MAAS-2016-Year-In-Review.Pdf.Pdf

Image: Visitor to Isabella Blow: A Fashionable Life. Photographer: Jayne Ion. Key 15% Increase to overall MAAS achievements visitation to 711,500 62,000+ Educational visits from schools across New South Wales of 2016 2 New exhibitions and displays, 10,000+ and 227 public programs Objects from the MAAS delivered across MAAS venues collection on display

173 5.3M+ Collection objects Visits to the MAAS website loaned to Australian and international institutions

OPEN

Reopened Museums Discovery Centre in Castle Hill, in collaboration with Launched the MAAS Australian Museum and Centre for STEAM Sydney Living Museums

C D Free kids Experience initiative Summer From talking to our visitors, we know museum goers are increasingly seeking blockbusters immersive and interactive experiences, as well as experiences which provide Education the opportunity to be social and learn more about an area of interest. Museums Over the course of the year, MAAS sought to provide experiences that meet all of these expectations. From Discovery Centre the summer blockbusters, The Art of the Brick: DC Comics, and Egyptian Mummies: Exploring Ancient Lives from the British Museum, to a Sydney world-premiere exhibition under the banner of Centre for Fashion, a collaboration with the Museum Observatory of Art and Design in New York, the adults-only MAASive Lates evening events, and a Free Weekend for nearly 40,000 people across Festivals venues, visitors were encouraged to be inquisitive and hands-on. Touring

E F Image: Visitor to Out of Hand: Materialising the Digital. Photographer: Jayne Ion. Free Kids Initiative

Introduced by the NSW Government in July 2015, the Free Kids initiative allows free general admission to the Powerhouse Museum for children 16 years and under, including students visiting with their school.

Throughout 2016, this initiative saw visits by children increase by 6%, with many participating in free school holiday activities.

The anniversary of this initiative was celebrated at the end of June, with both the Powerhouse Museum and Sydney Observatory hosting a Free Weekend, in partnership with Australian Museum, attended by just under 40,000 people over the course of the two days.

Image: Visitor to the monochromatic room in Experimentations. Photographer: Marinco Kojdanovski.

I J Summer Blockbusters

The summer period always has a strong focus on families, and this year was no exception. World premiere, The Art of the Brick: Egyptian Mummies: Exploring Ancient DC Comics plunged visitors into a Lives, direct from the British Museum, nostalgic world of superheroes and opened at the Powerhouse Museum LEGO® with 120 sculptures of heroes in early December and continues and villains from the DC universe the Museum’s commitment to fostering crafted by artist, Nathan Sawaya. international partnerships to bring the best to Sydney. The exhibition was seen by over 163,000 visitors during its season at Touring the Powerhouse Museum, a season MAAS regularly tours exhibitions extended by popular demand, and was throughout Australia, extending the successful in engaging both lapsed reach of the collection and engaging visitors and new audiences from across regional and interstate audiences. Australia, with support from partner Two key exhibitions toured throughout Destination NSW. the year, Winning Sky Photos: The David Malin Awards 2015 and Faith, Fashion, Fusion: Muslim Women’s Style in Australia.

Image: Visitors to The Art of the Brick: DC Overall o•site visitation was 14% Comics. Photographer: Jayne Ion. higher than 2015–16.

L Image: Visitors to The Art of the Brick: DC Comics exhibition. Photographer: Jayne Ion.

M N Education

Most Sydney-based visitors are introduced to MAAS during their schooling years. This year over 62,000 school students For the šrst time, the Young Creators had an experience at the Powerhouse Conference was o•ered in parallel Museum, Sydney Observatory to the Sydney Maker Faire, giving or Museums Discovery Centre. Given centre stage to students using coding, the ubiquitous nature of visiting MAAS making, and additive and subtractive venues with school, and in pursuit of manufacturing techniques as part of best practice, the education and digital their learning experience. learning team strives for continual evolution of the o•er.

The Education team pioneered new co-designed learning pilots in preparation for the opening of the Museums Discovery Centre, and used video conferencing to Image: Exhibiting students at the Young bring experts and new experiences Creators Conference. to schools around Australia. Photographer: Valentina Schulte.

O P Indigenous Leadership

MAAS celebrated the development and implementation of a ground-breaking Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property Protocol; and the roll-out of our inaugural Reconciliation Action Plan.

Relationships with the Aboriginal and Through programming, the cultural Torres Strait Islander Community relevance of exhibitions is demonstrated were strengthened through thoughtful to diverse communities and the processes of engagement and sophistication of Indigenous ways of endorsement, and in return received doing and ways of knowing is shared the gifts of advocacy and support. with cultural authority and integrity.

ATSI staŸng was increased, with a Partnerships have been established welcome now provided at reception by around Indigenous business across the talented young Indigenous people. The education, science and design sectors Museum has contributed signišcantly and respect for new ways of working to the promotion of Indigenous cultural are growing. values, perspectives and knowledges; and created platforms for the sharing MAAS has shown great leadership to of those values and perspectives. the sector and will continue to build and strengthen the demonstrations of our deep commitment to creating a cohesive community where knowledge is shared and truly valued.

