About the Gallery
Aims and objectives
The South Australian School of Art (SASA) Gallery is being developed as a centre for high-quality research and is an active site of teaching and learning. The aims of the SASA Gallery are to:
- showcase South Australian artists, designers, writers and curators associated with the School of Art in a national and international context
- support a program of researched exhibitions with a strong curatorial premise or rationale which focus on experimental, innovative and excellent contemporary art
- engage in dialogue and extend critical debate about contemporary visual art, design and culture
- engage with current theories, concepts and issues relevant to contemporary art and design practice
- create opportunities, such as touring exhibitions, exchanges and residencies, for artists, designers, writers and curators to engage in research of national and international relevance
- contribute to teaching and learning through student engagement with a professionally managed gallery; a nationally significant exhibition program; and mentored student centred learning projects
- create opportunities for staff and post-graduate students to contribute to the research output of the SASA and the Louis Laybourne Smith School of Architecture (LLS)
- promote SASA and LLS as centres of excellence and innovation in art, design, writing and curatorial practice.
Strategies
Building on what has already been achieved, the SASA Gallery will strive to refine and implement a number of strategies in order to achieve its aims and objectives:
- develop a strong and recognised position and national reputation for the gallery
- develop a significant program of exhibitions that have a strong curatorial theme or premise and demonstrate high quality research and focus on experimental, innovative and excellent contemporary art and design
- engage in dialogue and expand critical debate in local, national and international arenas through the presentation of high calibre exhibitions
- support the publication of catalogues with scholarly catalogue essays
- encourage reviews, essays and related writing
- encourage events which extend the exhibition program, expand existing audiences and encourage cross art-form dialogue such as performances, launches of books and journals, readings
- facilitate talks by artists, designers, curators and writers, panel discussions etc
- professionally manage the gallery and exhibition program, work towards implementing best practice industry standards including contracts, artist fees, exhibition fees, safe serving of alcohol etc
- draft standard professional exhibition and event contracts
- encourage student engagement with the gallery through a range of informal and formal mechanisms including: directed studies and mentored student centred learning projects such as the emerging curator program assisting with gallery activities including installation, invigilation; critiquing, writing and speaking about exhibitions etc
- name the gallery and develop a recognisable corporate identity
- as one of three research concentrations identified in the SASA corporate plan, clearly identify and define the scale and focus of research being developed
- understand the implications of the RQF and requirements for the gallery to support high-quality research, and draft a plan to build the gallery into as a centre for high-quality research
- register the SASA Gallery in the Five Year Research Infrastructure Plan
- develop a strong mailing list, press releases
- support and develop exhibition, residency, and exchange opportunities
- strive to adequately resource the SASA Gallery, to enable professional management, and payment of artist;
- seek revenue through all available internal funding sources including Teaching & Learning Grants, Research Grants, SASA budget lines, LLS budget lines
- increase the number of successful applications to Australian competitive grant schemes such as the Australia Council, Arts SA, Helpmann Academy etc
- seek sponsorship support.
Gallery Advisory Committee
The SASA Gallery is overseen by the SASA Gallery Advisory Committee.
The Committee is made up of staff from the SASA and LLS. The Committee is responsible for strategic planning, policy development, governance, overseeing program management, funding and sponsorship initiatives.
The Committee is a working committee that actively supports the management of the gallery.
The SASA Gallery Committee Members are:
| Kay Lawrence (Chair) Mary Knights Keith Giles (EO) Keith Giles (postgrad rep) Linda Marie Walker John Barbour |
Joanna Majchrowska Lynda Kay Di Barrett Toby Richardson Louise Haselton |
Exhibition Selections Committee
A sub-committee will be convened each year to assess exhibition proposals. This committee will:
- represent interests from across the school and include members drawn from the Advisory Committee;
- assess the proposals according to the criteria developed and endorsed by the Advisory Committee;
- not be applicants or artists in the proposals being assessed.
- be made up of a SASA representative, LLS representative, Design representative, external representative, SASA Gallery Director, SASA Gallery Administrator;
- be endorsed by the Advisory Committee.
The Committee assessing the 2007 proposals are:
Mary Knights (Chair)
Keith Giles (EO) (non-voting)
Andrew Best
John Barbour
Kirsten Coelho
Linda Marie Walker
Staff
Gallery Director:
Mary Knights
Administrator, SASA Gallery:
Keith Giles