Melbourne, 27 May 2011
The National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) is celebrating its 150th anniversary with an exceptional exhibition of 173 indigenous works.
The institution received a major donation from the Felton Bequest, founded in 1904 by the main benefactor of the NGV, Alfred Felton. According to Gerard Vaughan, director of the museum, this “is the most significant gift of Indigenous art to the NGV since the Gallery opened its doors for the first time on this date 150 years ago in country of the Kulin nation. It is appropriate on this date both to honour the memory of Alfred Felton and also celebrate the Indigenous art of our country, the world’s oldest continuous visual tradition.”
The donation consists of two parts – the first part includes 63 nineteenth and early twentieth century shields, exhibited as part of the museum’s permanent collection. The second features 107 paintings from the Far Western Desert, which will be shown in a separate exhibition entitled “Living Water”.
In 2008, the National Gallery launched a campaign to raise 150 M$ for its 150th anniversary. This remarkable donation is part of the museum’s ongoing modernisation and enrichment campaign.