About

The Morning Train
The Morning Train (1887), by Frederick McCubbin. Wikimedia Commons.

A century and a half of art

ART150 is a celebration throughout 2017 of the distinguished history of the Victorian College of the Art’s School of Art, its genesis in the National Gallery Art School in the 19th century, its rich 20th-century history and its 21st-century present and future.

We look forward to exploring the deep historical roots shared between the State Library of Victoria, at which the School of Art was established in 1867, and the University of Melbourne, which, as home to the VCA, continues that lineage today.

Get involved in the celebrations with a range of public events, lectures and workshops taking place throughout the year, and engaging arts commentary and analysis from some of our leading art thinkers. After all, this is your story too.

Welcome to ART150

Melbourne's art school

The Victorian College of the Arts was founded in 1972 under the directorship of Lenton Parr, drawing on the distinguished histories of its many antecedent institutions to provide artists with intensive, specialist, studio-based training and education.

The critical aspects were to value artists as teachers; to recognise that the training of emerging artists was an art form in itself; and that talent-based entry was the most valuable form of assessment but that it needed to be backed by desire and commitment.

Since 2007, the VCA has been part of the Faculty of the Victorian College of the Arts and Melbourne Conservatorium of Music at the University of Melbourne, where it continues to go from strength to strength.

Lenton Parr and the birth of the VCA
Stacks On (2016), by Jon Campbell. Courtesy of the artist
Stacks On (2016), by Jon Campbell. Courtesy of the artist.
Minna Gilligan, ‘If you want it you got it forever’, 2016
If you want it you got it forever (2016), by Minna Gilligan. Courtesy of Daine Singer.

Creating the future

The 150-year history of the VCA and its antecedent institutions has involved some of Australia's best-known and most critically-acclaimed artists, whether it's Eugen von Guérard (the first teacher at the National Gallery of Victoria Art School) or heavy-hitting luminaries such as Bertram Mackennal, Arthur Boyd, Clarice Beckett, Frederick McCubbin and Arthur Streeton.

Contemporary, world-renowned alumni such as Patricia Piccinini, Bill Henson, Sally Smart, Ricky Swallow, and Jenny Watson give just a taste of the variety and quality of talent nurtured at VCA Art.

We are understandably proud of our past and our present – but ART150 is also about the future.

The VCA's Southbank campus is currently undergoing major capital works, with the opening of the Buxton Gallery in late 2017 and the redevelopment of Melbourne's historic Dodds Street Police Stables as art studios due to be completed in 2018. Join us in celebrating the Faculty and University's commitment to the training of future generations of leading artists and teachers and, indeed, to enjoy their art.

Visit the VCA website

As a year-long celebration of Melbourne and its art kicks off, the Director of the Victorian College of the Arts outlines her reasons to be cheerful.

It is my great pleasure to welcome you to ART150 – a year-long celebration of the distinguished history of the Victorian College of the Art’s School of Art, its genesis in the National Gallery of Victoria Art School in the 19th century, its rich 20th century history and its 21st-century present and future

Sir Redmond Barry, 1872
Sir Redmond Barry, 1872. Image by Thomas Foster Chuck.

This is the beginning of an exciting and absorbing project, one that shows the deep historical roots shared between the State Library of Victoria, at which the School of Art was established in 1867, and the University of Melbourne, which, as home to the VCA, continues that lineage today.

Presciently, perhaps, the foundation stones of the State Library and the University were planted on the same day – 3 July 1854 – by Governor Sir Charles Hotham, at the request of Sir Redmond Barry.

Born in Ireland in 1813, Barry arrived in New South Wales in 1837 before moving to Melbourne two years later, where he was appointed a judge of the Supreme Court of Victoria and latterly an Administrator of the government and acting Chief Justice. Among his many services to the community, he served as the University’s first Chancellor until his death in 1880, and as president of the trustees of the State Library.

The Public Library (State Library of Victoria) 1860-1890. Image from State Library Archive.

The Public Library (State Library of Victoria) 1860-1890. Image from State Library Archive.

Of course, since Barry’s time, much water has passed under the bridge, both in the story of Melbourne and that of its artists.

Honour

I was appointed as head of the VCA’s School of Art in 2000. It was a considerable honour, not only because of the reputation of the VCA at that time, but because of its legacy, of which I was acutely aware. My father, Allan Baker, was a student of the National Gallery Art School in the years after the second world war.

