By Jem Anshaw
Muswellbrook Shire Council has been growing an impressive art collection for decades that now includes 1,600 works.
There are two collections that make up this impressive portfolio, the Muswellbrook Shire Art Collection and the Max Watters Collection.
“There is over 200 works that have been acquired through the Muswellbrook Art Prize, but not all of them are just as winners, there’s also ones that have been purchased on the advice of the adjudicator,” Elissa Emerson, Gallery Director, said.
“Then artists donate their works as well, because there is prestige with them being part of a collection like ours.”
Through acquisitive exhibitions the Shire has amassed a very diverse collection that includes photography, paintings, sculpture and more.
There are works from local artists as well as some from all over Australia that cover a range of subjects and themes.
“The Muswellbrook Art Prize has always been acquisitive, so you’ve got the whole history right here to then share with the community and do curated exhibitions which are drawn from past winners,” Elissa explained.
“For a community like Muswellbrook there’s a certain sense of pride with having a collection, it’s really a social history.
“So we’ve got work by artists that are going back to the late 50s and the 60s, because we’ve got the collection and are showing those works and documenting the history of Muswellbrook.”
The collection allows an insight into the regions history, like when the LiddellWORKS exhibition was on display the Gallery staff were able to curate a display with works relating to Liddell, Bayswater and local mines from the collection.
At the moment while the Mullins Conceptual Photography Prize is in the main gallery, the Max Watters Gallery features Abstract Photography From The Muswellbrook Collections.
“We try and include some very recently acquired work, so we have Sammy Hawker, who’s a recent winner of the Mullins Conceptual Photography Prize, and Merilyn Fairskye, who’s also a winner of the Mullins Conceptual Photography Prize, as well as Simone Darcy, who was a finalist,” Elissa said.
“We try and include those works alongside works that have been in the collection for a bit longer, but these ones are really just about looking at photography in a different way, abstract.”
Gallery staff aim to get all artworks in the collection out on display periodically, but anyone who is curious about what makes up the Muswellbrook Shire Art Collection or the Max Watters Collection is invited to take a back of house tour.
On Saturday mornings at 11am anyone can go in to the Muswellbrook Regional Art Centre and ask to see the collection in storage at 1-3 Bridge Street.
