life. through our collections, exhibitions, programs
TRANSCRIPT
The Art Gallery of NSW is one of Australia’s most popular art museums and a vital part of the nation’s cultural life. Through our collections, exhibitions, programs and research, we aim to extend and enrich our visitors’ emotional and intellectual engagement with art.
Art Gallery of NSW Art Gallery Road The Domain NSW 2000
Phone: +61 2 9225 1700TTY: +61 2 9225 1808Recorded ‘What’s on’ information +61 2 9225 1790www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au
© 2010 Art Gallery of NSW
corporate plan 2010 –15
ART GAlleRY of NeW SouTh WAleS
www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au
iNTroducTioN
What an impoverished and diminished city Sydney would be without its cultural institutions, such as the Art Gallery of NSW. it is indeed hard to imagine.
The Gallery is indelibly inscribed into the history, fabric, life and imagination of the city; a notion which invites the questions of how and why? The Gallery is a matter of history; but it is equally a matter of prescient living as we evolved over 120 years or more as a barometer of evolution, development and above all of imagination and aspiration. The Gallery is a pervasive, crucial and inspirational limb of the city and the people.
Like the art we collect, interpret, display and enjoy, we offer affirmation and opportunity, comfort and challenge, inspiration and pleasure. The Gallery has shared with the people of NSW the patterns of evolution of our social and cultural lives, and that is demonstrated in the place we hold in the community today. We have grown from a place of mostly genteel passivity, as we were the late 19th century, to a place of activity and engagement. The collection itself shares that experience, as it too has evolved from one that sought largely to represent and re-affirm traditions of European art to the gregarious embrace of the collection of today, which reveals the breadth, vitality, urgencies, challenges and imaginations of contemporary life from all parts of the world. The Gallery has achieved an enviable and distinguished reputation in the international art museum world for its collection development, exhibitions, scholarship, publications and public and education programs. Yet above all it is recognised as an art museum that has achieved and maintains a strong and flourishing relationship with the public. That relationship is founded upon the quality and authenticity of our activities, which are in turn founded in the learning and scholarship that are the fundaments of our credibility.
The challenge for the Gallery in the 21st century is not merely to maintain the status quo but to ensure our pertinence and value to the community in the succeeding decades. The Gallery is by its very nature an institution of evolution but maintaining presence, pace and validity can no longer be achieved in an attitude of incremental evolution. our future must be more boldly and positively gained.
This corporate Plan sets out our vision for the future, and the priorities and strategies that will guide our activities over the coming years.
Edmund capondirector
contents 01 Who We ARe 02 STRATeGic DiRecTioNS03 PRioRiTieS & STRATeGieS 2010-1504 lookiNG AheAD To 201505 hiGhliGhT ouTcomeS bY 2015
‘As a museum of art we must be a place of experience and inspiration’
NoTe: images and captions are indicative only. final image selectionto be made following approval of text
cover: Zhang Xiaogang The boy who sticks out his tongue 2001. Purchased 2002 © Zhang Xiaogang
left: Anslem kiefer Women of antiquity (hypatia & candida) 2002. Purchased 2005© Anslem kiefer
iNTroducTioN
What an impoverished and diminished city Sydney would be without its cultural institutions, such as the Art Gallery of NSW. it is indeed hard to imagine.
The Gallery is indelibly inscribed into the history, fabric, life and imagination of the city; a notion which invites the questions of how and why? The Gallery is a matter of history; but it is equally a matter of prescient living as we evolved over 120 years or more as a barometer of evolution, development and above all of imagination and aspiration. The Gallery is a pervasive, crucial and inspirational limb of the city and the people.
Like the art we collect, interpret, display and enjoy, we offer affirmation and opportunity, comfort and challenge, inspiration and pleasure. The Gallery has shared with the people of NSW the patterns of evolution of our social and cultural lives, and that is demonstrated in the place we hold in the community today. We have grown from a place of mostly genteel passivity, as we were the late 19th century, to a place of activity and engagement. The collection itself shares that experience, as it too has evolved from one that sought largely to represent and re-affirm traditions of European art to the gregarious embrace of the collection of today, which reveals the breadth, vitality, urgencies, challenges and imaginations of contemporary life from all parts of the world. The Gallery has achieved an enviable and distinguished reputation in the international art museum world for its collection development, exhibitions, scholarship, publications and public and education programs. Yet above all it is recognised as an art museum that has achieved and maintains a strong and flourishing relationship with the public. That relationship is founded upon the quality and authenticity of our activities, which are in turn founded in the learning and scholarship that are the fundaments of our credibility.