He, along with fellow war veterans John Brack (future Head of School and leading artist), Peter Miller (father of Lewis Miller), Douglas Green (father of Charles Green ) and many other notable artists, was supported through the Commonwealth Reconstruction Training Scheme.

A caricature by Allan Baker (1947-49) of one of the teachers, Murray Griffin, published in DAUB (1947), the publication produced by the nigh
A caricature by Allan Baker (1947-49) of one of the teachers, Murray Griffin, published in DAUB (1947),
the publication produced by the night students of the National Gallery Art School.
John Brack, Collins St, 5p.m. (1955). Image courtesy of National Gallery of Victoria
John Brack, Collins St, 5p.m. (1955). Image courtesy of National Gallery of Victoria.

Those feisty post-war years brought a new confidence to Australian art and a political and social dynamism to the public discourse of art.

As a young girl I heard stories from my father about art school and his role as a political activist and indeed as the Student Union representative. He and I laughed after an occasion where I, as Head, had to negotiate with the student union leader on some issue of contention. There seemed to be some natural justice being repaid …

Su Baker aged 12, by Allan Baker. Image courtesy of Su Baker
Su Baker aged 12, by Allan Baker. Image courtesy of Su Baker.

I also found the student publications from those years and a manifesto that Dad wrote, Painting for the People, which advocated public-funded support for all the arts. It’s interesting to note that all of those advocated demands are now mainstream arts policy.

Drawing from Allan Baker’s manifesto in DAUB (1948)
Drawing from Allan Baker’s manifesto in DAUB (1948).
Extract from Allan Baker’s manifesto in DAUB (1948)
Extract from Allan Baker’s manifesto in DAUB (1948).

Coming up

Over the course of 2017 we will explore the ways in which the prevailing views of the time in the Colony and then the Federation of Australia were reflected in the methods of teaching, particular to Australian conditions and, curiously, at some remove from the influence of the avant-garde in Europe.

We will also explore how each generation fought to remake the School in its own image, an image that better reflected their times. The post-WWII and mid-century individuals; the radicalisation of the 60s, emerging into the robust and declarative 70s and 80s. And, indeed, in the 21st century.

VCA Graduation Exhibition, 2015. Image by Drew Echberg
VCA Graduation Exhibition, 2015. Image by Drew Echberg

Such battles are what art schools are made of, each generation reflecting the tensions and aspirations of the times. This includes former students of the different periods, and people who worked at establishing the VCA School of Art from within the newly-created Victorian College of the Arts in the 1970s and on to the present.

Among the many events being planned for this year – which I would encourage you to attend wherever possible – are the NGV Artist Talks: a series of short floor talks by leading VCA Art staff on key Australian artworks by alumni; April’s Climarte exhibition, in which the not-incompatible themes of visual art and climate change will be brought to the fore; and, in June, the already-much-anticipated 9 x 5 Exhibition.

Referencing a show of the same name in the 1890s that featured works painted on cigar-box lids by world-famous alumni such as Frederick McCubbin, Arthur Streeton and Tom Roberts, more than 300 artists and alumni from VCA Art have been invited to submit a work of nine inches by five inches for an exhibition at the Margaret Lawrence Gallery. The works will be offered for sale, with proceeds going towards the newly-created ART150 Scholarship.

Arthur-Streeton,-Evening-game,-1889,-9x5.-Private-collection
Arthur Streeton, Evening game, 1889, 9x5. Private collection.
Tom Roberts, Mentone 1888, 9x5 painting. NGV Collection
Tom Roberts, Mentone 1888, 9x5 painting. NGV Collection.

The program for 2017 represents a snapshot of the history which we will, over time, with the help of our extensive alumni community, build into a dynamic and living history, one that grows with each generation. The information age offers us opportunities to build a living archive and we hope that many will work with us to keep it alive.

We have much to be proud of as we celebrate our city and its art this year.



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Bill Henson, Untitled 1997/2000, 1997-2000. Courtesy of Tolarno Galleries
Bill Henson, Untitled 1997/2000, 1997-2000. Courtesy of Tolarno Galleries

Celebrating 150 years of art

For 150 years, the Victorian College of the Arts and its predecessor institutions have nurtured the talents of many of Australia’s best-known and most-treasured artists.

ART150 reflects upon a rich and distinguished history, which began at the National Gallery of Victoria Art School, and looks towards a vibrant future for Australian art and research.

We celebrated 150 years of art throughout 2017, with an exciting program of exhibitions, workshops, public lectures and events.