New England Regional Art Museum facts for kids
The New England Regional Art Museum, known as NERAM, is a special place in Armidale, New South Wales, Australia. It's a museum filled with amazing Australian art. NERAM holds one of the biggest and most valuable art collections outside of Australia's main cities. Its art is worth more than A$25 million! The museum has six art galleries, a special Museum of Printing, an artist's studio, and even a shop and café. It's a great spot to explore art and history.
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| Established | 1983 |
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| Location | Armidale, New South Wales, Australia |
| Type | Art museum |
| Key holdings | Mosman's Bay, McMahon's Point Ferry, Near Streeton's Camp at Sirius Cove |
| Collections | Howard Hinton, Chandler Coventry, NERAM, Armidale City, Museum of Printing |
| Collection size | 4,500 |
| Visitors | 40,000 annually |
| Architect | Andrew Andersons |
| Owner | NERAM Limited |
| Nearest parking | on and off street (no charge) |
Contents
How NERAM Started
NERAM first opened its doors in 1983. It was built especially to keep and show off the art collections of two very generous people: Howard Hinton and Chandler Coventry. It also took in the existing Armidale City Art Collection.
The Howard Hinton Collection
Howard Hinton was an art collector from Sydney. He started giving paintings to the Armidale Teacher’s College way back in 1929. His goal was to show how Australian art developed from the 1880s. By the time he passed away in 1948, he had given over 1,000 artworks to the college.
These artworks were very important and valuable. By the 1970s, it was clear they needed a safer home. They needed proper care, protection, and a special environment. Barry Pearce, a former expert from the Art Gallery of New South Wales, said Hinton's gift included "many magnificent Australian landscapes." Some of the most famous paintings include Mosman's Bay by Tom Roberts and Morning Sketch by Arthur Streeton.
In 2016, another generous person, John Gale, donated 11 more artworks. These pieces fit perfectly with the Hinton collection. In 2018, a special exhibition called Hinton: Treasures of Australian art opened at NERAM. It shows more than 130 of the most famous works from the Hinton Collection. Experts say this exhibition makes NERAM one of the top art galleries outside Australia's biggest cities.
The Chandler Coventry Collection
Chandler Coventry was a big reason why NERAM was built. He grew up in the Armidale area. He first saw amazing art through the Howard Hinton Collection when he was a school kid. He saw these artworks displayed in the college hallways.
Like Hinton, Coventry also collected art. He even had his own art gallery in Sydney. He offered his collection of 300 artworks to Armidale. This collection is known as "one of the most important collections of contemporary Australian art." He made this offer on one condition: an art museum had to be built to house both his and Hinton's collections.
Building the Museum
The people of Armidale worked hard to raise money for the new museum. With help from the NSW State government, NERAM officially opened on March 26, 1983. The Premier of New South Wales, Neville Wran, was there for the opening.
NERAM was built on land near the old Armidale Teachers College. The building was designed by architects Andrew Andersons and David Turner. In 1997, the museum added an extension. This new part created more display areas, a café, and an artist’s studio.
What You Can See at NERAM
NERAM takes care of several important collections of Australian art. These collections show different styles and periods of art.
Main Art Collections
- The Howard Hinton Collection: This collection features Australian art from the 1880s to the 1940s.
- The Chandler Coventry Collection: This collection focuses on Australian art from the 1960s and 1970s.
- The NERAM Collection: This collection includes Australian art from the 20th century up to today.
- The Armidale City Collection: Another important collection of local art.
Together, these collections have over 4,500 artworks! You can see amazing pieces by famous artists like Arthur Streeton, Tom Roberts, Nora Heysen, Margaret Preston, Brett Whiteley, and even Christo.
Museum of Printing
NERAM also has a special Museum of Printing. It holds a very important collection of old printing machines and equipment. This includes historical printing presses, a Linotype machine, and lots of wooden and metal type. It shows the history of printing in Australia from the 1850s to the early 1900s. There are over 1,000 printing blocks and many books about printing. This museum is the only Australian member of The Association of European Printing Museums.
Other Facilities
The museum has six different galleries where art is displayed. It also has the Packsaddle Artist's Studio, which is a place for artists to work and for events.
NERAM has a research library too. It includes Howard Hinton's valuable collection of books, diaries, and historical papers. There's also a general collection about Australian art. The Howard Hinton Archive keeps personal stories and historical documents about his art gifts.
How NERAM is Supported
NERAM is a special kind of organization. It doesn't get all its money from the local government like some other regional galleries. Instead, it gets support from many different places.
The museum receives some funding from the Armidale Regional Council and grants from the NSW government. It also gets help from groups like the Margaret Olley Art Trust. People can become members, donate money, or pay for art classes. The museum also earns money from its shop, events, and fundraising activities.
The NERAM Foundation was started in 2009 to help support the museum. The Friends of NERAM group also helps by getting the community involved. One big fundraising event is 'Packsaddle'. This is an exhibition and sale of original artworks from artists across Australia. The money raised helps NERAM buy new artworks for its collection. There's also an 'Adopt-an-Artwork' program where people can donate money to help fix and preserve old artworks.
