INTERNATIONALLY recognised artworks are on display at the Ipswich Art Gallery in an historic loan from the National Gallery of Australia.
The program will see treasured works from the National Collection on display in Ipswich for two years.
Arriving Slowly: Exploring the Abstract is an exhibition of contemporary abstract art, which sits alongside the long-term loans from Canberra.
“This is an amazing coup for the City of Ipswich. Rarely do you see artwork of this quality, value and significance made available to regional galleries,” Mayor Teresa Harding said.
“The Ipswich Art Gallery is one of the most well-attended regional art galleries in Australia, welcoming more than 100,000 visitors each year, and is highly regarded nationally.
“We are honoured to be chosen by the National Gallery of Australia to exhibit the works of respected American abstract expressionists Mark Rothko and Agnes Martin, as well as Ipswich’s own internationally renowned ceramic artist Gwyn Hanssen Pigott.”
Mayor Harding said that in a career spanning more than 60 years, Gwyn Hanssen Pigott lived and worked in Ipswich.
“This celebration of abstract art is a wonderful feather in the cap for Ipswich, made even more special that one of Ipswich’s own will form part of this historic moment for the Ipswich Art Gallery,” she said.
Federal Member for Blair Shayne Neumann said he was excited to see these works on display in the Ipswich Art Gallery, including Rothko’s 1957 #20 oil-on-canvas painting, which was purchased by the National Gallery in 1981.
“Our local regional galleries punch above their weight in terms of providing access to exceptional art and artistic experiences to their local communities,” Mr Neumann said.
The Sharing the National Collection Program and Arriving Slowly exhibition officially opened to the public from last Sunday.
The National Gallery loans will be at the gallery until November, 2026, while Arriving Slowly is on until next February.
