This August 2014, Artbank will move headquarters to a new large scale facility in Sydney and in doing so will usher in a new era for this significant player in the contemporary art scene in Australia.
After thirty years operating out of a warehouse in Rosebery, Artbank, under the instigation of Director Tony Stephens, will take up residence in a purpose designed, multi-tiered space in Waterloo, adjacent to the Danks Street Gallery Precinct, and where a state-of-the-art collection store, administrative offices and significant public gallery will all operate.
Artbank holds one of the largest collections of Australian contemporary art in the world, second only to the National Gallery of Australia (NGA). With a broad range of both corporate and domestic clients, they have an annual leasing turnover in excess of $3.5M, plus an acquisition budget of up to $1M to purchase a diverse range of works each year. In short, they are an increasingly influential – albeit somewhat quiet – force in the contemporary art scene in this country… although this low profile will most assuredly move upwards with the opening of the new Waterloo base.
“This shift is the culmination of what I see as an essential part of Artbank’s mandate, and that is as a support program for Australian artists… who are such a vital component in the forming of our cultural identity”, said Stephens.
“This new facility will allow us much greater public interface, which will further aid in realising Artbank’s full potential. Art is for everybody, not simply the wealthy, and in simplest terms, we make contemporary art as accessible as any major public institution… perhaps even more so.
You can hardly walk into the NGA, see a beautiful Brett Whiteley painting and decide to take it home or to your office for a period. You can at Artbank”, Stephens added.
This move also continues with the redirecting of Artbank’s operations to better meet organisational objectives; namely supporting and promoting the value of Australian contemporary art. It will also allow the organisation to more effectively expose, engage with and educate clients, artists and the broader public about art through the range of programs and initiatives this new space will allow.
In addition to housing some 3,500 artworks and the Artbank team, the new facility will activate a diverse range of initiatives such as collaborations, performances and other special events which will broaden Artbank’s reach and appeal to a wider and more diverse market. This will include an annual exhibition program delivered through Artbank’s new public gallery spaces constructed as part of the redevelopment.
Stephens believes, “This is an exciting and logical evolution for Artbank. These exhibitions will provide essential opportunities for the collection to be activated and open to our clients and the public alike. But in true Artbank style, these shows are being conceptualised in a way that will offer something a little different from the traditional gallery experience”.