The challenge for the Gallery in the 21st century is not merely to maintain the status quo but to ensure our pertinence and value to the community in the succeeding decades. The Gallery is by its very nature an institution of evolution but maintaining presence, pace and validity can no longer be achieved in an attitude of incremental evolution. our future must be more boldly and positively gained.
This corporate Plan sets out our vision for the future, and the priorities and strategies that will guide our activities over the coming years.
Edmund capondirector
contents 01 Who We ARe 02 STRATeGic DiRecTioNS03 PRioRiTieS & STRATeGieS 2010-1504 lookiNG AheAD To 201505 hiGhliGhT ouTcomeS bY 2015
‘As a museum of art we must be a place of experience and inspiration’
NoTe: images and captions are indicative only. final image selectionto be made following approval of text
cover: Zhang Xiaogang The boy who sticks out his tongue 2001. Purchased 2002 © Zhang Xiaogang
left: Anslem kiefer Women of antiquity (hypatia & candida) 2002. Purchased 2005© Anslem kiefer
01 Who WE ArE
The Art Gallery of NSW is one of Australia’s most vibrant and distinguished art museums, and a vital part of the state’s and the nation’s cultural life. Since the Gallery’s genesis in the 1870s, our central and enduring purpose has been to collect, care for and present to the public ‘the finest works of art available’*. Now, over 130 years on, we house the single most encyclopaedic collection of art in Australia and this core purpose as expressed in the Gallery’s founding legislation remains as our guiding charter, despite the profound changes that have occurred in our lives, and in the nature of art itself.
in today’s parlance, we are ‘a keeping place’ but we are equally a place of experience. We aim to be a place that welcomes and inspires. Through our collections, exhibitions, programs and research, we aim to extend and enrich our visitors’ emotional and intellectual engagement with art.
Put simply, the Gallery’s vision is to open people’s eyes and minds to the wonder, the richness and the sheer pleasure of art. This vision continues to guide our development and activities.
* From the Art Gallery of New South Wales Act 1980.
‘our vision is to open people’s eyes and minds to the wonder, the richness and the sheer pleasure of art.’
STRucTuRe The Art Gallery of NSW is structured around four major divisions, each responsible to a member of the executive management team. its charter and activities are driven by a Board of Trustees. The Gallery a statutory authority and is a division of communities NSW. its governing legislation is the Art Gallery of New South Wales Act 1980.
The Gallery also provides administrative support to several other entities, each with its own legal structure: the Art Gallery of NSW Foundation; VisAsia council; Brett Whiteley Foundation; and the Art Gallery Society of NSW.
Since its inception in 2003 Art After hours every Wednesday evening continues to develop and engage new Gallery audiences.
Board of trustees
deputy director
building
mechanical
off-site storage planning group
exhibition management
exhibitions registration
installation
Audio visual
Workshop and stores
Graphics and multimedia design
information and ticketing
Building and facilities management
Exhibitions Security and Gallery services
Security
Gallery services
Painting and sculpture
Prints, drawings and watercolours
Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander art
china
india
Japan
South east Asia
Pre 1900
modern and contemporary
Photography
Prints, drawings and watercolours
curator special exhibitions
Public programs
Research library and archive
Registration
conservation
Photography studio
Whiteley Studio
copyright
Australian art Asian art Western art
assistant director, curatorial
information communication technology
finance
human resources
Venue management
Gallery shop
Strategic planning
Government relations including records management
corporate secretariat and legal
assistant director, finance and resources
marketing
Tourism
media relations
director and chief curator
Executive and curatorial support
Marketing director head of business development
Benefaction manager
art Gallery of nsW foundation
Visasia council
art Gallery society of nsW
Brett Whiteley foundation
01 Who WE ArE
The Art Gallery of NSW is one of Australia’s most vibrant and distinguished art museums, and a vital part of the state’s and the nation’s cultural life. Since the Gallery’s genesis in the 1870s, our central and enduring purpose has been to collect, care for and present to the public ‘the finest works of art available’*. Now, over 130 years on, we house the single most encyclopaedic collection of art in Australia and this core purpose as expressed in the Gallery’s founding legislation remains as our guiding charter, despite the profound changes that have occurred in our lives, and in the nature of art itself.
