Governments, bankers and burning museums
By JUDITH WHITE When Brazil’s Museu Nacional in Rio de Janeiro burned down on 2 September, staff described it as “a tragedy foretold”. For years, successive governments had cut recurrent funding for the museum, whose collection of 20 million priceless and irreplaceable objects was the [...]
Truth telling and cultural amnesia
By JUDITH WHITE Truth telling and cultural amnesia Truth telling was the theme of this year’s Garma festival, held in northeast Arnhemland on the first weekend of August. It’s also a crucial element in the Statement from the Heart made by the indigenous National Constitutional [...]
The Branding of Sydney Modern
By JUDITH WHITE The reappointment of Dr Michael Brand as director of the Art Gallery of NSW signals the Coalition Government’s determination to push ahead with building the $344 million Sydney Modern expansion on green space alongside the Harbour shoreline (digital impression above). News of [...]
NSW Government defies Parliament: Powerhouse to be vandalised
An act of governmental vandalism By JUDITH WHITE 28 April 2018 - updated 29 April NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Arts Minister Don Harwin in Saturday finally announced their plans to demolish the Powerhouse Museum, relocate it to Parramatta and turn its historic Ultimo site [...]
NSW Art Gallery continues to ignore key issues
Alternative locations, future funding not seriously considered By JUDITH WHITE The Art Gallery of NSW has now responded to the raft of submissions opposing its Development Application (DA) for the Sydney Modern project, condescendingly dismissing some of the most significant concerns. Its 126-page response report, [...]
Don’s arts party
The 2025 Summit and recurrent funding By JUDITH WHITE You’ve got to hand it to NSW Arts Minister Don Harwin – he’s stolen a march on the Labor Opposition in the run-up to the NSW State elections to be held in March next year. Harwin, [...]