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by Virginia Cook

In July this year, Anthony Edwards was just having a nice time contemplating a painting. And it was an intriguing painting - an Arthur Boyd, with its masterful painterly technique.

Standing in the Perc Tucker Regional Gallery, along with other Townsville art lovers at the opening of the Arthur Boyd and the Exile of Imagination exhibition, Edwards wasn't expecting any fuss.

But unbeknownst to Edwards, he just happened to be the third millionth visitor to a National Gallery of Australia (NGA) Travelling Exhibition.

As with the first and second-millionth visitors, Anthony's prize included flying to Canberra and two nights accommodation - this time the trip coincided with Monet to Moore and From Russia with Love.

For Edwards it was a fortitous prize, given that he was studying his Bachelor of Visual Arts at the James Cook University, majoring in painting.

To be able to experience the brushstrokes and magic of masterpieces first-hand rather than in reproductions was a real treat. He described his visit to the National Gallery as 'by far the most influential and mind blowing experience of my life'.

While Edwards was lucky to travel to the NGA, three million Australians have been equally thrilled to have the NGA come to them.

The NGA's Travelling Exhibitions Program is a vital part of its strategy for getting art out of Canberra - and they're attracting impressive numbers.

Since February 1988, when the program was established, 54 exhibitions have travelled to 300 locations in every State and Territory across Australia.

The new exhibitions in the 1998-99 featured treasures from the Gallery's collections of Australian art and international art. In Everyday Art: Australian Folk Art for example, national icons such as the Rajah and the Westury quilts were major drawcards to the exhibition during its national tour.

Picasso and the Vollard Suite gave audiences in Melbourne, Brisbane, Sydney and Adelaide the opportunity to view Picassos graphic masterpiece of 100 intaglio prints, owned by the NGA.

The Europeans: Emigré Artists in Australia 1930-1960 was selected from the exhibition originally displayed in Canberra in 1997. It brings together the work of 20 émigré artists who arrived in pre and post-war years, highlighting the vitality and significance of recent migrants' contribution to Australian culture.

This was the exhibition that Giles Auty, art critic of The Weekend Australian said 'should be made compulsory viewing for anyone unaware of the privileges of living in Australia today'.

Arthur Boyd and the Exile of Imagination was drawn from the magnificent Arthur Boyd Gift, which the artist donated to the National Gallery in 1975.

The Elaine and Jim Wolfensohn Gift Suitcase Kits and 1888 Melbourne Cup travelling exhibitions are still touring to schools and community groups in regional Australia - the 'suitcase' exhibition of portable, durable art continues to be appreciated by students and teachers, who delight in being able to handle the beautiful objects.

During 1999-2000 seven exhibitions will be released for tour. Three have already commenced - Re-Take, Dance Hall Days and Childhoods Past. And preparations are well underway for Natural Causes: Landscape Photographs by Ansel Adams and Eliot Porter; Matisse: The Art of Drawing; Susan Cohn: A Survey - Work from 1980-2000; John Brack: inside and outside.

 Contact

Jude Savage, Manager Travelling Exhibitions or or email JudeS@nga.gov.au

or visit the Gallery's website: www.nga.gov.au or (02) 6240 6411

New aquisitions

The National Gallery of Australia was again in the news recently with the announcement that David Hockney's 2 x 7.5-metre painting A Bigger Grand Canyon 1998 would be entering the Gallery's international collection. While this painting may be the biggest and, perhaps, the most colourful of the latest acquisitions, the Gallery's publication just out, Developing the Collection: New Acquisitions 1998-1999, illustrates and describes 39 others and provides as well a complete list of all works acquired over the last two years.

Amongst the Australian works are paintings by Arthur Boyd, John Brack, Ian Fairweather and Russell Drysdale (the latter two donated from the collection of James Fairfax, Gift of Bridgestar Pty Ltd). Also entering the collection are works of art from Asia, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander pieces in a range of media, and another monumental work for the international collection, The Fountain, a 7-metre print on three sheets by Frank Stella, printed by Ken Tyler (acquired with funds provided by Orde Poynton Esq., CMG). In his preface to the publication, Director, Dr Brian Kennedy, concluded 'The Gallery is delighted with the support that it has received from the Government and from private benefactors and the vote of confidence that it presents in acknowledgement of our collecting activities.'

• Document ID: 11375 |
• Last modified: 5 February 2008, 6:01pm