Q R Museums Discovery Centre In a unique collaboration, MAAS reopened the refurbished Museums Discovery Centre (MDC) in September, in partnership with Australian Museum and Sydney Living Museums.

Through six themed spaces, which While the site is run in partnership, take advantage of visible storage MAAS assumes responsibility for display methods, the MDC o•ers the day to day operations and the unprecedented public access to the coordination of a group of volunteers diverse and rich collections of three who are central to extending of Australia’s leading museums. engagement with community through Combined, these collections total this venue. to millions of objects. A free, celebratory weekend marked The upgrade also included the the opening of this new venue, construction of a new 9,000 square re-engaging the local Hills District metre deep store, shared by each community. Over the two day period of the museums. With storage being the MDC welcomed over 6000 visitors, a continual challenge for inner city with 82% visiting for the šrst time and museums around the world, this 39% making their šrst museum visit new facility will assist in sustainable in a year. collection growth and care for each museum and provide an example of Image: Visitors to the Museums Discovery best practice collection management. Centre. Photographer: Ryan Hernandez.

T

Sydney Observatory

Given its positioning in the heart of The Rocks, Sydney Observatory is a key pillar of the MAAS tourism strategy with 57% of visitors based outside of Sydney.

Throughout the year, using solar The ever-popular night tours at Sydney telescopes, the Observatory team Observatory o•er a unique opportunity sought to increase visibility within to see the wonders of the Southern the tourist market by conducting free night sky. This year night tours were weekly viewing sessions in Circular expanded to include a family tour Quay. These sessions were enjoyed earlier in the evening, with guides by approximately 600 people per day. available to answer the big questions from our littlest visitors. An annual talk series and astronomy courses for adults were new learning experiences added to the o•er throughout 2015-16, and highlighted the demand for access to experts in astronomy. Overall, the Observatory increased its visits by 16% year on year.

Image: Visitors solar gazing at Sydney Observatory. Photographer: Lindy Goodwin.

W Festivals

Sydney Science Festival, Sydney Mini Maker Faire, and Sydney Design Festival provide MAAS with the opportunity to work collaboratively with close to 150 partners across greater Sydney to deliver events and exhibitions throughout August and September.

The diverse programs offered by each “This festival is a great initiative for The Sydney Design Festival, now in “I thought the range of speakers was festival provide both novice and expert public science communication, allowing its 19th year, programmed around the great, it was excellent to see all areas programs into areas of science and people from all ages and backgrounds theme ‘Make or Break’, examined the of art and design represented. The design practice, with visitors able to to engage in everyday science. It’s also tension between success and failure venue was perfect and I thought the attend specialised talks and workshops a great way to combat some of the and explored how designers creatively moderator ran the event excellently. ” with local and international experts, stereotypes that the public holds about use and deconstruct production — Female attended one event at as well as larger scale social events. scientists - one person was quite shocked methods and design histories to create the festival to hear that I was a researcher when solutions. The Festival attracted over The Sydney Science Festival, in they met me! I particularly liked your 65,000 participants over the 10 day partnership with Inspiring Australia, initiative towards including Indigenous period, with support from 65 program ran throughout National Science science as a large component partners. An advisory board assisted in Week and delivered over 100 events of this year’s program.” building greater engagement with key to 62,270 attendees. The ten day — Scientist and presenting partner industry stakeholders. festival showcased the work of nearly 300 scientists and researchers and garnered over $1.7M in media coverage, all with the aim to increase the visibility of science in Sydney and inspire young people to study and practice science.

Y Z Image: Crowds enjoying the Sydney Design Festival. Photographer: Jayne Ion. AA AB Collection

Museums are defined by their collections. The MAAS collection, acquired through purchase, bequest and donation over a 134 year period, tells the story of human creativity, ingenuity and innovation.

The inherently hybrid nature of the The Museum is also the recipient collection sets the scene for rich of object loans to be displayed in storytelling and exploration. temporary exhibitions. As part of a best practice approach, MAAS this While best practice collection year became accredited under the management requires that not all of Protection of Cultural Objects on the collection can be on display, MAAS Loan Act 2013, (PCOL Act). One of continually seeks opportunities to only a few Australian cultural agencies facilitate access to and interrogation to accredited, this process affords of its collection. Throughout the MAAS a greater degree of legitimacy year, almost 200 objects were loaned with international agencies lending around Australia and internationally their objects. to institutions including the Wellcome Collection and Victoria & Albert Museum, London, the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne and Museum of Old and New Art, Hobart.

Image: Dress and ‘Aero’ shoes, ‘Lucid’ collection, Autumn/ Winter 2016-17, designed by Iris van Herpen. Image courtesy of Team Peter Stigter and collaborating artist Philip Beesley. AD Key Collection Acquisitions The Museum added 833 new objects to its collection over the course of the year. These included the USA Chandelier and the Merrepen textiles.

