Bendigo Art Gallery facts for kids
Bendigo Art Gallery, Bolton Court seen from View Street
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| Established | 1887 |
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| Location | 42 View Street, Bendigo, Victoria, Australia |
| Type | Art gallery |
The Bendigo Art Gallery is a famous art gallery in Bendigo, Victoria, Australia. It's one of the oldest and biggest art galleries outside of a major city in Australia.
Contents
History of the Gallery
The Bendigo Art Gallery first opened its doors in 1887. It started in a building that used to be a rifle room. This room was changed into an art space in 1890 by an architect named William Charles Vahland. He called this part Bolton Court.
Later, in 1897, the gallery got bigger with a new section called Drury Court. This was designed by another local architect, William Beebe. The gallery was expanded again in 1962, adding more space for offices and art displays, plus a new main entrance.
Between 1998 and 2001, the gallery was updated and made even larger. A new gallery just for sculptures was added during this time.
What You Can See: The Collection
The Bendigo Art Gallery has a large collection of artworks. Many of these are 19th-century paintings from Britain and Europe. You can see works by artists like Ernest Waterlow and Pierre Puvis de Chavannes.
The gallery also has many important Australian artworks. These include pieces from the 19th century onwards, by artists such as Charles Conder and Arthur Streeton.
Art Prizes and Awards
The gallery hosts two important art prizes every two years. These prizes help support artists and bring new art to the gallery.
Arthur Guy Memorial Painting Prize
This is one of Australia's most valuable painting prizes. It started in 2003 and gives the winning artist A$50,000. The prize was created by Allen Guy to honor his brother, Arthur Guy. Arthur was a soldier who sadly passed away during World War II.
Some of the past winners include:
- 2003: Stieg Persson
- 2005: Dale Frank
- 2007: Stephen Bush
- 2009: Jan Nelson
- 2011: Tim Johnson
- 2013: Chris Bond
- 2015: Guan Wei
- 2017: Margaret Loy Pula
- 2019: Jahnne Pasco-White
- 2021: Kirsty Budge
- 2023: Tuppy Ngintja Goodwin
Paul Guest Prize
The Paul Guest Prize is another art award given every two years. It focuses on modern Australian drawings. This prize was started in 2010 by Paul Guest, who was a judge and an Olympic rower. The winner receives A$15,000.
Some of the past winners include:
- 2010: Belinda Fox
- 2012: Tom Nicholson
- 2014: Heather B. Swann
- 2016: Peter Grziwotz
- 2018: Laith McGrego
- 2020: Richard Lewer
- 2022: James Clayden
Important People at the Gallery
Karen Quinlan was the director of the Bendigo Art Gallery for many years, from about 2000 to 2018. Before that, she was a curator there. During her time, she helped bring big international art shows to Bendigo. These shows were very popular and helped the local economy. In 2018, she became the head of the National Portrait Gallery in Canberra. She was also recognized for her great work in the arts and education.
Gallery Logo
The logo for the Bendigo Art Gallery shows a statue called Venus tying her sandals. This statue was made in 1913 by an artist named Ettore Cadorin. He was from Italy but lived in America. He sold the statue to the gallery after visiting it.
See also
In Spanish: Galería de arte Bendigo para niños
