Thelma Clune facts for kids

Thelma Cecily Clune (born March 11, 1900 – died September 6, 1992) was an important Australian artist. She was a talented sculptor and painter. Thelma also owned art galleries and supported many other artists. She received a special award for her work in the arts.

Early Life and Education

Thelma Cecily Smith was born in Kings Cross, Australia, in 1900. Her family later moved to Yarramalong. Thelma went to St Mary's school. She also studied shorthand and typing.

Artistic Journey

Thelma Clune learned sculpture from a famous artist named Lyndon Dadswell. She studied at the East Sydney Technical College. Thelma created sculptures using materials like stone and metal.

In the 1940s, Thelma started painting. She used oil paints for her artworks. Later, she began making collages on paper. A collage is an artwork made by gluing different materials onto a surface.

Thelma had her first solo art show in 1979. It was called "Collages and Sculptures." The exhibition took place at the Hogarth Galleries in Paddington.

Supporting Australian Art

Thelma and her husband, Frank Clune, were very active in the art world. In the 1940s, they opened an art gallery in Kings Cross. This gallery showed paintings by many well-known Australian artists. Some of these artists included Russell Drysdale and John Olsen.

In the 1950s and 1960s, Thelma and Frank ran another gallery. It was called the Terry Clune Art Gallery. They ran it with their younger son, Terry Clune. This gallery was in Potts Point.

The Terry Clune Art Gallery helped many young artists in Sydney. These artists were often part of the expressionist art movement. They included artists like Stan Rapotec and Robert Klippel. The Clunes also provided places for artists to live. They offered rooms next to the gallery and in their own home. The gallery building later became famous as the "Yellow House."

Thelma and Frank Clune were good friends with many important Australian artists. One of their close friends was William Dobell. Dobell painted a portrait of Thelma Clune in 1946. This painting is now kept at the Art Gallery of New South Wales.

In 1984, a bronze sculpture of Thelma Clune was made by Susan Rothwell. This sculpture was chosen as a finalist for the Archibald Prize. The Archibald Prize is a very famous art award in Australia.

Awards and Recognition

Thelma Clune received special awards for her contributions to art. In 1988, she was made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM). This award recognized her service to the visual arts. Later, she was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO). This is an even higher award for distinguished service to the arts.

Personal Life

On May 9, 1923, Thelma Cecily Smith married Frank Clune. Frank Clune was a well-known Australian author and historian. Thelma and Frank had two sons. Their names were Anthony Patrick (born 1930, died 2002) and Terry Michael (born 1932).

See also

• Frank Clune