2011-12 Report

Chair's overview

Queensland Art Gallery Board of Trustees Annual Report 2011–12 07

In the year under review, the Gallery has strategically pursued

avenues to further expand, exhibit, publish on and care for

the State Collection. This year 680 new works were acquired,

bringing the total number of works in the Collection to

15 686. Donations, primarily through the Gallery’s fundraising

body, the Queensland Art Gallery Foundation, were used

to acquire art works for the Collection. I acknowledge the

exceptional contributions we have received this year from

Foundation President Tim Fairfax,

, and Gina Fairfax; the

Josephine Ulrick and Win Schubert Diversity Foundation; Henry

Bartlett,

CMG

OBE

; James C Sourris,

; Cathryn Mittelheuser,

, and Margaret Mittelheuser,

, along with the art works

gifted to the Gallery by many generous benefactors, including

Yayoi Kusama; Kay Bryan; Dr Paul Eliadis; James C Sourris,

; the Josephine Ulrick and Win Schubert Foundation for the

Arts; and Philip Bacon,

. This year the Foundation focused on

increasing individual giving through private benefaction events

such as the launch of the new Bequest program, the Annual

Dinner and Annual Appeal to acquire a group of rare historical

Queensland Aboriginal artefacts.

In April 2012, the Queensland Art Gallery’s Australian

collection galleries were named the Josephine Ulrick and Win

Schubert Galleries, in honour of the exceptional contributions

made by Foundation member Mrs Win Schubert to the

Queensland Art Gallery’s Collection. The Tim Fairfax Family

Foundation has also continued its extraordinary support of

major Children’s Art Centre programs and publishing, which

has assisted the Gallery to expand the scale, scope and reach

of programs for children and families throughout Queensland.

I also acknowledge the group of companies that comprise

the Chairman’s Circle for their support as Major Sponsor of

‘Contemporary Australia: Women’. We gratefully acknowledge

the generous assistance and donations we have received over

the past 12 months from all our sponsors and supporters,

corporate and private benefactors, and collectors and artists.

A full schedule of the exhibition program, acknowledging

partners and sponsors, appears on pages 82–93.

The pursuit of our goals throughout 2011–12 has been in

accordance with the

Queensland Art Gallery Act 1987

;

the

Queensland Art Gallery Strategic Plan 2011–16

and

Operational Plan 2011–16

; and our two specific purpose plans,

the Queensland Art Gallery Asset Strategic Plan 2011–12

and

Queensland Art Gallery Information Communication and

Technology Resources Strategic Plan 2011–16

The Gallery’s risk management process has included a

strategic risk framework, a strategic risk assessment process,

an Audit and Risk Management Committee and an internal

audit function. The strategic risk framework, prepared in

line with the international standard ISO 31000:2009

Risk

management — Principles and guidelines

, provided guidance

on how the Gallery managed its overall risk during the

reporting period. The findings of risk assessments were

taken into account in the Gallery’s broader planning process.

There were a number of significant operations and new

initiatives executed in 2011–12. A new corporate brand was

implemented, aligning the Gallery’s achievements since

becoming two sites with its ambitions for the future. QAGOMA,

the new acronym and logo for the Queensland Art Gallery |

Gallery of Modern Art, celebrates the individuality of each

building and its programming directions while uniting the

institution as two intrinsic parts of a whole. The roll-out of the

new brand began with ‘Matisse: Drawing Life’ and has now

been successfully incorporated into corporate, operational and

promotional material.

In December, the food and beverage outlets opened for the

first time under Gallery management. This was undertaken

as a strategic initiative to ensure a high quality of service and

to enhance visitor experience through integrated exhibition and

public program theming. QAGOMA Catering also supplies our

corporate and private functions.

Following the Queensland state election in March 2012,

we welcomed the new Liberal National Party (LNP)

Government. During this report period the Gallery has

addressed key aspects of the Government’s Getting

Queensland back on track pledges to grow a four-pillar

economy and revitalise front-line services, and in doing

so has fostered a diverse and inclusive arts community.

The success we have enjoyed this year would not have been

possible without the considerable support provided by the

Queensland Government. In particular I acknowledge the

Honourable Campbell Newman,

, Premier of Queensland;

the Honourable Ros Bates,

, Minister for Science, Information

Technology, Innovation and the Arts; Philip Reed, Director-

General, Department of Science, Information Technology,

Innovation and the Arts; and the staff at Arts Queensland.

I also offer our sincere gratitude to the Honourable Janet

Stuckey,

, Minister for Tourism, Major Events, Small

Business and the Commonwealth Games; and Stephen Gregg,

Chair, and Kirsten Herring, Acting Chief Executive Officer,

Events Queensland, for their support throughout the year.

Once again, I congratulate former Director Tony Ellwood

and the Gallery’s Executive Management Team for their

enthusiasm, leadership and achievements during this reporting

period. I also thank the Gallery Foundation Council and

Members, QAGOMA Members and staff for their outstanding

commitment to the Gallery. Finally, I acknowledge and thank

the Trustees during the period under review — Chair, Professor

John Hay,

, Dr Amanda Bell, Margie Fraser, John Lobban,

Avril Quaill, Rick Wilkinson, David Williams, Peter Young,

;

as well as Tim Fairfax,

. We are delighted to have welcomed

Suhanya Raffel to the role of Acting Director, from 23 July

2012, and I am honoured to be the newly appointed Chair of

the Queensland Art Gallery Board of Trustees.