Queensland Art Gallery Annual Report 1994-95

INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS Generous sponsorship for the exhibition was provided nationally by Network Ten, Singapore Airlines, Ansett Australia, ITT Sheraton Hotel and Resorts, Triple M Network and Myer Grace Bros, and in Queensland by The Courier-Mail and The Sunday Mail. National media sponsors Network Ten and Triple M Network provided outstanding advertising support of the exhibition , which particularly targeted the younger age groups. These sponsors, together with The Courier-Mail, widely promoted a Matisse design competition for secondary and tertiary design students, which was also assisted by Ansett Australia and ITT Sheraton Hotels and Resorts, who provided accommodation and air fares to Melbourne for the major winner. Singapore Airlines, the Sheraton Brisbane Hotel and Towers and The Sunday Mail conducted a major competition, with winners flying to Paris. Myer presented striking window displays on the Queen Street Mall and in-store displays, and Ansett Australia conducted travel packages to the exhibition. 'Renoir: Master Impressionist', organised by Art Exhibitions Australia Limited in association with the Gallery, was the first exhibition of Renoir's work mounted in Australia and attracted attendances of I02 000. Bringing together fifty-one paintings and Loans were obtained from a number of important institutions around the world, including The National Gallery, the Courtauld Institute Galleries and the Tate Gallery in London; the Musee de l'Orangerie and the Musee d'Orsay in Paris; The National Museum of Western Art in Tokyo; the Fundaci6n Colecci6n Thyssen-Bornemisza, Madrid; and, in the United States, the Baltimore Museum of Art, The Brooklyn Museum, the J. Paul Getty Museum, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, the National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, and the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The Gallery was also fortunate in securing the services of Renoir scholars Ms Kathleen Adler and Dr Anthea Callen, both art historians of international standing, to contribute to the exhibition's scholarly catalogue. Designed and produced by the Gallery, it explored a number of themes relevant to Renoir's career and published new research undertaken by Dr House on the exhibited works. Dr House, Ms Adler and Dr Callen, with Dr Roger Benjamin of the University of Melbourne, were the key speakers at the Renoir symposium, attended by over 100 participants. one bronze, the exhibition represented all phases A comprehensive education program formulated by of Renoir's long career, exploring the range of his Gallery staff included introductory audio-visual subject matter and his responses to the rapidly material, guided tours, education kits for primary and changing historical contexts of late nineteenth- and secondary schools, and a film program including films early twentieth-century France. by Renoir's son, M. Jean Renoir. The music and Officially opened on the evening of Friday, 29 July 1994 by Mr Neil MacGregor, Director of the National Gallery, London, the exhibition was curated by the distinguished scholar of nineteenth-century French art, DrJohn House of the Courtauld Institute of Art, University of London. Dr House was responsible for the selection of works and made a substantial contribution to the accompanying catalogue, both as a writer and as scholarly editor. Gallery staff worked with Dr House in organising and managing all aspects of the exhibition.The exhibition installation reflected the mood of a late nineteenth– century Parisian interior, using the deep red wall colour that Renoir favoured for the display of his works. performance program included recitals by the Queensland Philharmonic Orchestra of works by French Impressionist composers including Debussy and Ravel, readings of French Symbolist poetry and musical performances by Fractal Theatre. A total of 7 757 primary and secondary students saw the exhibition through the Gallery 's school bookings program. The Gallery's extensive 'Renoir .. .' promotions and marketing campaign encompassed local and national advertising and publicity, as well as community, tourism and sponsors' promotions. The press and magazine advertising campaign was complemented by generous television and radio campaigns by sponsors Network Ten and ABC Radio 612 4QR.