Image: Ceramic sculpture, ‘Black Tailed Swamp Wallaby 9’ made by Peter Cooley. Photographer: Michael Myers.

AE AF USA Chandelier

The ‘USA Chandelier’, from art installation Crystal Palace: The Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nuclear Nations, by Ken and Julia Yonetani embodies the art-science intersection, a strategic focal point of the MAAS collection.

The Chandelier is one of 31 uranium glass chandeliers created as a response to the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan. Each chandelier is made up of hundreds of vintage uranium beads and radioactive glass has been used by the artists as a means of exploring the fear of radiation that Japan has been living with.

USA Chandelier was purchased with funds donated through the annual appeal and from the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences Foundation, 2016.

Image: ‘USA Chandelier’ from art installation Crystal Palace: The Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nuclear Nations, by Ken and Julia Yonetani. Image supplied.

AG AH Merrepen textiles Six outstanding contemporary Aboriginal textile lengths were acquired from the exhibition Following lines: Art and Ecology from Merrepen held at Sydney’s The Cross Art Projects gallery, enriching the Museum’s disciplines of decorative arts, design and contemporary culture.

Merrepen artists, from Nauiyu on the Together, the works reflect outstanding Daly River, 225 km southwest of Darwin, contemporary Indigenous art and are currently at the forefront of a design practice, complementing resurging Indigenous textile movement. MAAS’s existing woven, screenprinted The surfaces of their textiles reveal an and batik Aboriginal and Torres Strait intimate understanding of the natural Island (ATSI) textile collection. The environment and personal histories. artists visited the Museum during April Works by four leading Merrepen artists 2016 to view the textiles on display. were selected: Gracie Kumbi (Merrepen Purchased 2016. and Yam), Marita Sambono (Fog Dreaming), Ann Carmel Mulvien (Lotus Leaf) and Telstra award-winning young artist/designer, Kieren Karritpul (Fish Nets and Yerrgi).

Image: ‘Merrepen’, a screenprinted textile length on linen, designed and made by Gracie Kumbi, Merrepen Art Centre, Nauiyu on the Daly River, Northern Territory, Australia, 2013 (2016/8/1). Collection: Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences. Photographer: Marinco Kojdanovski. AI AJ Self- Generated Income While the Museum is a State funded cultural agency, its ability to generate revenue through admissions, retail, food and beverage offers, membership and relationships with partners and donors are critical to its ongoing success.

Development income for 2016 Working with the appointed onsite totalled more than $4.6 million from caterer, Create Consulting, and cash, in-kind and philanthropic continuing its management of the partnerships in support of innovative MAAS Store, the Museum’s commercial exhibitions, public programs, collection revenue almost doubled year on year. acquisitions and school education programs. The Museum aligned itself with a number of new sponsors and partners, with a focus on partnering for shared interests around the key disciplines.

Image: The MAAS Store. Photographer: Marinco Kojdanovski.

AK MAAS Centres

The MAAS Centres are a strategic approach to working with partners in focus discipline areas. The Centre for Science, Technology, In November, the Centre for STEAM Engineering, Arts and Mathematics partnered with the Australian Business (STEAM), launched in November 2016, and Community Network (ABCN) seeks to make STEAM relevant and and Microsoft to launch Full STEAM engaging for audiences of all ages. Ahead, a program designed to give over 1000 under-represented Year 8 The Centre sees MAAS collaborate students across Australia the STEAM with corporate and education partners, skills they need to create change in the including principal partner, Microsoft, world. A new hands-on digital learning and tertiary education partner, Western space, The Lab, and interactive science Sydney University, to deliver a range gallery, Experimentations opened in of STEAM-based initiatives that the Powerhouse Museum coinciding improve the accessibility, quality and with the launch of the Centre, and creativity of learning opportunities for MAAS-developed ThinkerShields were teachers, parents and young people. distributed to schools and students to support the Western Sydney Coding Club.

Image: VR experience during a Teach Meet hosted at Powerhouse Museum. Photographer: Felix Warmuth.

AM AN The Centre for Fashion, established The exhibition was developed as a in 2015, unites a diverse range of world premiere in partnership with the specialists, industry šgures and Isabella Blow Foundation, with support audiences to celebrate, experience from strategic partner Destination and think deeper about the evolution, NSW, major partners Westšeld business, context and the art of fashion. Sydney and Woolmark, and supporting partners Garde Robe and QT Sydney. Headlining the Centre for Fashion Daphne Guinness, patron for the o•er this year was Isabella Blow: Isabella Blow Foundation, also travelled A Fashionable Life, an exhibition of to Australia for the launch of the looks worn by the late English stylist, exhibition, and joined Harper’s Bazaar editor and fashion muse, Isabella Blow. Editor, Kellie Hush, for a sold-out in conversation event.

Image: Visitor to Isabella Blow: A Fashionable Life, presented by the MAAS Centre for Fashion. Photographer: Leïla Berney.