2006/24 CAUL Survey on University Art Collections

No of respondents 11

1. Bond University 2. Central Queensland University 3. Council of Australian University Museums & Art Collections (CAUMAC) 4. Macquarie University 5. Swinburne University of Technology 6. University of Ballarat 7. University of Canberra 8. University of Newcastle 9. University of New England 10. University of South Australia 11. University of Technology, Sydney

Initial request for information:

The Vice-Chancellor has asked me to take on the management of the University’s art collection.

We don’t have a gallery as such but have a database and a few valuable paintings dotted around our campuses.

I’ve tracked down the information on CAUMAC and had a useful discussion with Greg Anderson at Newcastle as they play a similar role.

I’d be interested to hear from any colleagues who manage this function as an adjunct to the Library. Any tips on plans, budgets, staffing etc or referrals gratefully appreciated.

Philip G Kent University Librarian Victoria University

Phone: +613 9919 4946 Fax: +613 9919 4117 Mobile: +61 412 031 150 Email: [email protected] Summary:

Six University Libraries have responsibility for the Art Collection.

Key issues include:

 Funding  Staffing  Indexing and Auditing of collections  Insurance

Useful templates are provided by Ballarat and UNE. Membership of CAUMAC seems worthwhile. Responses: 1. Bond University

I have also been given responsibility for the Art Gallery. I have just done a discussion paper for the VC on the future directions etc. Happy to discuss it in more detail. We do have an Art gallery, but our art collection is scattered throughout the campus.

C:\My Documents\CAUL\2006\CAUL Survey on University Art Collections.doc AG Page 1 of 5 We will be working with the Gold Coast Art Gallery to arrange a few exhibitions from their collections next year, we hope. I have asked for a small budget to organise these exhibitions. If you have DGR status for cultural gifts from the ATO, then your plans and policies may need to reflect that. We receive requests from various groups and organisations to use the Gallery for exhibitions from time to time which can be challenging at times. But our plans are linked to the refurbishment of the Gallery and Main Library in the long term. Regards Gulcin

Gulcin Cribb Director, Library Services Bond University Gold Coast, Queensland 4229 Australia Tel: +61 7 5595 1408 Fax: +61 7 5595 1480 Mobile: 0439 951001 Email: [email protected] Website: http://www.bond.edu.au/Library/staff/staffcribb.htm 2. Central Queensland University

I've also just inherited the art collection. A major part of the collection is registered in the University's asset management system however there still bits and pieces all scattered throughout the University. We're intending to properly record the collection in the catalogue so that we can track where it is and circulate it appropriately. As part of this we're intending to place images of the pieces in our repository. There are no formal policies regarding the collection so one of our major tasks is to develop a policy to ensure consistent management of the collection. (If anybody has one I'd be interested to receive a copy).

Graham Black Director, Division of Library Services Central Queensland University

Building 10, CQ Mail Centre Rockhampton Qld 4702

Ph: +61 7 49309435 Fax: +61 7 49036436 Mob: +61 (0)417601397 email: [email protected]

Http://www.library.cqu.edu.au 3. Council of Australian University Museums & Art Collections (CAUMAC) is a Special Interest Group (SIG) of the professional body Museums Australia.

To join you need to join Museums Australia and ask for membership of our SIG.

You can get these details from the Museums Australia website http://www.museumsaustralia.org.au/ You'll find a link to membership information on this page and it will take you to downloadable forms. The "About Us" link from the drop down menu has information of the SIGs including ours. Your university will hopefully see value in joining the group and therefore cover the membership fees (I hope!)

To link up with some colleagues in Melbourne, I'd suggest La Trobe's Art Curator Vince Alessi, and the Director of RMIT's Gallery Suzanne Davies ([email protected])

I've attached the latest copy of our newsletter to give you a sense of what we're about.

C:\My Documents\CAUL\2006\CAUL Survey on University Art Collections.doc AG Page 2 of 5 CA UMAC new sletter v14(1) Best regards

Andrew

Andrew Simpson Science Museums Division of Environmental and Life Sciences Macquarie University NSW 2109 ph (61 2) 98508183 fax (61 2) 98509671 email: [email protected] http://www.museums.mq.edu.au http://www.els.mq.edu.au/museumstudies 4. Macquarie University

The Library used to have responsibility for this but we now have an Art Gallery Manager and curators whose role it is. There is an extensive art collection and also museum collections on campus. We now provide wall space to hang the art but don't manage it. Make sure you get adequate resourcing to take this on......

