THE ART OF GIVING Directors of the National Gallery’s Foundation Board

The art of giving

As Directors of the National Gallery’s Foundation Board, Penelope Seidler and Andrew Lu have generously joined a collective of donors who have supported the Know My Name initiative.

PENELOPE SEIDLER AM

Penelope Seidler, an architect and visionary arts patron, was a Member of the NGA’s Governing Council from 1984 to 1990 and has been a Director of the Foundation Board since 2000. As a mark of her global art interests, Penelope has sat on the International Council of the Museum of Modern Art in New York since 1973. An inspiring supporter of artists, Penelope notably featured in the major film work Inverso Mundus by Russian artist collective AES+F that was displayed as part of the Gallery’s Hyper Real exhibition in 2017.

What inspires you to continue your engagement with the Gallery as a member of its fundraising board?

I was involved with the NGA before its opening; I visited the collection at Fyshwick when the art was stored waiting for the building to open. I was at the opening gala and have felt part of the Gallery ever since. I was a member of Council during the 80’s and I have continued my association as a member of the Foundation Board! I enjoy the breadth of collection, the amazing research facilities and the professionalism of the curators. I have been able to contribute and donate to the collection and hope to be able to continue; I am so pleased that its unique collection can be shared by us all.

Among the many acquisitions and programs you have supported, you are a generous donor to our Know My Name initiative. What motivated you to be part of this important collective of donors?

I was pleased to support Know My Name to increase the prominence of women artists, particularly indigenous artists. The popular perception of the artist is a male, few women are ever in the top ten of the public’s top ten artists. Let’s hope Know My Name can reverse this perception!

What is your favourite work of art in the NGA collection, and what does this work mean to you?

I confess that my favourite work at NGA is a gift I made in memory of [late husband] Harry, the Theo van Doesburg Space-time construction #3, 1923; this De Stijl work hung in our house for several years. Harry had admired the work since he saw it at the Museum of Modern Art in 1946; we were excited to be able to purchase it in the 1990s. The NGA’s collection is the appropriate Gallery in Australia to house this seminal work of art as it joined a significant international European collection; I get a special thrill whenever I see it and know it will be treasured.

Above: National Gallery Director Nick Mitzevich with Foundation Board Director Penelope Seidler Left: Theo Van Doesburg, Space-time construction #3 1923, drawing, National Gallery of Australia, Canberra. Donated through the Australian Government’s Cultural Gifts Program by Penelope Seidler AM in memory of Harry Seidler AC in 2010 Right: Foundation Board Director Dr Andrew Lu

DR ANDREW LU OAM

Andrew Lu worked as a lawyer in Canberra prior to moving, together with his husband Geoffrey, to Perth. Andrew has been a Director of the National Gallery’s Foundation Board since 2011 and is a Life Governor of the Foundation and member of the National Gallery’s Bequest Circle. A partner of law firm HBA Legal, Andrew is a committed supporter of contemporary artists and is passionate about music and promotes good governance in the arts. Andrew regularly returns to Canberra to participate in Board meetings and enjoy the National Gallery’s artistic program.

What inspires you to continue your engagement with Australia’s National Gallery as a member of its fundraising board?

I came to Australia from overseas as a student, so the art in public collections taught me about Australian society, its history, and its place in the world. My first exposure to Indigenous Australians was through their artistic responses to the big issues. This is quite rightly home to the stories of our nation and region. Through touring exhibitions, publications in many forms, and public programmes, the NGA team works diligently to share Australia’s artistic inheritance in an inclusive way. The national collection should be a source of pride for all Australians, but philanthropic support enables the NGA to extend its reach and impact. Moving from Sydney to live for a decade in Canberra gave me the honour of engaging directly with the collection and the team who support it. I have learned much from NGA catalogues, the digital archive, and from drinking in the art. I often walked from my office in the Parliamentary Triangle through the Gallery’s sculpture garden at lunchtime. Returning to the Gallery feels like visiting a friend, and it is good to be able to support a friend.

Among the many acquisitions and programs you have supported, you are a generous donor to our Know My Name initiative. Please tell us what motivated you to be part of this important collective of donors.

I grew up with the Chinese saying that ‘women hold up half the sky’, so have always acknowledged the importance of gender equality. Many of the artworks that I live with at home are by outstanding Australian women artists including Joanna Lamb, Gosia Wlodarczak, Jude Rae, Elaine Lane, Rosemary Madigan, Leeanne Crisp and Judy Watson. Theirs are works of quality, artistic integrity, and innovation so their names should be better known. The value of diversity with a focus on quality cannot be overstated. The Foundation Board committed to advance the case for greater representation and acknowledgment of our women artists in a practical way. I am proud to make a tangible contribution to a program of national significance that tackles this issue through education. I encourage others who wish to lead with purpose to honour the women they respect through giving collectively and generously to Know My Name.

What is your favourite work of art in the National Gallery’s collection, and what does this work mean to you?

It’s hard to go past Jackson Pollock’s Blue poles, 1952. It is a national treasure. It’s probably the only Abstract Expressionist artwork that every Australian can name, and it is always arresting to behold. Its accession represented connoisseurship with vision and ambition. Its acquisition caused a scandal, but t has since proven itself a prudent investment in the cultural life of the nation.

 Know My Name is an initiative that embodies the Gallery’s determination to focus on gender equity across all areas of our operations, including acquisitions, collection displays and special exhibitions. Donations at all levels are welcome and bring us closer to realising our ambitions.

For more information on how to contribute, visit: nga.gov.au/giving

Donors

The National Gallery gratefully acknowledges the support of its many private donors and recognises here all donations made between October 2019 – March 2020.

