Page 78-79 - Annual Review 2009

An extensive network of relationships
— with audiences, artists, colleagues,
staff, volunteers, government,
corporate supporters, the tourism
sector, benefactors, the media, and
touring and funding agencies —
underpin the Gallery’s programming,
its objectives and achievements.
Relationships
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Relationships
78
Audiences and volunteers
In the 2008–09 year, the Gallery’s visitor
numbers totalled 1 153 326, including more than
43 000 school student visits. The Gallery’s 92
volunteer guides provided tours of exhibitions
and collections for 21 375 visitors. In regional
Queensland, five travelling exhibitions drawn
from the Collection attracted record attendances
of more than 79 000 visitors.
Government
The Premier of Queensland and Minister for
the Arts, Anna Bligh, MP, and the Queensland
Government, provided the funding to present
the world exclusive ‘American Impressionism
and Realism: A Landmark Exhibition from the
Met’ exhibition. The Queensland Government
also supported the refurbishment of Queensland
Art Gallery spaces and lighting to international
standards, especially for the exhibition.
The Australian Government, through the Australia
Council and the Visual Arts and Craft Strategy,
provided support during 2009 to present ‘The
6th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art’.
Exhibitions and programming partners
The Gallery partnered with The Metropolitan
Museum of Art, New York and Art Exhibitions
Australia, to present ‘American Impressionism
and Realism: A Landmark Exhibition from the
Met’. Principal Donor Singapore Airlines and
Principal Sponsor Mazda Australia supported
this exhibition, along with an important group of
major media and tourism sponsors and partners.
The Gallery’s Chairman’s Circle group of
companies were a major sponsor of APT6, and
member companies also provided support to
exhibitions during the year. Ausenco
sponsored ‘The China Project’, and
Gadens Lawyers sponsored ‘Floating Life:
Contemporary Aboriginal Fibre Art’.
A partnership with Sherman Contemporary
Art Foundation (SCAF), Sydney, presented
The view from elsewhere, an exhibition and
screening program, at both venues.
An exhibition of works by Charwei Tsai at
SCAF profiled ‘The 6th Asia Pacific Triennial
of Contemporary Art’ interstate.
The Gallery, the Museum of New Zealand Te
Papa Tongarewa and Queensland Museum
jointly curated ‘Paperskin: Barkcloth across
the Pacific’ from our respective collections.
Benefactors and sponsors
Two major gallery spaces were named for
generous benefactors: The Fairfax Gallery
at GoMA and the Philip Bacon Galleries at
Queensland Art Gallery.
A highlight of 2009 was the new, five-year
partnership with Santos, as presenting sponsor
of the Gallery’s annual summer series of
exhibitions and of the Children’s Art Centre.
The new agreement represents the most
significant single corporate investment ever
made in the Gallery.
Xstrata Coal continued its partnership with the
Gallery with a new three-year program sponsoring
exhibitions of Queensland art in the Xstrata Coal
Queensland Artists’ Gallery and a complementary
lecture tour program in regional Queensland.
The Xstrata Community Partnership Program
Queensland supported contemporary Queensland
art acquisitions.
Among the Gallery’s other 2009 supporters were a
group of media and tourism sponsors, who provided
assistance essential to reaching new audiences and
maintaining a national and international profile.
Artists
Working directly with artists saw memorable
exhibitions and projects come to fruition, among
them the 41 commissions and site-specific
installations and 17 Children’s Art Centre projects in
‘The 6th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art’;
the first in the Artist’s Choice series for the Xstrata
Coal Queensland Artists’ Gallery, an exhibition by
Lawrence Daws; and the ‘Easton Pearson’ exhibition
and Children’s Art Centre programs.
Top left: Queensland Art Gallery Director Tony Ellwood (right) discussing
APT6 works with Rick Wilkinson, President GLNG and Queensland, Santos.
Left: A sponsors’ dinner takes place in GoMA’s Long Gallery, among works
from ‘The China Project’, following the official opening of ‘American
Impressionism and Realism: A Landmark Exhibition from the Met’.
Top centre: At ‘The China Project’ sponsor preview: Zimi Meka, Chief
Executive Officer of Ausenco; Ren Gongping, Consul-General of the People’s
Republic of China in Brisbane; and Wayne Goss, Chairman, Ausenco.
Top right: APT6 artist Chen Qiulin speaks with Rob Levison, Managing
Director and Chief Executive Officer, Industrea. Industrea supported Chen
Qiulin’s work Xinsheng Town 275–277 2009 (background) / Courtesy: The
artist and Long March Project, Beijing
Right: Artist Shinji Ohmaki (centre) discusses his installation work for APT6
with Gallery staff — Warren Watson, Michael O’Sullivan and Suhanya Raffel.