Senator the Hon Helen Coonan
Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts
National Gallery of Australia Foundation Dinner
Canberra
30 November 2005
Introduction
Thank you Tony [Berg – Chair of the National Gallery Foundation Board]
To Virginia Henderson I honour your contribution. Thank you. It is wonderful to be here to recognise you.
I would also like to honour all the curators here this evening. They are often the unsung heroes of a gallery.
It is wonderful to be here this evening.
The National Gallery of Australia is so much more than an Art gallery. This important institution in many ways helps us to understand who we are as a nation, culturally and historically.
In 23 years the National Gallery has become a truly national gallery, committed to the idea that all Australians should have access to a collection echoing our national and international cultural aspirations.
As an aside, you will all be interested to know that when I am in Canberra in my Parliament House office I feel particularly close to the Gallery – not just because of its proximity to Parliament House, but because one of the wonderful paintings I have in my office from the Artbank collection is a whimsical piece by Stephen Bush called “Babar looking at the NGA.”
Importance of Arts
I am sure you will agree with me about the importance and need to incorporate the arts in our daily lives.
Our culture and the Arts provide the framework for everything we do. All government policy settings and community responses have our underlying values as a reference point.
Our culture and values tell us what sort of society we aspire to be and help us I think to respond to major issues of importance.
Enabling an understanding of ourselves, our communities, our nation and indeed the globe is a central task of the Arts and our cultural institutions.
The Arts help us to establish and express our cultural identity as a nation. They reveal our cultural heart, peeling away the layers of our society and can allow us to understand and relate to our work, our leisure, our community more broadly. The arts can offer new perspectives, challenge our assumptions, make us think about things bigger than we are individually.
And the Government is aware of the contribution artists make to improving Australia and how we are seen internationally. We will continue to ensure that the arts and creative industries can not only pursue their own goals but also contribute to our national objectives.
Because, we do not live in an economy alone. All of us want to live and participate in society and the arts are a great enabler.
What has Government done?
Given my passion for the arts I am proud to say that the Howard Government has been mindful of the cultural sector.
Since 1996, the Government has provided $3.8 billion to the Arts. This financial year, the Government will provide just short of $517 million.
Here in Canberra there are a number of federally funded national institutions, such as the National Museum, the National Library, the War Memorial Museum, the National Portrait Gallery, the National Science and Technology Centre and, of course, the National Gallery.
Very soon a brand new home for the National Portrait Gallery will grace the shores of Lake Burley Griffin. A new home points to a promising long term future for the National Portrait Gallery and it is a proud legacy to the regard that we have for our national, cultural institutions.
NGA Foundation
I am sure that we would all agree that like the Portrait Gallery, the National Gallery is still, relatively speaking, a young institution - particularly when compared to many equivalent institutions around the world.
In two years time the National Gallery will be celebrating a very auspicious birthday - only its 25 th anniversary. This is a significant milestone! And a key contributor in developing the Gallery as it moves toward and beyond this important landmark will be the NGA Foundation.
I know that the Foundation Board has provided enormous support to the Gallery over recent years. The Board and its members actively engage in a range of activities within and outside the Gallery. Foundation Directors are generous in hosting functions that provide an opportunity for the gallery to promote its activities and future plans.
And I know that members of the Foundation and its supporters also contribute substantially and personally to these efforts.
The Foundation’s success to date reflects a proud record. In March 2000, the Foundation launched a campaign to raise funds to purchase major new acquisitions for the gallery. By 2004, contributions of cash and artwork flowing from the Foundation’s capital campaign have totalled over $11.5 million and have included major purchases such as Lucian Freud’s After Cezanne.
I am sure you have many plans for the future that will continue to support the Gallery. Clearly, the Government has an important role to play – but the Foundation has a crucial role in the ongoing success of the Gallery and the Government recognises this and thanks you.
Foundation focus
I understand that a key area of focus for the Foundation has been to develop the existing collection within the Gallery across four key areas - Australian Art, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art, International Art and, of course, Asian Art.
