MA split

MA Conference 2014, Launceston.

Madeline Dore, Galleries propose split from Museums Australia, ArtsHub, 6 February 2015

Public galleries are considering a proposal for a new peak body because of concerns Museums Australia does not adequately represent galleries.

Artists, theatre makers, writers and libraries have specific peak bodies advocating for their sector, but do existing national bodies adequately represent the unique challenges of visual arts presenters, collectors and galleries?   A proposal for a new peak body to represent galleries sparked debate yesterday at the National Public Galleries Summit held by Public Galleries Association of Victoria (PGAV) at Bendigo Gallery.

Leading the conversation was Karen Quinlan, Director, Bendigo Art Gallery and President of PGAV. Quinlan argued the existing peak bodies do not address the unique challenges of visual arts presenters. She said galleries needed to separate from Museums Australia to ensure the specific needs of the visual arts sector were properly represented.

‘We’ve been swallowed up, to an extent, by a bigger entity, and we can’t see anywhere,’ Quinlan said.

She proposed a new Australian Galleries Associations, a peak body that could ‘present at a national level galleries and museums that collect, display and restate the visual arts through exhibition and programming,’ said Quinlan.