in today’s parlance, we are ‘a keeping place’ but we are equally a place of experience. We aim to be a place that welcomes and inspires. Through our collections, exhibitions, programs and research, we aim to extend and enrich our visitors’ emotional and intellectual engagement with art.
Put simply, the Gallery’s vision is to open people’s eyes and minds to the wonder, the richness and the sheer pleasure of art. This vision continues to guide our development and activities.
* From the Art Gallery of New South Wales Act 1980.
‘our vision is to open people’s eyes and minds to the wonder, the richness and the sheer pleasure of art.’
STRucTuRe The Art Gallery of NSW is structured around four major divisions, each responsible to a member of the executive management team. its charter and activities are driven by a Board of Trustees. The Gallery a statutory authority and is a division of communities NSW. its governing legislation is the Art Gallery of New South Wales Act 1980.
The Gallery also provides administrative support to several other entities, each with its own legal structure: the Art Gallery of NSW Foundation; VisAsia council; Brett Whiteley Foundation; and the Art Gallery Society of NSW.
Since its inception in 2003 Art After hours every Wednesday evening continues to develop and engage new Gallery audiences.
Board of trustees
deputy director
building
mechanical
off-site storage planning group
exhibition management
exhibitions registration
installation
Audio visual
Workshop and stores
Graphics and multimedia design
information and ticketing
Building and facilities management
Exhibitions Security and Gallery services
Security
Gallery services
Painting and sculpture
Prints, drawings and watercolours
Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander art
china
india
Japan
South east Asia
Pre 1900
modern and contemporary
Photography
Prints, drawings and watercolours
curator special exhibitions
Public programs
Research library and archive
Registration
conservation
Photography studio
Whiteley Studio
copyright
Australian art Asian art Western art
assistant director, curatorial
information communication technology
finance
human resources
Venue management
Gallery shop
Strategic planning
Government relations including records management
corporate secretariat and legal
assistant director, finance and resources
marketing
Tourism
media relations
director and chief curator
Executive and curatorial support
Marketing director head of business development
Benefaction manager
art Gallery of nsW foundation
Visasia council
art Gallery society of nsW
Brett Whiteley foundation
STEWArdiNGAs the state’s flagship public art gallery and custodians of the state art collection, we are charged not only with stewardship of the Gallery itself but also of the artistic heritage and life of NSW. in this important area of strategic activity, we aim to nurture and develop our own our people, resources and assets. This includes providing a safe, healthy and sustainable working environment and one where our Gallery community can develop and flourish. We also embrace our responsibility to lead and support the creation, enjoyment and understanding of the visual arts across NSW. internationally, we remain tireless advocates for Australian art and artists.
coLLEcTiNGour permanent collection forms the heart and soul of the Art Gallery and is the foundation of our activities and responsibilities. We aim to strengthen and safeguard our collection through targeted acquisitions and best-practice collection management, research and conservation, while providing improved and more in-depth public access to it.
We will continue to focus on collecting the art of our time – a focus which over the coming years will reshape the collection, the visitor experience and the Galley itself, as contemporary art continues to stretch the boundaries of artistic practice. We will also continue to strengthen other collection areas through our targeted acquisitions policy, including the acquisition of iconic or master works.
integral to the collection is the knowledge and scholarship that bring meaning and relevance to the artworks themselves. Strengthening and developing the Gallery’s research activities will also remain a priority.
02 STrATEGic dirEcTioNS
The Art Gallery of NSW has built a reputation for leadership and excellence based on the quality and breadth of our collection, our exhibitions and our programs. We remain committed to the pursuit of excellence in all our activities. From a platform of secure and strong governance, sound financial base, ambitious recent achievements and record visitor numbers, our strategic directions over the next five years are focused in four broad areas of activity – sharing, engaging, stewarding and collecting.
