Vew from the chair: Speeches of Richard WL Austin

a splendid John Peter Russell work from their collection, which we could not have afforded to buy, and last month a magnificent portrait by George Romney. A Gallery, in my view, has several roles to play-all inter-connected and yet sometimes in competition with each other. It should provide intellectual and aesthetic stimulation and pleasure-both by its own holdings and by exhibitions from other sources. Perhaps that is its primary role. It should have an important educational function; it should act as an historical keeping place for the art of the present as well as of the past and, finally, it should be a centre of social activity in the broadest sense, a place where all those interested in the arts--be they patrons, collectors, connoisseurs, artists, art students or, simply, so to speak, voyeurs--can meet on terms of relaxed equality. We are lucky to be assisted in the fulfilment of these various roles by three organisations: the Gallery Society, which gives generous assistance, both on the social side and also with acquisitions; the Volunteer Guides, who do wonderful work in the field of education; and the Foundation, which helps financially with, indeed, large sums of money. Since opening in 1982, the Gallery has exhibited many major international exhibitions which have attracted record attendances-such as 'The Entombed Warriors' and 'Twentieth Century Masters'. An average of 500 000 people visit the Gallery each year. This year the Gallery is presenting a Festival of Exhibitions unequalled by any Gallery in Australia, to celebrate the Bicentenary and World Expo 88. 'The Inspired Dream: Life as Art in Aboriginal Australia', 'Masterpieces from the Louvre ..:, 'The Great Australian Art Exhibition 1788-1988', are all on view at present. 'The Ceramic Traditions of Japan: Master Works from the Idemitsu Museum of Arts, Tokyo', and 'A Study in Genius: Master Drawings and Watercolours from the Collection of Her Majesty the Queen' are still to come. Since the Queensland Art Gallery is one of the youngest State Galleries in Australia, its Collection is somewhat different and less extensive than that of others. The major part of the Collection is devoted to Australian art from colonial times to the present and includes paintings, sculptures, prints, drawings, photographs, decorative arts and crafts. The Gallery's British and European works form an important part of the Collection. A small group of European works in particular includes a number of acknowledged masterpieces. 3 2 Speech to open the exhibition of emerging artists at the Anglican Church Grammar School, East Brisbane (Churchie), 30 March 1990 Let me say at the outset that it is a great pleasure--as well as, I think, an honour-to have been invited to open this exhibition of emerging art this evening; an exhibition which is being held for the third year here at Churchie, with the aim of encouraging young artists under thirty to produce works of art in various fields, and to help them to sell these works. It is a very significant occasion and is, in a real sense, a welcome change of scene for me. 103