Maxine Brodie Macquarie University University Librarian 5. Swinburne University of Technology

Here I more or less have management of the university's art collection. We are cataloguing, digitising, valuing, copyright clearing it and putting it online. We don't have a gallery either (well, a small one) and we have art scattered around. We also seem to have acquired the photographic collection. See http://images.swinburne.edu.au

Its all managed by Sara Jervis - feel free to get in touch!

Derek Whitehead Director, Information Resources and University Copyright Officer Swinburne University of Technology tel. (03) 9214 8333 6. University of Ballarat

A belated response - Information about the UB art and historical collections including Acquisition Management and Collections Policy and Procedure is available at http://www.ballarat.edu.au/fdp/history/ I have attached a print copy of the policy - when I last checked the link on the website was active for internal UB access only.

museums_pol museums_proced ure

Our curator has commented "In my opinion it doesn't give the nitty gritty of the acquisition process so if there is anyone that wants to discuss through exactly how we acquire, without the Uni Legal speak, they can email or phone" - contact details are on the above website.

Coincidently I was informed this morning that management of the art and historical collection is to be moved from within the financial and governance portfolio where it currently resides, to Information Services/Library from 2007.

Regards, Leeanne.

Leeanne Pitman,

C:\My Documents\CAUL\2006\CAUL Survey on University Art Collections.doc AG Page 3 of 5 Senior Librarian, Information Services, University of Ballarat, PO Box 663, Ballarat, Victoria 3353.

Phone: 03 5327 9851 Mobile: 0438 279803 E-mail: [email protected] 7. University of Canberra

I don't manage the collection but the Art Curator (half-time position) has an office and storage space in the Library building - they report to the Vice-Chancellor (but I do get to have some of the best art works located in the Library!!)

Anita Crotty University Librarian 8. University of Newcastle

Greg Anderson asked me to send a few thoughts. We have recently inherited the Art Collection, and while it is not a part of the Library's responsibility, we are involved with the day-to-day management - a bit of a complicated reporting line. Both Library Services and the Art Collection are in the DVC's (Academic) portfolio, so it was expedient. It does get confused in that the Gallery falls within the School of Fine Arts bailiwick.

We also have had to identify future directions, and have called in International Conservation Services who will conduct a survey and significance report over the next few weeks. The Collection has not had a high profile in the past, and has not been managed as an asset, so we are working through a range of issues. I expect there would be a new governance system too.

Marion Wilson Associate Librarian, Corporate Services, Library Services, University of Newcastle. 2308

Phone : 61 2 4921 5824 Email : [email protected] 9. University of New England

Have recently taken on this function at UNE with the UNE Art Collection becoming the responsibility of the Heritage Centre who are part of the Library.

I have recently pulled together a budget document and position description to find someone to actually do the work – first duty will be to list what we have and then find it!! A stocktake was done in 2001 so we do have a basis to start from.

I’ve attached the cost-benefit document which has the funding requests included.

UNE Art Collection Costbenefit

If you have any questions I have no guarantees we can answer them yet but will give them our best shot.

I’ll be interested in the summary of responses to see who else has responsibility for the Art collection when you have all the responses.

Cheers Eve

C:\My Documents\CAUL\2006\CAUL Survey on University Art Collections.doc AG Page 4 of 5 ************************************* Evelyn Woodberry University Librarian University of New England Armidale NSW 2351 Australia phone +61 2 6773 2165 fax +61 2 6773 3943 email: [email protected] President, Council of Australian University Librarians www.caul.edu.au

10. University of South Australia UniSA has an art museum http://www.unisa.edu.au/artmuseum/ not part of the Library. However as its inventory was kept on an aged filemaker pro database, the Library has undertaken to transfer the records to an instance of our library catalogue. The collection policy can be found at http://www.unisa.edu.au/policies/policies/corporate/C25.asp

As well the Uni is drafting a policy for other collections (eg Architecture Museum, Libary collection etc) in line with many of the recommendations in the AVCC's 1996 publication Cinderella collections : university museums & collections in Australia : the report of the University Museums Review Committee.

Hope this helps

Cheers Helen Livingston 11. University of Technology, Sydney The Library does not have a role in managing the art collection of the University. Fortunately some of the items in its collection are able to be displayed in the Library

All the best with your survey

Regards Fides Datu Lawton

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