Margaret Gurney (artist) facts for kids

Margaret Jane Gurney is an Australian artist who lives and works in Melbourne. She is a big supporter of Australian art. In 2009, she showed her art for Australia at the Florence Biennale, a famous art show.

Margaret Gurney was also one of the first women to work as a graphic artist in Australian television. She was also one of the first women to be an art director in advertising in Australia. She has her own art studio in Melbourne and has been painting full-time for many years.

Early Life and School Days

Margaret Jane Gurney was born in Melbourne. Her father was Alex Gurney (1902–1955), a famous Australian war artist. He created the well-known Bluey and Curley cartoon. Her mother was Junee Gurney (1909–1984). Margaret had three older brothers and sisters: John, Jennifer, and Susan.

Margaret went to school at:

• Elsternwick State School
• Methodist Ladies' College, Elsternwick
• Swinburne Technical College in Hawthorn. Here, she earned a Certificate in Art and a Diploma of Advertising Art.
• Phillip Institute of Technology in Preston. She earned a special diploma in Community Education and Development in 1985.

While she was a student, Margaret won several awards for her art. At Methodist Ladies' College, she won the Drawing Prize in 1958. At Swinburne, she won the Fourth Year Art School Class Prize in 1963.

Margaret's Acting Roles

Margaret Gurney also enjoyed acting. In 1959, she played the main character, Concha Puerto, in her school play, The Women Have Their Way. This play was an English version of Puebla de las Mujeres.

At Swinburne Technical College, she had important roles in the college's first two student shows. These shows were called In the Pink (1962) and Get Well Soon (1963).

Margaret Gurney's Career

After finishing her studies at Swinburne, Margaret worked at two small advertising agencies. She was a graphic artist with Curtis Stevens and Charles Billich in Melbourne in 1964. Then, she worked in advertising marketing with George Santos from 1964 to 1966.

From 1966 to 1967, she was a graphic artist at Channel O in Melbourne. After that, she became a television art director at George Patterson's advertising agency from 1967 to 1969.

Margaret has been an artist since her time at Swinburne. She has shown her artwork in many solo and group exhibitions. These shows have been both in Australia and in other countries. She proudly represented Australia at the Florence Biennale in 2009. After setting up her own studio, she has focused on painting full-time for many years.

She is a member of several art groups in Melbourne. These include the Melbourne Society of Women Painters and Sculptors, the Victorian Artists Society, and the Contemporary Art Society.

Working as an Educator

Margaret Gurney has also spent a lot of time working as an educator. She has helped manage programs in arts adult education and in community arts.

In 1979, she was a lecturer at the Phillip Institute in Melbourne. She taught art and design students there. This experience made her very interested in teaching art, both in schools and in less formal ways. This interest has stayed with her ever since.

Keeping Her Father's Art Alive

Besides her own art, Margaret Gurney has worked hard to keep her father's artistic legacy alive. Her father was the famous artist Alex Gurney (1902-1955).

In 2007, Margaret helped the State Library of Victoria get a large collection of Alex Gurney's papers and artworks. This collection is very important for understanding his work.

Awards and Recognition

Margaret Gurney has won several awards for her amazing art:

• 2005: She won the Melbourne Savage Club Invitation Art Prize for Painting.
• 2007: She was the very first winner of The Kenneth Jack Memorial Drawing Award.
• 2014: She received The Constance Wu Award from the Melbourne Women Painters and Sculptors Society.
• 2018: She was given the Fellowship Award by the Victorian Artists' Society.

Personal Life

Margaret Gurney married cinematographer Alan Charles Weatherley (1937-1986) on April 8, 1967. They had two children together.

Works by Margaret Gurney

• Gurney, M., My Dad: Alex Gurney 1902-1955, Margaret Gurney, (Black Rock), 2006.
• Roennfeldt, M.J. (ed.), Gurney, M. (illustrator), Drama in Action for Secondary Schools: Book III, (Melbourne), Thomas Nelson, 1969.