Art Collection

Sculpture Walk at the ANU

The ANU Art Collection was established in 1949 and promotes a broader understanding of visual culture with special reference to its educational and outreach priorities. The Collection strives for excellence by building and maintaining a collection that reflects significant developments in Australian art. It continues to be supported by executive, academic and general staff, the business and private donors. The Collection comprises more than 1000 paintings, sculptures, drawings and prints by significant contemporary Australian artists. Artworks are acquired through a budget that includes an annual contribution from the Staff Amenities Fund while many works are donations and bequests.

The main objectives of the Art Collection are:

to develop a major public art collection for the purpose of demonstrating the University's continuing commitment to the study, patronage and advancement of the visual arts;
to foster a general awareness and understanding of the visual arts among the University community and members of the general public through education and other outreach activities;
to acquire works of art of demonstrable excellence and significance within the perceived developments of contemporary Australian art;
to enable research on the visual arts and support the teaching programs of the University; and
to acquire works of art suitable for the purpose of enhancing the public areas, either buildings or grounds, of the University.

Collection Management

The Art Collection represents an important cultural asset for the University and its community. The collection is available for education and research purposes and is promoted through exhibitions and publications.

The University ensures the collection's continued existence by providing suitable care and protection. This involves:

Ensuring the integrity and security of the objects in the collection by exhibiting, storing and caring for them under museum standard conditions.
Employing registration procedures and maintaining appropriate records of the collection, including professional cataloguing and continued research.
Ensuring that works are lent only to institutions which can provide satisfactory handling, security and environmental control and which meet all other conditions determined by the ANU, and enter into legally binding contractual loan agreements that indicate compliance.
Implementing regular conservation management for portable and fixed art works. Periodically making sight inventories of the collection.

ANU Art Collection Donations

Under the Cultural Gifts Program, the University can now receive monetary donations and approved gifts of artworks for the ANU Art Collection. There are procedures and conditions for doing this and interested donors wishing to take advantage of this scheme should contact the ANU Art Collection Collections Officer via the link below.

For further information contact:
Collections Officer: David Boon
Phone: 02 6125 2501
Fax: 02 6247 2595