At no time is the commitment to these areas more important.
The continued future and vigour of the Gallery will be achieved through thoughtful and strategic acquisitions and this focus obviously fits neatly with the emerging vision of the Director of the Gallery, Ron Radford.
Ron Radford
Upon taking up his role as Director of the National Gallery, Ron was requested by the Gallery’s Council to prepare a vision statement. I am sure Ron is far more able to describe his vision than I am, but Ron’s vision addresses two key concerns:
refocusing on the collection and acquisition strategy; and
an improved National Gallery building.
I know that Ron has ambitious plans for the future of the Gallery and his vision and commitment will see the NGA thrive and prosper. I sincerely hope to be able to work with Ron and the Foundation to ensure that his full vision can be realised, securing the Gallery’s future as having the pre-eminent national collection and a place visitors can continue to enjoy and be proud of.
I have discussed with Ron and with the architect Andrew Andersen the planned enhancements to the building and I think they are fabulous.
As Sir Winston Churchill said:
“We shape our buildings; thereafter they shape us.”
But having a fabulous plan does not automatically translate to a substantial government commitment – which this requires. It will be important for the Foundation and the Gallery to generate support for this wonderful plan whether in its concept or also financial support. I can assure you that my office and I will do our best to ensure the proposal gets a positive hearing within the Budget process.
As for refocusing on the collection and the acquisition strategy, I am delighted to see Ron’s determination to concentrate on giving the art of Australia and our Asia Pacific region more prominence.
The Gallery has a wonderful collection of Indigenous art from this country. As a newspaper article noted yesterday, Aboriginal art is the face of Australia. However, at the moment, there is no cohesive, or sequential set of galleries in which to display this collection.
Ron’s vision will ensure the collection is displayed in a dramatic fashion and in a manner that maintains its cultural and artistic integrity. The building will continue to complement the national and international responsibilities of the Gallery.
Ron has brought enthusiasm and a bold vision to the Gallery at a time when it needs to look forward to the next 25 or even 50 years and to cement its place in the Australian psyche as a cultural institution of importance.
Partnership with the private sector
Whilst government support and a bold vision are important to the long term success of a national gallery, as you all know, the support of the private sector is essential.
Alcoa donation
In fact, this year the Gallery was in receipt of a significant donation from Alcoa Australia.
Alcoa Australia has a long and distinguished tradition of support for the arts. Alcoa has previously made donations to the National Gallery of Victoria and the National Portrait Gallery.
In September Alcoa donated several important Australian works to the National Gallery. They include two works by Ray Crooke [Landscape with rocks in the foreground, and Anthill country, Laura] Ferns and flowers by the previously unrepresented senior Australian artist Robert Juniper, works by the major Australian artists Jeffery Smart [Waiting for the train and Playground at Piraeus [pr Pi – ray – us]] and [Landscape] by Fred Williams.
These gifts were made under the Cultural Gifts Program. I think his is an absolutely superb way of being a good corporate citizen.
Conclusion
The Howard Government firmly believes that our galleries, libraries, museums, theatres and orchestras are part of our cultural inheritance and every bit as vital to the life of the nation as ports, roads and hospitals – traditional institutions and necessary parts of the civic fabric.
The National Gallery of Australia’s Foundation Board has led by example in its passion for art, its financial commitment and its enthusiasm in artistic and cultural excellence.
Your leadership and your commitment to Australia’s cultural identity has allowed the Gallery to more than fulfil its early promise.
Everyone here this evening has helped to give this Gallery its stature and I hope your passion for this truly wonderful institution will continue in the years to come.
With your ongoing commitment and enthusiasm, the National Gallery will continue to play an important role in all our lives. And I am sure you will agree with me that there are few things that are so satisfying or long lasting.
The Gallery will go on long after we are gone, but it is the efforts of everyone here that will help make it a truly fabulous legacy and centre of cultural endeavour for future generations.
Thank you.