ShAriNGone of the special qualities of the Art Gallery of NSW is the very real sense of public ownership we enjoy. central to that quality of public ownership is a culture of two-way access between Gallery and community that has built over many years and remains ever more important today. Providing access to our collections, our resources and our expertise is an area of tremendous activity, growth and change. We aim to increase and improve access through exhibitions, publishing, programs and partnerships, and through the effective use of new technologies.
our wide-ranging and innovative exhibitions program brings together works from our own collection with significant works from collections around the world to share the very best of Australian and international art with our visitors. Through our equally diverse and innovative array of programs and partnerships – including education and public programs, publishing, outreach, loans, internships, mentorships, membership and research – we share our collection, our expertise and our resources with an increasingly diverse audience, both public and professional. A particular focus too is developing and extending collaborations and affiliations internationally, to strengthen our place within the global arts community. Through our sponsorship, benefactor and volunteer programs, we invite and encourage the community to contribute to the Gallery and share in the development of our collection and our passion and commitment to the visual arts.
ENGAGiNGWe are committed to exploring new and better ways of engaging our audiences. Through excellence, continued research and innovation, we aim to create exhibitions and programs that are meaningful, relevant, inclusive and inspiring.
As a museum of art, we are first and foremost are a place to experience and engage with the visual arts, but the nature of that engagement is constantly evolving. one of great challenges facing us over the coming decades will be to become a place of even more active and multi-layered engagement with art. in recent years, lectures, tours, performances, films, programs, technologies and community events have brought new life to the Gallery and new forms of visitor participation and interaction. Further extending and deepening visitor engagement and participation will remain a high priority, particularly as developing technologies continue to open up even greater possibilities.
‘i have visited Australia every year for 12 years. The NSW Art Gallery is the most interesting, stimulating and relaxing place in all Australia. i love it.’ Gallery visitor
above from left: Sidney Nolan’s First-class marksman 1946, purchased for the people of NSW in march 2010 with funds provided by the Gleeson-o’keefe foundation.
Tots and Signing Art gallery tours – extending access and deepening engagement with the gallery and its collections.
Artist Tatzu Nishi with his ‘Drawing for Peace’. Tatzu Nishi’s installation War and Peace, which enclosed the two Gilbert bayes sculptures,was a highlight of the Gallery’s celebration 40 years of kaldor Public Art Projects, held at the Gallery from october 2009 – february 2010.
Sam leach winning the Archibald Prize 2010. Australia’s richest art prize, the Archibald supports both practising artists and the Gallery’s exhibitions program.
Niningka lewis Tjanpi truckpa 2007, purchased with funds provided by the Aboriginal collection benefactors Group, one of the many dedicated and committed groups supporting the Gallery and its collection.
right: The publishing program extends access to the Gallery’s collections and research nationally and internationally. Paths to abstraction, opening in June 2010, is one of the most ambitious exhibitions ever staged by the Gallery, and will be accompanied by a landmark publication.
STEWArdiNGAs the state’s flagship public art gallery and custodians of the state art collection, we are charged not only with stewardship of the Gallery itself but also of the artistic heritage and life of NSW. in this important area of strategic activity, we aim to nurture and develop our own our people, resources and assets. This includes providing a safe, healthy and sustainable working environment and one where our Gallery community can develop and flourish. We also embrace our responsibility to lead and support the creation, enjoyment and understanding of the visual arts across NSW. internationally, we remain tireless advocates for Australian art and artists.
coLLEcTiNGour permanent collection forms the heart and soul of the Art Gallery and is the foundation of our activities and responsibilities. We aim to strengthen and safeguard our collection through targeted acquisitions and best-practice collection management, research and conservation, while providing improved and more in-depth public access to it.
We will continue to focus on collecting the art of our time – a focus which over the coming years will reshape the collection, the visitor experience and the Galley itself, as contemporary art continues to stretch the boundaries of artistic practice. We will also continue to strengthen other collection areas through our targeted acquisitions policy, including the acquisition of iconic or master works.
integral to the collection is the knowledge and scholarship that bring meaning and relevance to the artworks themselves. Strengthening and developing the Gallery’s research activities will also remain a priority.
