Queensland Art Gallery Presscuttings Book 3 : Presscuttings, Sept 1959 - Sept 1967

I , ., Ii J u!• } . , ],t '/ Picassos are not to be sold e "RUMORS ARE IRRESPONSIBLE" The Picasso paintings, or other items in Queensland Art Gallery collection were not for sale Sir Leon Trout today. ' Any rumor of selling them wos irresponsible, he said. Sir Leon. chairman 01 1 - - - 1 ,11 h i--- the Board of Trustee• ol nmous O " c IS Ln " i:ruup or 20 you11 the gallery, said he re- Belle Hollnndnlse, were at 1u•o11lc held a 1 ,.a,·erui peatedly had den ied this !"~sent on exhibition 111 1•rule•l •t the rallery rumor. I h.~ c•ll~ry. , uday. A group ot art lo\'ers _1. ha, e n~t . o~~n d~\\ n A Iler some dlsagrccmentli has called !or an lnqu1ry l"':.'"- ror n "lttle. he sa id ..i,uut wh11t they were sup– Into the trusteeship of ll e lhe 11110 Mr. Haro!d ,poscd tu do. the grnup as- gallery. 1 jl!11h1~ don:otcd In WoO ,e11.1bled about 11.45 a.m. The grou led o ' tl c ~IHO,f,00 wo,t h o( paint- _I hen. \\'tlh plncnrds Processor &i PhilJsopt 1 , ln_i;s which ml'luclcd three l:ritu. .:ii,mg llie rccommen- at the Untl'ersll)' 1 l 1 Ptcassos. One ol them was a:Hlon of Mr. Jamu Q I d p f 0 • Ln Delle Hollnndn1se I I\ l~n•ke as the new dlr- F ur.!1:i.8,"has s~~,t•!•or C, lwhlch had n market rnlue eel.or . they murched into letter bearing nca'\i~P 6 J .at lhe lime ol $110,000. the. ,building. algnaturea to the racting/ l'he net Ing director. Ml•s . 11 he . gnlle'..v bo~rd or Education Minister ~It. ltuhrn 11111 said todn,v lhnt II USLees r~,ornmc11d11llon BJellu,-Peteraeo I he Plcnsso pnlntings were Lllut Mr. , I\ lcn~ke be Lile 'rile letter asks ror an In r he gullcry and as ne\\ director "Ill be con- Inquiry lnlo aspect& al t:su111. were on i>ermnncnt stde~cd ('Y Stute Cnblnet conduct of the gallery m- display. tom rro\\ .J eluding whether the "It doesn·t mntter what Thcv sn! before u pnrnt- chalrman ol the Board ol exhlblllon Is showing at 1ng bi• Picasso for Trustees planned to dis• Lhr gnllet·y, we always lll'e minutes but when pose of certain paintings. keep the Plcassos on dis- nothing wns sulcl by gal• Sir Leon said he could 1 ,lny. :rnd we ulways keep lery sLu lt the dcrnonstrn• not say whether the hem l.ogelher." Mlss Hill tIon ended ~nlntlngs, the most snld, - Collection sale fears A spoKcsmun for the group. lla,•ld While, 19. of Camp Hill an arts student nt the Que,-nsland Uni• sit,·, snlcl 11 wns reared the Rubin cullcctlun would be sold when Mr Wieneke assumed dut.~'- "We !eel u1e a u,horlties should know that a lot of youn~ people arc oµposed 10 an.v mo\ 1 es to reduce the nlreudy poor collec• lion we hnve In Lhe Querns!ond Onllcry." The group's placards were directed nt Sir Leon 'rrout. who they snld wns behind Mr Wieneke's appolmmcnt. One plntnrd said: "Trout plnys tlddlY· ~-'l5t~r Another said : 'THI COUIIIIII-MAIL TUISDAY JUNI 6 1967 9 ''COUll1£1l MAIL" Brisbin•, O. OIi t.allery Ut:~:NSLAND Art G11llery trusteeli Nhould he wury or t11kini:: an~• m11jor decli;l_ons on the utur 11 or the i:11ll1•ry until the board of truwtee, Is broui:ht, 1111 lo full ,;I reni:th. 