AGNSW_AnnRep_00 full.pdf - Parliament of New South Wales ...

WOMEN’S ACTION PLAN
The Annual Reports (Statutory
Bodies) Amendment (Women’s
Action Plan) Regulation 1997 requires
agencies to provide information
about their implementation of the
Government’s Action Plan for Women.
A) WHOLE OF GOVERNMENT
APPROACH
The Art Gallery is firmly supportive of
a whole of government approach in
meeting the broad policy outcomes
of the NSW Government’s Action
Plan for Women. It is recognised
that all areas of NSW Public Sector
have a role in improving the
economic and social participation of
women by integrating the needs and
concerns of women as part of normal
business. The Gallery is committed
to the advancement of women in all
forms of cultural and artistic life and
is aware of the need to identify and
redress discrimination against
women in delivering services and
programmes to the public. From an
organisational perspective, the
Gallery acknowledges the needs and
interests of women as a direct
occupational group and is supportive
of strategies and initiatives that
assist the advancement of women in
the workplace.
B) WOMEN’S INTERESTS AND THE
ARTS
While the majority of exhibitions
staged by the Gallery include works
of art created by women artists the
following exhibitions related to
women’s lives and history and/or
featured work by specific women
artists:
• What is this thing called
photography?: Fiona Hall, Sue Ford,
Micky Allan, Carol Jerrema, Lynn
Silverman, Marion Marrison, Jacky
Redgate, Viva Jillian Gibb, Ingeborg
Tyssen (5th June – 1st August 1999)
• Grace Cossington Smith: Australian
Collection Focus Series No 5
(1st August – 24 October 1999)
Cossington Smith was a pioneer
post Impressionist in Australia who
is widely regarded as the most
brilliant artist of her generation.
• Horst Kiechle/Margaret Roberts
(14th August – 26th October 1999)
Roberts is a Sydney based
installation artist who has been
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exhibiting in group and solo shows
since 1987.
• Modotti & Weston: Mexianidad
(29th October 1999 – 9th January 2000)
In the 1920’s Tina Modotti spent
seven years in Mexico where her
photographic ambitions merged
with a deepening involvement in
social reform and revolutionary
politics. Until recently, Modotti’s
legacy as a photographer had been
largely overshadowed by that of
Weston, her lover and colleague.
This exhibition attempted to
redress this imbalance.
• Joan Brassil (9th October – 28th
November 1999) Joan Brassil has
been exhibiting her installationbased
work since 1976. Much of
Brassil’s work involves
collaboration with scientists in an
ongoing investigation into
evolutions and transformations in
space, time and energy.
• Rayner Hoff and his School: The
Vital Flesh (25th November 1999 to 16
January 2000) The ehxibition also
focused on the work of Hoff’s most
important students – Barbara Tribe
Eileen McGrath and Jean Broome-
Norton
• Olive Cotton (13 May 2000 – 2 July
2000) Olive Cotton is recognised as
one of Australia’s leading twentieth
century photographers, well know
for such images as the compelling
modernist Tea cup ballet and
Glasses
The Gallery also administers two
bequests which conditions stipulate
are only open to women. These
bequests are the John and Elizabeth
Newnham Pring Memorial Prize for
‘the best landscape executed in
watercolours by a women artists’
and a capital fund in the name of
Viktoria Marinov with income used to
purchase works of art for the
permanent collection ‘by female
artists under the age of 35 years.’
C) ACHIEVEMENTS UNDER KEY
OBJECTIVES IN THE ACTION
PLAN FOR WOMEN
The following achievements have
been made under the two key
objectives that are relevant to the
Gallery in the Government’s Action
Plan for Women:
• PROMOTING WORKPLACES THAT
ARE EQUITABLE, SAFE AND
RESPONSIVE TO ALL ASPECTS OF
WOMEN’S LIVES
The Gallery’s performance under this
key objective is documented in the
equal employment opportunity (EEO)
statistics listed in appendix J of this
report which provide information of
EEO groups within salary levels and
employment basis. The Gallery is
committed to employment of staff
based on selection on merit
principles and the Gallery workforce
is currently made up of 54% women.
Under employment on merit the
employees benefit by having their
capabilities fully utilised and their
skills expanded. Of the four General
Manager positions, three are
currently filled by women which is
indicative of the Gallery's
commitment to the advancement of
women based on merit. Further,
approximately 20% of women took
advantage of the Gallery's flexible
work practices such of part time
work, job sharing, working from
home, part time leave without pay
and the career break scheme in
order to effectively balance
workplace priorities with family and
personal commitments. The Gallery
as a whole benefits in the long term
by being adaptable and responsive to
changing community need and
expectations.
PROMOTING THE POSITION OF
WOMEN IN all aspects of society
The Gallery:
• has maintained a general free
admission policy to ensure the
broadest range of the community,
including the financial
disadvantaged often being women,
have access to the State’s fine art
collection and associated
education programmes.
• delivers an exhibition programme
that is representative of women
artists’ contribution to the history of
art and reflects the lives and
achievements of women in society.
• administers awards and
scholarships which are open to
women that are designed to assist
in the professional development of
Australian artists.
• recognises the traditional gender
imbalances on decision-making
bodies and the implications of
representation on strategic
outcomes. There are four females
on the nine member Board of
Trustees.
D) SPECIFIC COMMITMENTS UNDER
THE ACTION PLAN FOR WOMEN
There are no specific commitments
in the plan which refers to the Art
Gallery of New South Wales.
E) FURTHER INFORMATION ON
WOMEN’S STRATEGIES
For further information on women
specific and other programmes
managed by the Art Gallery of New
South Wales, please contract the
Gallery on telephone number
9225-1700.