Manly Art Gallery and Museum (MAGAM) is throwing open the doors to its extensive permanent collection in two diverse exhibitions which will include some works on public display for the first time.
Mayor Michael Regan said the exhibitions coming before the Gallery’s 90th anniversary next year will provide a great insight into the workings of a major public art gallery and the composition of its permanent collection.
“MAGAM is a landmark institution on the Northern Beaches cultural landscape, and we are very proud to see works from the Gallery’s permanent collection on display for the public to enjoy,” he said.
The two exhibitions Recent Acquisitions and Artists Abroad will commence on Friday 28 June.
Recent Acquisitions highlights selected works from the collection acquired over the past ten years.
Senior Curator Katherine Roberts said the exhibition will emphasise the scale and scope of the permanent collection.
“Each work has a unique story about how and why it was acquired,” said Ms Roberts.
The second exhibition, Artists Abroad explores the notion of European travel by Australian artists over the past century.
“Both exhibitions aim to be a fascinating and informative and have been designed to give visitors an excellent understanding of our collection history and how it came together.”
“In our Recent Acquisitions exhibition, much of this is told through the words of the curators, artists, donors and subjects, making it a very enjoyable experience of our collection over the past 10 years.
Ms Roberts said curated collection exhibitions such as Artists Abroad provide a new context in which works can be shown.
“Like woven fabric, these works together tell a larger story and paint a larger picture about the lives of artists and the world beyond these shores. They are historical and personal at the same time, objective and subjective.”
From plein air sketches and watercolours to large-scale oil paintings, works in Artists Abroad include those by Will Ashton, Theo Batten, Charles Bryant, Theodore Penleigh Boyd, Rupert Bunny, Ethel Carrick-Fox, to name a few.
Featured works in Recent Acquisitions are by artists Herbert Badham, Grace Cossington Smith, Elisabeth Cummings, Joshua Yeldham, Hobie Porter, Salvatore Zofrea, Barbara Campbell-Allen, Daniel Mellor, Anne Zahalka, Bill Leak, Euan Macleod and Luke Sciberras.
- Exhibition dates: 28 June – 21 July 2019
- Exhibition opening: Fri 28 June, 6 – 8pm by Paul Brinkman, President, Regional Public Galleries NSW and Director of Blue Mountains Cultural Centre
Media Enquiries: media@northernbeaches.nsw.gov.au 9942 2678