Queensland Art Gallery Annual Report 1994-95

DIRECTOR'S REPORT The year 1995 marks 100 years since the Queensland Art Gallery opened. This centenary year provides an opportunity to examine the Gallery's current place in Queensland's cultural life and to build on this vitality towards and beyond the year 2000. The Gallery currently enjoys a record of unmatched acquisition activity, avital collection-based, national, international and regional exhibitions program, active interpretive public programs and of outstanding government, corporate and community support. The Gallery's achievements since 1987 have occurred under the Chairmanship of Mr Richard Austin, QBE, who retired during the year. As Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Mr Austin provided invaluable guidance during a period of considerable development and played a key role in the Gallery's policy focus towards Asia. This has been articulated by the establishment of the Queensland Art Gallery Exhibitions Development Fund, the Asia-Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art, the ARCO Gallery of Asian Art, and The Kenneth and Yasuko Myer Collection of Contemporary Asian Art. While paying tribute to Mr Austin's contribution, the Gallery welcomes the appointment of Mr G.H. (Ted) Edwards as incoming Chairman of Trustees. Victoria, Melbourne, illustrated the Gallery's commitment to initiating and organising exhibitions of curatorial significance and wide audience appeal. The exhibition, its catalogue and conference attracted unprecedented national critical acclaim. Building on the Gallery's longstanding relationship with France, which began with the organising of 'Masterpieces from the Louvre: French Bronzes and Paintings from the Renaissance to Rodin' in 1988 and 'Toulouse-Lautrec: Prints and Posters from the Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris' in 1991, the exhibition was included in the Cultural Agreement between France and Australia in recognition of its importance. The Gallery is grateful to the French cultural authorities and museums and to the Matisse family for their assistance with the project. Publications produced by the Gallery to complement the 'Renoir . . .' exhibition won several printing industry awards, including agold medal and the Judge's Choice Award for Excellence (Queensland) in the 1994 Queensland Printing Industry Craftsmanship Awards (PICA), and the Silver Medal for Case Bound Books (Australia) in the 1995 Printing Industry (Twelfth) National Print Awards. Mr Edwards has a longstanding interest in the Continuing its commitment to presenting the art of Gallery. His association with corporate, private and important Queensland artists, the Gallery initiated government sectors and his interests in Asia will and organised the exhibition 'Fairweather', which assist the Gallery in its future strategic directions. travelled to the National Gallery of Victoria and the Art Gallery of New South Wales after its Brisbane Of the exhibitions presented during the year, sixteen premiere. This highly acclaimed exhibition reaffirmed were initiated by the Gallery, eleven focused on the Ian Fairweather's place in twentieth-century Gallery's Collection and ten featured the work of Australian art. Queensland artists. There were three international exhibitions, including 'Renoir: Master Impressionist', organised by Art Exhibitions Australia Limited in association with the Gallery, and 'Matisse', curated by the Gallery and organised in association with Art Exhibitions Australia Limited. 'Matisse' was the international highlight of the Gallery's centenary program and its opening on 29 March was the anniversary of the opening of the Queensland National Art Gallery in 1895. The exhibition, which travelled to the National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, and the National Gallery of Reflecting the expansion of and emphasis placed on the Gallery's Asian and indigenous art holdings, the position of Curator of Asian Art has been created but not yet filled, and a Curator of Indigenous Australian Art has been appointed. To mark the twentieth anniversary of International Women's Year, the Gallery curated the exhibition 'Out of the Void: Mad and BadWomen. Art from the Collection of the Queensland Art Gallery', which began a regional Queensland tour after its Brisbane showing. The accessibility of the Gallery'sCollection