DUOArticulate
1 Image 1 Troy EMERY Something I overheard 2013 Polyester pompoms, polyurethane mannequin, glass eyes, plastic earliners and hot glue 48 x 45 x 18 cm Acc. 2014.0091 Gift of Troy Emery, 2014. Donated through the Australian Government’s Cultural Gifts Program. City of Townsville Art Collection Photograph: John Brash, image supplied by Martin Browne Gallery, Sydney. Image 2 Tim STORRIER Reflected blaze line 2013 Synthetic polymer paint on canvas 91.5 x 305cm Donated through the Australian Government’s Cultural Gifts Program City of Townsville Art Collection Photograph: image courtesy Philip Bacon Galleries
Manager Gallery Services
Shane Fitzgerald TOWNSVILLE CITY COUNCIL
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With more than a little love…
The large majority of works acquired into the City of Townsville Art Collection each year are donations, whether they be direct gifts to the Collection, or made via the Australian Government’s Cultural Gifts Program. MOTIVATIONS for gifting artworks vary; from collectors seeking the financial incentives through the Australian Government’s Cultural Gifts Program, to wanting to ensure treasured artworks are properly cared for and loved by the community for years to come, to a passion for the region and a shared vision to see Townsville continue to grow as a culturally sophisticated capital of the north. With more than a little love from our benefactors, the last 18 months has seen the most considerable growth of the City of Townsville Art Collection in living memory. A total of 522 acquisitions, with the vast majority of these works entering the Collection as donations [494 in total], either directly from artists and collectors, or via the Australian Government’s Cultural Gifts Program, now form part of our cultural legacy.
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DUOMagazine February 2016
The Cultural Gifts Program is an invaluable incentive for Australians to donate items of cultural significance to their public art galleries, museums, libraries and archives for the enjoyment of future generations. Works that have entered the City of Townsville Art Collection via the program in 2014/2015 included a major painting by noted Australian artist Tim Storrier, a work by contemporary sculptor Troy Emery which proved highly popular whilst on display at Perc Tucker Regional Gallery, and the largest ever gift of artworks to the City of Townsville Art Collection, totalling 454 works by Australian and International artists. Undoubtedly the most prized single artwork that was gifted is Tim Storrier’s Reflected blaze line – a 91.5 x 305 cm synthetic polymer paint on canvas artwork. This is the first work by the noted Australian artist to enter the City of Townsville Art Collection to the value of $225,000. The work was proposed as a gift to the City of Townsville Art Collection by Philip Bacon AM, whom attended the annual Philip
Bacon Guest Lecture and WOW, World of WearableArt launch and exhibition in 2015. Impressed by the cultural sophistication of Townsville and the initiative shown by our region to secure such a unique exhibition, Philip kindly offered to facilitate the gift of this major work to the Collection by Tim Sorrier. Tim Storrier (1949 – ) has works exhibited in the National Gallery of Australia and the Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art in New York. His works are included in all major Australian state and regional gallery collections and a number of leading private collections and now Townsville calls home to one of his personally treasured works from his private collection. Encouragingly the next 18 months is shaping up to be no exception as numerous benefactors look to Townsville as “the cultural capital of the North” and seek opportunities to ensure that they can contribute in our transformation from a regional town to culturally diverse and sophisticated city.