A comprehensive list of all donors in this Financial Year will be included in the Foundation Annual Report.

Supporter in Focus The Neilson Foundation has regularly and generously supported the National Gallery of Australia since 2016. Annual grants from the Foundation have been gratefully received and used to present remarkable exhibitions including Monet: Impression Sunrise in 2019 and Cartier: The Exhibition in 2018. Recently, the Neilson Foundation has supported the Know My Name project. The National Gallery is immensely grateful for the ongoing support of The Neilson Foundation, and to all supporters for their gifts that enable us to move forward purposefully in the pursuit of our ambitions.

Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Fund Julian Goldenberg and Neta Saint Óscar Pampín Cabanas

Art Education Fund Ronald Ramsey

Asian Art Fund Maureen Chan

Australian Artists Film Fund Philip Bacon AM Damian Roche and Justine Roche Ezekiel Solomon AM

Cézanne Watercolour and Drawing Fund Michael Wright and Robyn Wright

Conservation Fund Janet Hall

Donations to support the National Gallery Maria Magda Damo Janet Lapworth National Gallery of Australia Voluntary Guides Neilson Foundation Read Taylor Price and Zoe Phillips Price Brodie Taylor

Education Fund Jan Whyte

Exhibition Patrons: Botticelli to Van Gogh Masterpieces from the National Gallery, London Maurice Cashmere Penelope Seidler AM

Exhibition Patrons: XU ZHEN®: ETERNITY VS EVOLUTION Dr Judith Neilson AM White Rabbit Collection, Sydney Foundation Board Publishing Fund Berg Family Foundation Anthony Berg AM Roslyn Packer AC Ray Wilson OAM

Gala Fund 2020 The Honourable Richard Alston AO Philip Bacon AM Julian Beaumont OAM and Annie Beaumont Berg Family Foundation Anthony Berg AM and Carol Berg Sir Ron Brierley Andrew Buchanan PSM and Kate Buchanan Robyn Burke and Graham Burke AO Burton Taylor Foundation Robert Cadona Andrew Cameron AM and Cathy Cameron Terry Campbell AO Maurice Cashmere Sue Cato Dr Andrew Clouston Marilyn Darling AC Tim Fairfax AC and Gina Fairfax Michael Gannon and Helen Gannon Kerry Gardner AM Julian Goldenberg and Neta Saint Richard Griffin AM and Jay Griffin Bill Hayward and Alison Hayward Sue Hewitt Sam Hill-Smith Meredith Hinchliffe John Hindmarsh AM and Rosanna Hindmarsh OAM Neil Hobbs and Karina Harris Jo Horgan and Peter Wetenhall Mark Hughes Wayne Kratzmann Paul Lindwall and Dr Joanne Frederiksen Andrew Lu OAM Anthony Maple-Brown and Suzanne Maple-Brown Susan Maple-Brown AM Dr Michael Martin and Elizabeth Popovski Fiona Martin-Weber and Tom Hayward Robert Meller Jan Minchin Baillieu Myer AC and Sarah Myer Rupert Myer AO and Annabel Myer Geoffrey Pack and Leigh Pack Roslyn Packer AC Kenneth Reed AM Gary Sands Diane Smith-Gander AO Jane Smyth OAM and Dr Rick Smyth Ezekiel Solomon AM Ryan Stokes and Claire Stokes Sullivan Strumpf Fine Art The Aranday Foundation Urban Art Projects Sally White OAM and Geoffrey White OAM Ray Wilson OAM

Gifts of works of art David Dridan OAM Richard Gate Dr Pamela Faye McGrath James Fairfax Theatre Fund Bridgestar

John T Reid Outreach Programs John T Reid Charitable Trusts

Kenneth Tyler Print Fund American Friends of the National Gallery of Australia, with the generous assistance of Kenneth Tyler AO and Marabeth Cohen-Tyler

Know My Name Fund American Friends of the National Gallery of Australia, with the generous assistance of Geoffrey Pack and Leigh Pack Lenore Adamson Judith Avery Kate Clark Penny Clive AO Sue Dyer and Steve Dyer Gandel Philanthropy Liz Hilton Colin Hindmarsh and Barbara Hindmarsh Mark Hughes The Keir Foundation Annette Lock Andrew Lu OAM and Dr Geoffrey Lancaster AM Anthony Medich and Juliana Medich Penelope Seidler AM Grace Sinclair Ryan Stokes and Claire Stokes Neilson Foundation Emeritus Professor Barbara van Ernst AM Wendy Webb Rhonda White AO Ray Wilson OAM Kerry Gardner AM

Members Acquisition Fund 2018-19 Isabelle Arnaud Wendy E Cobcroft Greg Cornwell AM and Margaret Cornwell Julia Ermert Gillian Gould Dr David Pfanner and Dr Ruth Pfanner Colin Rea Penelope Seidler AM Alison Smith Jan Santos

Robert and Eugenie Bell Decorative Arts and Design Fund Maxine Armitage in memory of Valita Muldins Michael Bogle and Peta Landman

Rotary Fund Rotary Club of Belconnen

Sculpture Garden Fund Jane Smyth OAM and Dr Rick Smyth

Travelling Exhibitions Fund Mary Ann Gamutan

Treasure a Textile Fund Dr Maxine Rochester

Partnerships

Strategic Partners Presenting Partner

Indigenous Art Partner Contemporary Art Partner Touring Partners

Major Partners

Legal Partner

Media Partners Supporting Partners

Visions of Australia

Promotional Partners

Corporate Member Clayton Utz