'J'hc recent resignntions of two trustees have left 1c board below strcnntb and without any rcprescn• ation of those profc;sionally engaged in art. Two ruslees. both with a professional experi~nce in art, ehould be nppointed as qulckly as poes1ble. Unfortunately the Education Mi~1lster (Mr. Pir.zcy) - he is the minister responsible for the gulle1·y -- is overseas and is no~ ~xpeeted bac~ for about two months. The acting mmtsler (Mr. BJelke– Pcterscn) may want to await his return. rather than make new a ppointments of trustees himself. In the meantime the JJresent trustees com– prise a group of lending professional men_ and business meu who, while sincerely Interested •n art and in the future of the Gallery, would not all claim to be experts on art. Suggestions from normally responsible people that the trustees might be contemplating the sale of some or the Gallery's most valuable paintlnga lo provide money for buildings must cause art lovers concern. ThcsP suggestions have been branded as "lrres)lonsible tittle tattle" by the chairman of trustees (Sir Leon Trout), and it Is to be hoped that they are no more than that. If, in the end, it becomes desire ble, or even necessary, for major gallery works tn be sold, the, decision should be taken only by trustees fully resent11Uve of tbosc interested in art. row heat THE controyersy OYer the odmini1trotion of the Queen • land Art Gallery continues to gather heot in letters to the Editor Points mndc b,· corrcs• ' , . • I d · lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll• the ~1 tlst1c backwnters from me II c: \\ hlcn she was emerging /llll'!IP!l • ll'l~III under Laurie Thomas. and It • Trustees .• , I rend with no Jrss than horror that Sir Lenn Trout. a..1i1 chairman ur tht• Board of 'frustct•s, 1111d the other trustees a11 his su11portcrM, have the po\l·er, and lnte11d to dl, pn,e nl, or rmrchase, 11al11Una;s nnd other works or ,,rt at their own dlsc:relion. Is only to be hoped that the ~rnme oo,,ernmcnt. which t•ad the foresight and cour– a~e to select Mr. Thomas end back !1lm 1n his In• ,•nluable work In furthering the cause of art will not 11111111111111111111111111111111111111 now reverse It• rgucy Rnd the present Oaller.1• ls most ri~~olnt pr~g~~~~ ~ '1:!~'g ~\ 1 i',;;~ 1 t~bl1~e1·~"Kng,~~n ar~l~ l\lilchell, 3QI Zillmer. ll'oad, collecl1011. LeL us ho1ie that Zllln,er,, lhis discussion will assisl 111 ·Q11ce11sland obtaining In the near fu ture a new gol• lrry where at Jeast Its mnJor pnl11tlt11Zs cnn be on C!l.srilny. - il.ady1 El•I• ·:~~~'~\\•t'lnn~·:ldernell Avrnue 1 • 'Names please' • • • I wi"-h to t•rulorSf" whole • hcartedh· f Cuope1"s l'illlr&:'"'•llo1i 1('.~,: l-f;.1;7 1 that the Art 1;a1- lcr,,·'""' lhmrd or Trustees he required lo make public th,- names or unsuccessful appllca11I• and their re– cord, In comparloon 1\'llh that of Mr. .lame,, Wlen•kr, the Dlrector- desl,icnlltl!. Mr. \Vicn"!ke's •·unant.. lllOIIS" RJ))JOlntment will mo.~t ~tll'CI)' l'Clll1"11 QUCP.!lSIRnd to • Chance lost? . , . The bu1lnes1 of a Slate Gallery lo, •nrely, to educ~t• the unl11formed, not to reinforce their com- r. laeency nor to conrratu• ate them on their l•nor– ance. The Galler~· •hould lead puhllc la•t• not ta1 alone behind II. Pntrnnagc and production b~e1~•r1~uslh~r\,~J!' ~,wr1;: Informed and cultivated few, and Urn Indications are that, tn Brisbane. 11 chance to lm– prov~ the education of the public hns been mlsi,ed,– Eryan Bank•, 31 Barwood Street, Newmanet.