02 STrATEGic dirEcTioNS
The Art Gallery of NSW has built a reputation for leadership and excellence based on the quality and breadth of our collection, our exhibitions and our programs. We remain committed to the pursuit of excellence in all our activities. From a platform of secure and strong governance, sound financial base, ambitious recent achievements and record visitor numbers, our strategic directions over the next five years are focused in four broad areas of activity – sharing, engaging, stewarding and collecting.
ShAriNGone of the special qualities of the Art Gallery of NSW is the very real sense of public ownership we enjoy. central to that quality of public ownership is a culture of two-way access between Gallery and community that has built over many years and remains ever more important today. Providing access to our collections, our resources and our expertise is an area of tremendous activity, growth and change. We aim to increase and improve access through exhibitions, publishing, programs and partnerships, and through the effective use of new technologies.
our wide-ranging and innovative exhibitions program brings together works from our own collection with significant works from collections around the world to share the very best of Australian and international art with our visitors. Through our equally diverse and innovative array of programs and partnerships – including education and public programs, publishing, outreach, loans, internships, mentorships, membership and research – we share our collection, our expertise and our resources with an increasingly diverse audience, both public and professional. A particular focus too is developing and extending collaborations and affiliations internationally, to strengthen our place within the global arts community. Through our sponsorship, benefactor and volunteer programs, we invite and encourage the community to contribute to the Gallery and share in the development of our collection and our passion and commitment to the visual arts.
ENGAGiNGWe are committed to exploring new and better ways of engaging our audiences. Through excellence, continued research and innovation, we aim to create exhibitions and programs that are meaningful, relevant, inclusive and inspiring.
As a museum of art, we are first and foremost are a place to experience and engage with the visual arts, but the nature of that engagement is constantly evolving. one of great challenges facing us over the coming decades will be to become a place of even more active and multi-layered engagement with art. in recent years, lectures, tours, performances, films, programs, technologies and community events have brought new life to the Gallery and new forms of visitor participation and interaction. Further extending and deepening visitor engagement and participation will remain a high priority, particularly as developing technologies continue to open up even greater possibilities.
‘i have visited Australia every year for 12 years. The NSW Art Gallery is the most interesting, stimulating and relaxing place in all Australia. i love it.’ Gallery visitor
above from left: Sidney Nolan’s First-class marksman 1946, purchased for the people of NSW in march 2010 with funds provided by the Gleeson-o’keefe foundation.
Tots and Signing Art gallery tours – extending access and deepening engagement with the gallery and its collections.
Artist Tatzu Nishi with his ‘Drawing for Peace’. Tatzu Nishi’s installation War and Peace, which enclosed the two Gilbert bayes sculptures,was a highlight of the Gallery’s celebration 40 years of kaldor Public Art Projects, held at the Gallery from october 2009 – february 2010.
Sam leach winning the Archibald Prize 2010. Australia’s richest art prize, the Archibald supports both practising artists and the Gallery’s exhibitions program.
Niningka lewis Tjanpi truckpa 2007, purchased with funds provided by the Aboriginal collection benefactors Group, one of the many dedicated and committed groups supporting the Gallery and its collection.
right: The publishing program extends access to the Gallery’s collections and research nationally and internationally. Paths to abstraction, opening in June 2010, is one of the most ambitious exhibitions ever staged by the Gallery, and will be accompanied by a landmark publication.
PRioRiTieS STRATeGieS
1. ShAriNGto continue to improve access to our collections, our resources and our expertise through exhibitions, publishing, programs, new technologies and partnerships
2. ENGAGiNGto continue finding new and better ways of engaging audiences with the visual arts
3. STEWArdiNGto nurture and develop the Gallery’s people, resources and assets, and as well as the artistic heritage and life of NSW
4. coLLEcTiNGto strengthen and safeguard our collection through targeted acquisitions and best-practice collection management, research and conservation:
• develop and present a stimulating, innovative and commercially sustainable exhibition program while maintaining free daily public access to the Gallery.
• develop and present public and educational programs of the highest quality that extend existing audiences and build new audiences, particularly in under-represented groups.
• Extend the range and quality of our online presence and technology resources to improve access to the Gallery’s collections and programs
• continue to strengthen our publishing program, for both Australian and international markets.
