as Director of Hong Kong’s M+ Museum. Mr Lynch commented that: ‘The National Art School has an extraordinary history of creating great artists across genres. I recognize the difficulties that face the School over the coming months and hope to work closely with staff and the Board to find a solution that best benefits the arts, National Art School and all interested stakeholders of which the students are paramount.’ Outgoing National Art School Director Michael Snelling said: “Michael Lynch brings a wealth of experience in the arts, education and government at the…

News | Victorian Government announces $3million for Collingwood Contemporary Arts Precinct

by Katrina Grant • July 27, 2020

The disused Collingwood tech site is set to become a contemporary arts precinct, with support from the Victorian Government. Minister for Creative Industries Martin Foley MP today announced $3 million, as part of the Government’s Creative State strategy, alongside $4.5 million in donations and $4 million already contributed by the State. The announcement heralds the next stage of the creative transformation of the former Collingwood Technical School in Johnston Street. The long abandoned school was given a new lease on life in 2010 when it was earmarked for a new home for Circus Oz. In 2014 Circus Oz moved in to its state-of-the-art new facility occupying 60% of the 10,000sqm site. In a partnership, the Government is working with a social enterprise, Contemporary Arts Precincts (CAP) to redevelop the three triple storey buildings, and spaces including a large leafy courtyard.…

News | Boost for Victoria’s Regional Galleries and Performing Arts centres

by Katrina Grant • July 20, 2020

The Victorian Government seems determined to buck the federal trend of cutting arts funding by providing support for the arts across the state. Last week the state government announced funding for 90 independent arts companies (including organisations such as CCP that lost federal funding earlier in the year). Today, the Minister for Creative Industries, Martin Foley, announced funding for regional galleries across the state, saying ‘We want to ensure that all Victorians – no matter where they live – have the opportunity to unlock their creative potential and experience the benefits of creative activity. We are supporting some of our oldest art galleries and theatres alongside recently established and redeveloped cultural centres. Funding ensures these venues maintain their place at the heart of community life.” See the full press release below. Regional Victoria will benefit from a major investment in the state’s extensive…

New Society for the History of Emotions/New Journal Emotions: History, Culture, Society

by Katrina Grant • July 14, 2020

The Centre of Excellence for the History of Emotions, Europe 1100-1800 (CHE) has announced a new Society for the History of Emotions (SHE). It is a professional association for scholars interested in emotions as historically and culturally-situated phenomena within past and present societies. The Society welcomes members working in the field of the history of emotions across the world, including independent scholars, early career researchers and postgraduates. Membership information will soon be available through our website but in the meantime please email us at: societyhistoryemotions@gmail.com Current committee members consist of: Jacqueline Van Gent (Convenor); Giovanni Tarantino (Research Development Officer); Ute Frevert, Miri Rubin, Stephanie Trigg, Paul Yachnin (Ordinary Members); Andrew Lynch and Katie Barclay (Journal Editors). The Society will publish a new journal dedicated to the History of Emotions: The Society for the History of Emotions, a project of the Australian Research…

News | Finalists for Bowness Prize announced

by Katrina Grant • July 14, 2020

The judges for this year’s Bowness Prize have announced the list of finalists. From MGA: Judges of the William and Winifred Bowness Photography Prize, including well-known Filmmaker Fred Schepisi, have this week confirmed the 60 emerging and established photographers to secure their positions as finalists in Australia’s most sought-after photography prize, edging closer to winning the $25,000 prize to be announced in September this year. Schepisi was joined by Professional Photographer John Gollings and MGA’s Director Kallie Blauhorn in determining the 2016 finalists of the coveted award, following the review of works submitted across a diverse range of contemporary and traditional photographic genres including street, fashion, art, architectural and documentary styles. “The diversity in both subject and technique in these photographs is fantastic,” said Schepisi on reviewing the 2016 submissions. “It is something to be truly encouraged.” John Gollings continued,…

Weekly News Round-Up | Art and Art History | 13th July 2016

by Katrina Grant • July 13, 2020

Vesna Pavlović, GREEK: ARCH: ATHENS GEN: ACR: PARTHENON: EPEDIMENT GODDESSES, Endura metallic color print, 30 by 30 inches.

The Art Newspaper has a story about Orhan Pamuk’s keynote address to the ICOM conference in Milan. In his talk Pamuk reflected on the museums we have and the museums we need, saying that in the future we need ‘small and economical museums that address our humanity. All museums are genuine treasures of humankind, but I am against these precious and monumental institutions being used as models for the institutions to come. Museums should explore and uncover the population as a whole and the humanity of the new and modern man that emerges from the growing economies of non-Western countries. I address this manifesto in particular to Asian museums that are experiencing an unprecedented period of growth. The aim of the great state-sponsored museums is to represent a state and that is neither a good nor innocent aim. Here are…

Weekly News Round-Up | 6th July 2016 | Cows for poems, Fact Checking the SCA UNSW merger, More concerns over Indian sculptures at NGA + more

by Katrina Grant • July 6, 2020

In this chaotic moment of uncertainty (ahem) with no government in Australia perhaps we might have to return to arts funding arrangements of yesteryear and inspire artists with… cows. Amanda Smith of RN has this story about the history of arts funding in Australia in which she reveals that the first arts grant was in the form of two cows ‘from the goverment herd’ given as payment to nineteenth-century poet Michael Masset Robinson for a series of ‘odes for George III and Queen Charlotte on their birthdays. In other signs of the apocalypse (though admittedly this was reported on the eve of the election) an artist has managed to hang his own painting on the wall at the NGV next to Picasso’s weeping woman. The artist, Ben Butcher, declares that ‘We live in an age where monolithic cultural institutions no longer have a…

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