Queensland Art Gallery Presscuttings Book 1 : Presscuttings, 1959-1962

MONDAY, JUNE 15. 1953 Inegbiered a, Gen., for Trannln. , by i Assoc lilted Press, which provides Overseas News in this Issue 8 l'AGL.S-8 The art exhibition, which is being conducted in aid of the Toowoomba Rotary Club's Brodribb Home appeal, was officially opened in Toowoomba on Saturday. Among those present were (left to right): Mrs. H. G. Jones, Dr. H. G. Jones (president of the Toowoomba Rotary Club). Mrs. Haines, senr., Mr. W. Acworth, Mrs. C. Mullinder, Mrs F. Sanders, Mr. F. Sanders, Mr. R. Haines (director of the Queensland Art Gallery) and Mr. C. Mullir ler. -Photo by F. Crook-Kine Through the generosity of some Brisbane art collectors and the enterprise of a group of Toowoomba art lovers, a collection of paintings, water colours and etchings by leading Australian artists, estimated to be worth more than £5000, has been brought to Toowoomba. The collection attracted a large number of interested citizens when it was officially opened for public inspection in the New Zealand Insur- ance C:mpany's new pre- mises In Margaret Street, by the Director of the Queens- land Art Gallery (Mr. Robert Haines) on Saturday Onight. rganised by Mr. and Mrs. Cyril Mullinder, Mr. Frank Sanders and Dr. and Mrs. H. G. Jones. the exhibition, though not the first art ex- hibition to be held in Too- woomba, is the first ex- hibition of works by leading Australian a-tists to be held here. The collection will be on display for a week and the proceeds will go towards the Toowoomba Rotary Club's Brodribb Home appeal fund, All the collectors who a.' generously made the paint- ! ings, water colours and etch- ! Inas available have elected to remain anonymous. In the course of a brief address, Mr. Haines ex- pressed the opinion that Toowoomba should have its own art gallery. Ile said he had seen the Gould col- lection, and would say that It could he the nucleus of an art gallery. Two paintiria's in the (joule' collection widen had beer, the subject of much criti- cism and had been placed In an obscure corner were. iu his °plc ivri. worth all the rest of the collection put to- gether. They were the work of two outstanding Scottish painters of the last renthry. He asked that they he en en a place of greater promin- ence. Toowoomba was Jr t- tunate in having two such works. he said. The public spirit which had prompted the bequeath- ing of the collection to the city was highly commend- able. Generally, however, the history of art in Queens- land was outstanding for the lack cf interest shown by those In a position to assist In the establishing of art galleries. Toowoomba citizens' ap- preciation of (hr beautiful Was reflected In the high standard of the homes and gluten., Mr flakes rot, tinned. The standard is as superior Ii, that of It, I. Lane. Those I efl.poio.iWt v ere to ho nn,nrod oil I or the manner in whirls the streets and footpaths were kept tidy. Art was not something hung on their walls. It found its expression in a multitude of ways. Referring to the exhibition of contemporary French art in Brisbane, Mr. Haines said that if it did nothing else. it brcught 60,000 people to the gallery and put f1000 into the Gallery's bank account. Through the generosity of certain collectors, Mr. Haines coot tined. Too- woomba people would now have an opportunity cf see- ing for themselves. and forming their own opinion of the works of men like Sir Arthur Streeton, Phillips Fox, Phyl Waterhouse, Wil- liam Dargle. Charles Buish and numf rout others who had gained recogniWn, not only 'in Australia but also ove:serts. Included in the , collection were the works t.f artists who had won the I coveted \Vynne Prize and the Dobell Prize. "DO NOT CONDEMN" Mr. Haines asked the public not to condemn, out - of-hand, pint lugs which they c uld not understand. The artist, he said, often saw rather ahead of the man in 11 street. The artist painted lust he had td point; be- cause it was a weans of con- veying his thoughts and ideas In other people. Ob- jective painters sought to present the thing seen. The abstract artist sought to convey act only the thing seen, but what lie felt about It. There were no abstract paintings In the rollection now on ..trw and only a few semi-abstrac, paintings He felt that the Rotary Club and those responsible for the organising of the ex- hibition were to be highly commended for their effort'. Welcoming Mr. Haines Toowoomba, the Mayor 'Alderman M. J. R. Ander- soot mild the citizens of Toowoomba and residents of other centres on the Downs would have an cpportunttv of viewing the works of leading Australian artists and at the same time assist - !MI a very worthy cause in 'r hrodribb Home appeal. 1,1 ,Lot's Omitted the heir attendance had played a au m 11,1;Ing the ea- "EnTlfElt, the artist s daughter." it repent sculp- ture by Jacob Epstein, is now on view at the Queensland National Art Gaiter). Epstein, now 73, is re- garded as the greatest living sculptor. Ills bronze host ol Esther was bought hi Eng- land In 1950 by (lie gal- lery director (Mr. Holier( Ilainesi, al n wire "old o be dbelosed." It was exhibited at the rale fialleries England. (Tenth to represent r.p trio's work In 1919. inhi I, the (lest Epstein at the -slimy. Sythtes and Melanin(' have one each. and Mello, through 1111. Felton be- quest, four.