• Nurture and develop a range of partnerships, within regional NSW, across Australia and internationally.
• Through research and innovation, continue finding new and better ways to extend and deepen understanding and enjoyment of the visual arts.
• Strengthen audience participation and satisfaction in our programs, and improve our methods of gathering and utilising audience feedback.
• continue to reach for new standards of excellence across the full range of our activities.
• Through effective forward planning, ensure the Gallery remains viable and relevant.
• Strengthen participation in special programs for members and benefactor groups to acknowledge their continuing loyalty to and support of the gallery, and to further extend their engagement with the arts.
• Encourage and support staff development to maximise the talents, skills and scholarship of our employees and to acknowledge the valuable contribution of our volunteers.
• Support the arts community and industry in local, state, national and international arenas
• continue best-practice financial and operational management to ensure efficient, safe and healthy operation of the Gallery.
• complete a masterplan to document a long-term vision for the Gallery’s site and facilities (10-20+ years) and implement short-term solutions to our building’s capacity limits (now -10 years)
• Focus efforts to achieve a sustainable environmental footprint and responsible waste management.
• continue to strengthen and consolidate our collection through a targeted and focused acquisitions program, including the acquisition of iconic or master works.
• Grow the dedicated funding sources which enable collection acquisitions.
• Through continued research and development of new technologies, implement best-practice collection management systems to ensure access to and security of our collections
• implement best-practice conservation to ensure efficient and long-term care of the collection.
• continue to strengthen our knowledge base through scholarship and research to ensure the continuing relevance and meaning of our collection, and its contribution to the cultural wealth and heritage of the NSW.
03PrioriTiES & STrATEGiES 2010–15
The refurbished Grand courts reopened to the public in September 2009.
PRioRiTieS STRATeGieS
1. ShAriNGto continue to improve access to our collections, our resources and our expertise through exhibitions, publishing, programs, new technologies and partnerships
2. ENGAGiNGto continue finding new and better ways of engaging audiences with the visual arts
3. STEWArdiNGto nurture and develop the Gallery’s people, resources and assets, and as well as the artistic heritage and life of NSW
4. coLLEcTiNGto strengthen and safeguard our collection through targeted acquisitions and best-practice collection management, research and conservation:
• develop and present a stimulating, innovative and commercially sustainable exhibition program while maintaining free daily public access to the Gallery.
• develop and present public and educational programs of the highest quality that extend existing audiences and build new audiences, particularly in under-represented groups.
• Extend the range and quality of our online presence and technology resources to improve access to the Gallery’s collections and programs
• continue to strengthen our publishing program, for both Australian and international markets.
• Nurture and develop a range of partnerships, within regional NSW, across Australia and internationally.
• Through research and innovation, continue finding new and better ways to extend and deepen understanding and enjoyment of the visual arts.
• Strengthen audience participation and satisfaction in our programs, and improve our methods of gathering and utilising audience feedback.
• continue to reach for new standards of excellence across the full range of our activities.
• Through effective forward planning, ensure the Gallery remains viable and relevant.
• Strengthen participation in special programs for members and benefactor groups to acknowledge their continuing loyalty to and support of the gallery, and to further extend their engagement with the arts.
• Encourage and support staff development to maximise the talents, skills and scholarship of our employees and to acknowledge the valuable contribution of our volunteers.
• Support the arts community and industry in local, state, national and international arenas
• continue best-practice financial and operational management to ensure efficient, safe and healthy operation of the Gallery.
• complete a masterplan to document a long-term vision for the Gallery’s site and facilities (10-20+ years) and implement short-term solutions to our building’s capacity limits (now -10 years)
• Focus efforts to achieve a sustainable environmental footprint and responsible waste management.
• continue to strengthen and consolidate our collection through a targeted and focused acquisitions program, including the acquisition of iconic or master works.
• Grow the dedicated funding sources which enable collection acquisitions.
• Through continued research and development of new technologies, implement best-practice collection management systems to ensure access to and security of our collections
• implement best-practice conservation to ensure efficient and long-term care of the collection.
• continue to strengthen our knowledge base through scholarship and research to ensure the continuing relevance and meaning of our collection, and its contribution to the cultural wealth and heritage of the NSW.
