Queensland Art Gallery Presscuttings Book 10 : Record of press coverage, March 1982 - May 1984

., The Courier-Mail 13 August 1982 $2.6m raised for Art Gallery The Queensland Art Gallery Foundation bad raised $2,598,493 towards Its Initial ob– jecthe of $3 million ia three years, the president, Sir George Fisher, told the annual meeting yesterday. The folllldatioa was laaugurated la December, 1979, to raise IIIODeY to buy art works for the Queensland Art Gallery. Sir George uld the fouadatJoa llad established a rdatloasbip wltb commerce and Industry, wlilch had been the main thrust of fund-ralslni: to date. There had been a steady flow of cash donations and applications for membenblp. He said now the new art gallery bad opened it was time to appeal publicly for money. He was sure coatlnulng financial support would place the Queensland Art Gallery In the forefront of art presentations around the world. The magnificent public response to the opening of the new gallery re– flected the cultural awaken.Ing in the community. "The gallery Is no longer percehed as the exclusive province of the well educated and artistically endowed; It Is a public place," he said. The State Govemment's subsidy arrangement bad boosted the foua– datlons's efforts and allowed the gal– lery to make Us most significant pur• chases in almost 20 years. "For every 52 raised by the foun– dation, the Queensland Government provides SI up to a maximum subsi– dy of Sim," he said. Donations of $2 or more were tax deductible. Among the objects bought with money raised by the foundation were works by Paul Gaugin, Vasily Kan– dlnsky and Ian Fairweather. These and the others works boUjtht sinc:e December, 1979, were on display last night in a formal re– ception at the gallery attended by tht Governor, Sir James Ramsay, and Lady Ramsay. -- ) The Courier-Mail Gallery is not serving public HAVE any of the VIPs at the opening functions at our Queensland Art Gallery bothered returning to see Just how its public is NOT being served by the magnificent gallery which so excited us? . The public is not allowed use of the hft from car park into gallery ... nor can we be refreshed in the non-existent coffee-shop. . Only six ~ks are available for pub– ic reference 1n the magnificently situ– tcd Art Gallery Library (and those re all on antiques and crafts). Country visitors making special trips to Brisbane lo visit the gallery over the las.t few weeks have come away disap– pointed, as the steep stairs and long walk (in the rain) around to the gallery entrance proved 100 daunting for other than the young and healthy. . Then we found that as each "open– ing" travelling exhibition moved out I he galleries were not rehung bui n:,ercly closed off for the four weeks' ar– rival of the next travelling circus! W~cn do we get to sec what we do have 1n OUR Queensland collection? · A~d, now only two months after opening, the whole place is to close for two week~, bcca_use the staff of JOO need to hang the incomng exhibifons! Overseas visitors wishing 10 see the art ~f_t~c host country will see only two cxh1b1llof!s of tapestry, two of photog– raphy, a child art show, crafts, masks and co.uumcs! The cdific;on the· South Bank should be o;namcd Queensland Craft Gallery! - 'Carmel Bayer, Gedes St T oowoorma. ' i . ~-