Laura McLeod, our director of visual arts introduces the recipient of the Australia Council Award for Visual Arts, Susan Norrie.
Bruce Pascoe’s award winning non-fiction book Dark Emu, published in 2014, is a monumental work of scholarship that disproved the long-held myth that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples were nomadic hunter gatherers before European colonisation
Graham Akhurst is on a path of self- leadership, empowered by the transformational skills and techniques learnt through the Australia Council’s Future Leaders Program. Brisbane born Graham is now on his way to Manhattan New York, to share the stories of his people through his literary craft.
Ikuntji Artists is an established art centre in the spectacular West MacDonnell Ranges, a community hub that supports cultural maintenance and transmission while achieving an international profile for its contemporary Aboriginal art.
Backbone tosses around the perception of what strength is and its limits. Backbone continues the stellar trajectory of Adelaide’s no-frills acrobatic sensations who are taking the world by storm.
'We know that art can reshape our perspective and transform lives in unexpected ways. The arts build social cohesion. They give us narratives to navigate our world.'
Tony Grybowski, Former Chief Executive Officer, Australia Council for the Arts
The Australia Council for the Arts supports the contemporary expression of visual art through the broadest range of visual media, including craft, design, media arts and visual arts. This support includes grants to living artists and funding for contemporary arts organisations as well as national and international exhibitions and events.
By providing support to living artists and arts organisations the Australia Council aims to encourage the engagement of people in Australia and elsewhere in innovative visual art. The Australia Council also allocates funds on behalf of the Visual Arts and Craft Strategy.
Pat Brassington is a leading Australia artist working in photo-media. With a career spanning four decades, her practice reflects a strong interest in surrealism, feminism and psychoanalysis.
Pat has said of her works; ‘I aim to pitch my images just off the verge of normality, into those dense patches where the commonplace goes awry.’
Pat Brassington’s work is held in many private and public collections including the Art Gallery of New South Wales; Queensland Art Gallery and the National Gallery of Australia.
The Australia Council Visual Arts Award acknowledges the exceptional achievements of an Australian artist who has made an outstanding contribution to the development of Australian art.
Past award recipients include Susan Cohn (2017), Richard Bell (2016), Judy Watson (2015), Fiona Foley (2014) and Tracey Moffatt (2012).
The Australia Council has a long and proud history of partnering with philanthropic foundations, corporations and individual donors to co-invest in the arts. Together we have realised unforgettable creative experiences.
International residencies provide a unique opportunity for artists to immerse themselves in a new arts context, market, community and culture. The experience enables artists to articulate their practice within a global context.
The 2016-17 Australia Council for the Arts Annual Report was tabled on 23 October 2017. The report outlines key achievements and outcomes during the second full year of activity under its Strategic Plan.
The Australia Council for the Arts has released new research which examines the economic conditions faced by practising professional artists in Australia and their increasing value to society and the future of work.
The Australia Council delivers the Visual Arts and Craft Strategy (VACS) which is a formal agreement between the Commonwealth, State and Territory Governments to support the Australian contemporary visual arts sector.
This survey is the third in a landmark series by the Australia Council for the Arts, following editions in 2009 and 2013. It measures Australians’ engagement with the arts in 2016.