03PrioriTiES & STrATEGiES 2010–15
The refurbished Grand courts reopened to the public in September 2009.
There is no question that we are facing a period of rapid and at times unpredictable change, within the arts and more generally. We are, and have always been, a living museum, responsive to and embedded in the spirit and energy of the day. in the 21st century, this will mean a strong emphasis on continued research and an increasing use of innovative technologies. By 2015, with the successful implementation of targets and outcomes across our four areas of priority, we will have shared our collections, expertise and resources, engaged with and inspired an increasingly broad and diverse community, strengthened the viability of our institution through sound governance, and significantly enhanced our permanent collections for generations to come. our exhibition capacity will be
improved and extended with the new John Kaldor Family collection Space open and a significant suite of essential maintenance and upgrade work throughout the Gallery complete. We will be in a position of both clarity and optimism for the period ahead. Even so, the future will be as challenging as it is exciting, but we will be well placed to embrace that future.
04 LooKiNG AhEAd To 2015 05hiGhLiGhT ouTcoMES BY 2015
‘We are, and have always been, a living museum, responsive and integral to the spirit and the energy of the day.’ edmund capon
ShAriNG• The Gallery will have presented a summer masterpiece exhibition each year and our
extensive exhibition program will have also delivered over 100 new shows, bringing to the community the finest art from our collection, from within Australia and from around the world. over 80 of our shows will have been free admission.
• over 40 books about our collections, our exhibitions and the visual arts will have been published by the Gallery with many titles selling internationally; we will also have developed a strong on-line presence through use of digital and other new technologies, providing further free public access to our resources.
• our schools programs will be a key resource in meeting core curriculum requirements for visual arts education in NSW with over 500 000 primary, secondary and tertiary students having visited the Gallery.
ENGAGiNG• The Gallery will have attracted a total audience in excess of 6.5 million with over 80%
of visitors rating their experience as ‘excellent’.
• We will have toured art exhibitions across regional NSW, which will have been enjoyed by over 200 000 people, while over 1000 works from our collection will have been lent to museums around NSW, across Australia and to arts institutions internationally.
• More that 750 000 people will have participated in our public programs, including programs for children and families, films, concerts, holiday programs, symposiums, lectures and community open weekends, with opportunities for life-long learning offered as a core program outcome.
STEWArdiNG• The financial viability of our Gallery will have been strengthened through best-practice
financial management, which will have grown our assets in value to over $1.1 billion.
• capacity limits of our current facilities will have had practical and affordable short-term solutions implemented resulting in improved operational efficiencies.
• our building will meet international museums standards for the optimum presentation and preservation of art; and we will have an accessible front entrance and a specialist education entrance.
• our staff will have been trained and supported to enhance delivery of all our services; our environmental footprint will be contained; our zero serious injury safety record will be intact.
coLLEcTiNG• Through the funding support of the Art Gallery of NSW Foundation, Art Gallery Society
of NSW and individual donors, an iconic masterwork will have been acquired every year.
• We will have enhanced our permanent collection with the addition of over 1500 objects valued in excess of $50 million; many collection areas will have had works directly supported by collection benefactor groups.
• With the addition of the John Kaldor Family collection and gallery, we will offer the most comprehensive display of international contemporary art (post 1960) in Australia; 100% of our collection will be searchable on-line with direct access from our website.
left: british artists Gilbert and George at the Gallery in february 2010 to celebrate the closing of the exhibition 40 years: Kaldor public art projects.
above: The Luminous Lord of Infinite Compassion c13th century: exemplary for its technique, aesthetic quality and subject, this beautiful and elegant sculpture of Avalokiteshvara, the most revered bodhisattva in the buddhist pantheon, is the most recent masterpiece to join our collection, again its purchase funded by Gallery supporters and benefactors.
Education programs: a new school’s entrance planned for 2012 will enhance the logistics and effectiveness of our schools programs, and enable us to increase the number of student groups able to visit the Gallery from 90 000 per year to 120 000.
