Museums and Australia’s Greek textile heritage: the desirability and ability of State museums to be inclusive of diverse cultures through the reconciliation of public cultural policies with private and community concerns. Ann Coward Bachelor of General Studies (BGenStud) Master of Letters, Visual Arts & Design (MLitt) A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy School of Art History and Theory College of Fine Arts University of New South Wales December, 2006 ORIGINALITY STATEMENT ‘I hereby declare that this submission is my own work and to the best of my knowledge it contains no materials previously published or written by another person, or substantial proportions of material which have been accepted for the award of any other degree or diploma at UNSW or any other educational institution, except where due acknowledgement is made in the thesis. Any contribution made to the research by others, with whom I have worked at UNSW or elsewhere, is explicitly acknowledged in the thesis. I also declare that the intellectual content of this thesis is the product of my own work, except to the extent that assistance from others in the project’s design and conception or in style, presentation and linguistic expression is acknowledged.’ Signed .................................................................. ABSTRACT This thesis explores the desirability of Australia’s State museums to be inclusive of diverse cultures. In keeping with a cultural studies approach, and a commitment to social action, emphasis is placed upon enhancing the ability of State museums to fulfil obligations and expectations imposed upon them as modern collecting institutions in a culturally diverse nation. By relating the desirability and ability of State museums to attaining social justice in a multicultural Australia through broadening the concept of Australia’s heritage, the thesis is firmly situated within post-colonial discourse. The thesis analyses State multicultural, heritage, and museum legislation, in New South Wales, Victoria, and Queensland, with regard to State museums as agents of cultural policy. Results from a survey, Greeks and Museums, conducted amongst Australia’s Greeks in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, reveal an anomaly between their museum-going habits and the perception of those habits as expressed by government policies promoting the inclusion of Australians of a non-English speaking background in the nation’s cultural programmes. In exploring the issue of inclusiveness, the thesis highlights the need for cultural institutions to shift the emphasis away from audience development, towards greater audience participation. The thesis outlines an initiative-derived Queensland Model for establishing an inclusive relationship between museums and communities, resulting in permanent, affordable, and authoritative collections, while simultaneously improving the museums’ international reputation and networking capabilities. By using the example of one of the nation’s non-indigenous communities, and drawing upon material obtained through the survey, and a catalogue containing photographs and lists of Greek textile collections found in the Powerhouse Museum (MAAS), Sydney, the National Gallery of Victoria and the Immigration Museum, Melbourne, the Queensland Art Gallery and the Queensland Museum, Brisbane, as well as collections owned by private individuals, the thesis focuses on the role played by museums in constructing social cohesion and inclusiveness. i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank my supervisor, Dr Arianne Rourke, for encouragement, support, advice and enthusiasm over the years. I wish also to thank Associate Professor Joanna Mendelssohn for her guidance, and UTS Pro-Vice-Chancellor Sue Rowley (formerly Head of School, Art History and Theory, College of Fine Arts UNSW) who, as my initial supervisor, encouraged my interest in Australia’s Greek community, particularly with regards to the textiles made by the women. I would like to especially thank Maria Zueva of the UNSW Independent Learning Centre. A document of this length can become unwielding, and Maria’s ability to grasp the central argument of my thesis proved crucial in determining its final form. Gratitude is expressed for the encouragement given by Father Miltiades Chryssavgis in the establishing of an occasional Textile Study Group in the year 2000 which met on Sundays after Divine Liturgy at the Greek Orthodox Church of St George, Rose Bay, Sydney. An informal arrangement whereby one or two people brought along items from their collections of embroideries, weavings and so on, it attracted not only the parish women but also some of the men who associated needlework skills with childhood memories of mother, aunts and grandmothers. For all