Page 2835 - Week 08 - Tuesday, 13 August 2019
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Adjournment
Motion (by Mr Gentleman) proposed:
That the Assembly do now adjourn.
Ms Meredith Hinchliffe
MR RAMSAY (Ginninderra—Attorney-General, Minister for the Arts and Cultural Events, Minister for Building Quality Improvement, Minister for Business and Regulatory Services, Minister for Government Services and Procurement and Minister for Seniors and Veterans) (6.28): I am delighted to rise this evening to celebrate the contribution of Meredith Hinchliffe to the Canberra arts scene. I want to acknowledge and thank Meredith in particular for her incredibly generous donation of funds to the Canberra Museum and Gallery, CMAG. I am very pleased that Meredith is here in the gallery this evening.
Since 2004 Meredith Hinchliffe has donated funds to CMAG for the acquisition of art, craft and design created in Canberra and the surrounding region. This generosity makes Meredith CMAG’s longest standing personal donor. The impact of her generosity is most significant. Through the fund, CMAG has been able to purchase works by 52 artists, valued at over $150,000. The fund also represents an important contribution to the cultural fabric of Canberra, through the payment it provides to artists.
As a result of Meredith’s generosity, CMAG is able to offer our local community access to the work of internationally recognised artists who have exhibited and been collected all over the world, such as Kirstie Rea and Scott Chaseling. The first purchase from the fund in 2004 was a quietly modest work by ceramicist Anita McIntyre, Tablet 1: Walking with ancient rocks. Meredith has a wide range of interests in the arts; however, ceramics reflects a particular interest of hers. She has written articles for journals such as Ceramics: Art and Perception and Pottery in Australia.
The most recent works, purchased in 2018, have strong connections to the environment and landscape; they are timely subjects for artists and for the wider community. They include Gail Nichols’ stoneware jar, Stormwatch, and the glass didgeridoo made by the Ngambri elder Paul House, with Tom Rowney, at the Canberra Glassworks. These works are on display in CMAG’s ramp showcase until Saturday, 24 August.
Madam Speaker, as you know, Meredith is a very generous patron of the arts and an important and influential figure in the arts landscape in Canberra. She never actually suggests what to purchase with the monetary gifts, simply asking that they be used to buy works of art from artists, and in particular craftspeople, who live and work in and around Canberra. The decisions about how to use these donations are made by CMAG’s professional staff. This allows the organisation range and flexibility in the choices that are made, reflecting the diverse interests of Meredith herself and also her respect for professional processes.
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