There is no question that we are facing a period of rapid and at times unpredictable change, within the arts and more generally. We are, and have always been, a living museum, responsive to and embedded in the spirit and energy of the day. in the 21st century, this will mean a strong emphasis on continued research and an increasing use of innovative technologies. By 2015, with the successful implementation of targets and outcomes across our four areas of priority, we will have shared our collections, expertise and resources, engaged with and inspired an increasingly broad and diverse community, strengthened the viability of our institution through sound governance, and significantly enhanced our permanent collections for generations to come. our exhibition capacity will be
improved and extended with the new John Kaldor Family collection Space open and a significant suite of essential maintenance and upgrade work throughout the Gallery complete. We will be in a position of both clarity and optimism for the period ahead. Even so, the future will be as challenging as it is exciting, but we will be well placed to embrace that future.
04 LooKiNG AhEAd To 2015 05hiGhLiGhT ouTcoMES BY 2015
‘We are, and have always been, a living museum, responsive and integral to the spirit and the energy of the day.’ edmund capon
ShAriNG• The Gallery will have presented a summer masterpiece exhibition each year and our
extensive exhibition program will have also delivered over 100 new shows, bringing to the community the finest art from our collection, from within Australia and from around the world. over 80 of our shows will have been free admission.
• over 40 books about our collections, our exhibitions and the visual arts will have been published by the Gallery with many titles selling internationally; we will also have developed a strong on-line presence through use of digital and other new technologies, providing further free public access to our resources.
• our schools programs will be a key resource in meeting core curriculum requirements for visual arts education in NSW with over 500 000 primary, secondary and tertiary students having visited the Gallery.
ENGAGiNG• The Gallery will have attracted a total audience in excess of 6.5 million with over 80%
of visitors rating their experience as ‘excellent’.
• We will have toured art exhibitions across regional NSW, which will have been enjoyed by over 200 000 people, while over 1000 works from our collection will have been lent to museums around NSW, across Australia and to arts institutions internationally.
• More that 750 000 people will have participated in our public programs, including programs for children and families, films, concerts, holiday programs, symposiums, lectures and community open weekends, with opportunities for life-long learning offered as a core program outcome.
STEWArdiNG• The financial viability of our Gallery will have been strengthened through best-practice
financial management, which will have grown our assets in value to over $1.1 billion.
• capacity limits of our current facilities will have had practical and affordable short-term solutions implemented resulting in improved operational efficiencies.
• our building will meet international museums standards for the optimum presentation and preservation of art; and we will have an accessible front entrance and a specialist education entrance.
• our staff will have been trained and supported to enhance delivery of all our services; our environmental footprint will be contained; our zero serious injury safety record will be intact.
coLLEcTiNG• Through the funding support of the Art Gallery of NSW Foundation, Art Gallery Society
of NSW and individual donors, an iconic masterwork will have been acquired every year.
• We will have enhanced our permanent collection with the addition of over 1500 objects valued in excess of $50 million; many collection areas will have had works directly supported by collection benefactor groups.
• With the addition of the John Kaldor Family collection and gallery, we will offer the most comprehensive display of international contemporary art (post 1960) in Australia; 100% of our collection will be searchable on-line with direct access from our website.
left: british artists Gilbert and George at the Gallery in february 2010 to celebrate the closing of the exhibition 40 years: Kaldor public art projects.
above: The Luminous Lord of Infinite Compassion c13th century: exemplary for its technique, aesthetic quality and subject, this beautiful and elegant sculpture of Avalokiteshvara, the most revered bodhisattva in the buddhist pantheon, is the most recent masterpiece to join our collection, again its purchase funded by Gallery supporters and benefactors.
Education programs: a new school’s entrance planned for 2012 will enhance the logistics and effectiveness of our schools programs, and enable us to increase the number of student groups able to visit the Gallery from 90 000 per year to 120 000.
The Art Gallery of NSW is one of Australia’s most popular art museums and a vital part of the nation’s cultural life. Through our collections, exhibitions, programs and research, we aim to extend and enrich our visitors’ emotional and intellectual engagement with art.
Art Gallery of NSW Art Gallery Road The Domain NSW 2000
Phone: +61 2 9225 1700TTY: +61 2 9225 1808Recorded ‘What’s on’ information +61 2 9225 1790www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au
© 2010 Art Gallery of NSW
corporate plan 2010 –15
ART GAlleRY of NeW SouTh WAleS
www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au