NERAM – 40 years strong
Armidale’s own New England Regional Art Museum (NERAM) is celebrating 40 years in the New England Community this year. FOUND Regional recently chatted with the gallery’s Director, Rachael Parsons, about where it all began, the highs along the way, and plans afoot for the next 40 years.
Where it all began…
It all started with Howard Hinton. Between 1929 and his death in 1948, the retired shipping company director bought and donated over 1000 artworks to the newly built Armidale Teachers’ College. The condition of the donations was that the collection stay intact and always publicly available. So when the Teachers’ College transitioned from a public to a private structure, there was a strong community campaign to build a new space to house the collection. At the time, a gallerist from Armidale called Chandler Coventry also stepped in and pledged to donate his own art collection if the community could raise the funds to build a gallery – which they did. So Hinton’s collection of early Australian impressionist works combined with Coventry’s collection of over 150 modern Australian and international artists form the cornerstone of why NERAM was built. Doors officially opened on 26 March 1983 and over the past 40 years, the space has evolved into the dynamic gallery we know and love today.
The highs along the way…
There have been many. Firstly, the longstanding Packsaddle Exhibition has served as a continual fundraiser for NERAM for the past 38 years. Originally established by four female artists, the external annual exhibition has raised commissions in excess of half a million dollars. This money is then gifted to NERAM either through acquisitions of new artwork, conservation of our collections or as a contribution for a range of building projects.
The UNE School Acquisitive Art Prize, Let’s Hang It, is also celebrating its 20th anniversary this year – so we’re welcoming all previous winners back to celebrate. This constant engagement with schools and young artists ensures NERAM is playing its role in supporting the next generation of creatives.
In 2021 we also welcomed the first big showing of our First Nations Collection, entitled Juncture. This was a really important exhibition for us and one I’m especially proud to have been involved with, along with my pet project the Winter Blooming Festival and the launch of Culture Club. NERAM is really committed to supporting diverse voices and making sure everyone feels welcome – these projects help us do just that.
A big highlight for this year was the opening of Wonders of Hinton – a new display of works from his collection. You’ll still see some crowd favourites such as Tom Roberts’ Mosman’s Bay (1894), but the majority of works are pieces that didn’t appear in the first display.
Plans afoot for the next 40 years…
The NERAM team, along with our incredible community of 100-plus active volunteers, are looking forward to delivering this year’s jam-packed program, including 30 exhibitions, and a whole range of incredible workshops and events. We’ll celebrate our 40 years with a long lunch on 26 March and a gala event in July (everyone’s invited!) and are also looking to the next 40 years, our continuing purpose in the community and what we need to support that. A big part of facilitating that comes down to the building itself, so we’re currently working on a new masterplan for a development and extension. Watch this space!
Make friends with NERAM
Last year NERAM experienced its largest ever visitation – keep this good thing going by becoming a friend of NERAM, volunteering or simply checking out the exciting calendar of exhibitions and events planned for the year ahead. To find out more, visit the gallery’s website and social media accounts.