of those who took part in the meetings, I convey my gratitude and particularly wish to acknowledge Mrs Soula Harris whose extensive textile collection served as an inspiration. Soula’s collection includes items made by her late aunt, Athanasia Asimacopoulo, a professional embroideress in Greece. I also wish to thank the following people (and apologise sincerely to those whose names may have been omitted): For the Catalogue Professor Manuel Aroney (for encouragement and guidance) the late Maria Confos Sia Morris Fani Antoniou Efstratia Koresis Ann Kyranis Julie Nichles Aspasia ‘Souki/Sia’ Patty Marianthi Syrmis Marina Euthimeou Father Chris Dimolianis for hospitality, and for giving me access to private textile collections ii Christina Sumner (Acting Senior Curator, International Decorative Arts and Design, Powerhouse Museum) Lindie Ward (Curator, Powerhouse Museum) Susan Dimasi (NGV) Philip Jago (Publications Manager, NGV) Karen Meehan (Public Relations Officer, Immigration Museum) Moya McFadzean (Curator, Australian Society, Museum Victoria) Judith Wassell (Senior Curator, Cultures and History (QM) Glenn Cooke (Curator, Queensland Heritage, QAG) Peter Volk (Assistant Collections Manager, Social History, QM) Amanda Gardner (Librarian, QAG Reseach Library) Kathy Buckley (Librarian, QM) for providing data, access to data and to textile collections For the Survey Dimitri Kepreotes for advice about distributing the survey The Greek Orthodox parish priests in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and the Gold Coast, and the women of their parishes, for distributing the survey questionnaire. In particular, Helen Passaris Toula Marendy Dr Glenn Wilson (CSIRO) for checking the survey methodology, results and conclusions For the Queensland Model Dr Stavros Vlizos (Assistant to the Director, Benaki Museum, Athens) for agreeing, on short notice, to travel to Brisbane in support of the Queensland women’s initiative Dr Nick Pappas (Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Powerhouse Museum) Dr Kevin Fewster (Director, Powerhouse Museum) Brad Baker (Manager of Exhibition Development, Powerhouse Museum) Paul Donnelly (Curator, International Decorative Arts and Design, Powerhouse Museum) Mandy Campbell (Publicist, Powerhouse Museum) Julie Donaldson (Manager Publishing, Powerhouse Museum) for allowing me to ‘steal’ their guest, Dr Vlizos, and assisting me in every way possible to make his Brisbane visit a success iii Dr Graeme Potter (Deputy Director, QM) Dr Margaret Kowald (Head of Collections, Cultures and Histories, QM) for welcoming negotiations towards an inclusive relationship with the members of Queensland’s Greek community Doug Hall (Director, QAG) Lynne Seare (Assistant Director, QAG) Andrew Clark (Assistant Director, QAG) for generous hospitality during Dr Vlizos’ brief visit to Brisbane the late Alex Freeleagus (Honorary Consul for Greece) Tom Drakopoulos (President, Cultural Committee of the Greek Orthodox Parish of St George, Sth Brisbane) for making Dr Vlizos’ visit a memorable occasion Irene Cayas (Senior Vice-President, Qld ECC and Vice-President of the Ladies Auxiliary, Greek Orthodox Church of the Dormition of the Theotokos, Mt Gravatt, QLD) Helen Passaris for organising the Brisbane women’s show and tell workshop and taking part in negotiations with the Queensland Museum Dr Michael Marendy for taking part in the Brisbane women’s workshop and for conveying the women’s concerns to Dr Margaret Kowald of the Queensland Museum Nick Malaxos (Australian Greek Museum Foundation) Lula Saunders (formerly of the Australian Museum, Sydney) for advice regarding the Benaki Museum For the Recording of data Dr Lew Whitbourn (CSIRO) Paul Coward for assisting with photographic, computer and other technical equipment For Keeping others informed editors Louisa Wright (editor, UNIKEN) Ikaros Kyriacou (chief editor, TO BHMA - The VEMA) Eleni Malanos (former editor, The Kytherian) for publishing articles about events resulting from my research iv For Monetary assistance For supplementing my Australian Postgraduate Award, I wish to thank the Embroiderers’ Guild of NSW for awarding me a Jean Vere Scholarship; Mr Victor Kepreotis, President of the Kytherian Association of Australia, and the Trustees of the Nicholas Anthony Aroney Trust for granting me funds from the Aroney Trust, enabling me to invite a member of the Benaki Museum to Queensland to support the efforts of the women of Queensland’s Greek community in establishing a permanent museum collection of their textiles; the College of Fine Arts, UNSW, for a travel grant. For Being there James C. Sourris and Marica Sourris Dr Con and Voula Castan and members of the Solomos Greek Australian Cultural Society Dennis and Irene Cayas Helen Passaris Sia Patty and husband, Peter (for