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Libraries ACT

ACT Heritage Library Manuscript Collection

HMSS 0101 Canberra Art Workshop Records

Scope and content notes

 

Call Number

HMSS 0101

Collection 

Canberra Art Workshop Records

Date Range

1959-1997

Quantity

0.9m (5 manuscript boxes)

Access Conditions

open except for one restricted file

Copying Conditions

with attribution except for one restricted file

Related Collections

 

The Canberra Art Workshop was established in 1948 as the Canberra Art Club, itself a breakaway group from the Artists’ Society of Canberra.  In 1975 it incorporated as Canberra Art Workshop Group.

In common with many Canberra cultural organisations, the group has occupied many locations. In 1950 the Australian National University, then in West Row, Civic, made a room available for meetings and exhibitions.  The Club then occupied the Arts Cottage opposite the Canberra Hospital at Acton, and in 1952 moved to Hut 8, Riverside, Barton, where it established Canberra’s first art gallery.

When Riverside was demolished to make way for the National Gallery of Australia, the Club moved in 1971 to the Griffin Workshops (formerly Reid House), where it began formal art classes for up to 250 students. In 1974 classes were offered at Woden Valley Hospital, and with the demolition of Reid House that year, the Club moved to B Block, Kingsley Street, Turner until 1982, then to the ANU Arts Centre 1982-1984, and to Studio 13, Kingston Art Space (later Leichhardt Street Studios), 71 Leichhardt St, Kingston 1984-2002. Since then it has been co-located with M16, at Mildura Street, Fyshwick until 2010 and then at the Blaxland Centre, Griffith.

The Club held annual exhibitions of their own work as well as special exhibitions, including the first exhibition of a Blake Prize painting outside NSW (1953), and the first Australian Potters Exhibition (1962). It was also active in pressing for a national art gallery and exhibition gallery, appearing before a Senate Select Committee in 1955.

In 1960, together with the Artists’ Society, the Club presented a report to the National Capital Development Commission on the necessity for a cultural centre, particularly urgent in view of the imminent demolition of the Riverside huts. The result was the establishment of the Griffin Centre. In 1965 it supported the call for an independent art school in Canberra, subsequently the Canberra School of Art.

The Canberra Art Workshop is primarily a learning institution, with classes and workshops in painting, drawing and printmaking by qualified teachers, many of whom are internationally recognised in their fields. Until the establishment of the Canberra School of Art, the Workshop was funded by Government grants. It is now a self-funded non-profit organisation, actively involved with the Canberra Festival, the Southside Community Festival and Floriade.

 

Box List

BOX

NO.

DESCRIPTION

QTY

DATE RANGE

 

MINUTES

 

 

1

Annual General Meeting and Committee Minutes

2 volumes

02/04/1971-26/07/1978;
20/09/1988-05/04/1993

 

 1

ANNUAL REPORTS

1 file

1973-1981/82

 

 

SUBJECT FILES

Files typically contain correspondence, publicity materials and forms. They are typically in reverse chronological order

 

1

Constitution

1 file

1980-1992

1

Incorporation

1 file

1962-1980

1

Accommodation

2 files

1980-1984;
1974-1987

1

Sales Tax

1 file

1978

1

Educational Surveys Etc.

1 file

1973-1980

1

Art Supplies

1 file

1979-1980

1

Publicity and Advertising

1 file

1975-1980

1

Correspondence

3 files

1969-1976

2

First NSW Potters’ Exhibition

1 file

1966-1967

2

Exhibition of Crafts council Association of Australia at Nundah Gallery 10th to 29th October 1969

1 file

1969

2

28th Annual Exhibitions and Students’ Exhibition

1 file

1976

2

Correspondence re venue for Annual Exhibitions

1 file

1980-1981

2

30th Annual Exhibition 1978

1 file

1978

2

29th Annual Exhibition 1977

1 file

1977

2

“Tommy’s World” an exhibition of paintings by mentally handicapped children at Melville Hall, A.N.U., March 16-April 5 1977

1 file

1977

2

1979 International Year of the Child

1 file

1979

2

31st Annual Exhibition 1979

1 file

1979

2

33rd Annual Exhibition 1980

1 file

1980

2

Bicentennial Art Exhibition 1988

1 file

1988

2

Canberra Festival ACT Alive 1992

1 file

1992

2

ACT Arts Council including Southside Festival

1 file

1992

2

Teachers 1978-1980

1 file

1976-1980

2

Class Enrolments 1978

1 file

1977-1978

2

Class Enrolments 1979

1 file

1979

2

Weekend Workshops 1983, 84, 85 Enrolments

1 file

1983-1985

2

Weekend Workshps 1986, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91

1 file

1986-1991

2

Workshops 1992/3

1 file

1992-1993

2

Winter School 1991

1 file

1991

2

Joshua Smith, Yve Close Winter School 5-11 July 1992

1 file

1992

3

Exhibition Canberra Festival 1982

1 file

1982

3

Grants 1975

1 file

1975-1976

3

Grants – T.A.B and Committee on Cultural Development

1 file

1977-1979

3

Grants1976-1981

1 file

1976-1982

3

Grant Application for 1988

1 file

1988

3

Future Venue – proposal to Legislative Assembly for Joint CAW/Artists’ Society of Canberra Facility

1 file

1989-1991

3

Exhibitions 1974-1975

1 file

1974-1975

3

Annual Exhibition 1987

1 file

1987

3

Exhibition Woden Town Centre Library 1983

1 file

1983

3

Children’s Workshops

1 file

1988-1989

3

Joint Exhibition Craft Council and CAW

1 file

1984

4

Annual Exhibition 1992

1 file

1992

4

Annual Exhibition 1989

1 file

1989

4

Floriade 1992

1 file

1992

4

Establishment of Canberra Museum and Gallery

1 file

1990

4

Spring School 1989

1 file

1989

4

Spring School 1990

1 file

1990

4

ACT Government Correspondence 1992

1 file

1992

4

Miscellaneous Correspondence 1992

1 file

1992

4

Annual Exhibition 1990

1 file

1990

4

Spring School 1993

1 file

1993

4

Griffin Centre / Canberra Festival

1 file

1992-1997

4

Leichhardt Street Studios formerly Kingston Art Space

1 file

1990-1992

4

Griffin Centre

1 file

1988

4

ACT Council for Cultural Societies

1 file

1973-1982

4

Griffin Centre and Gorman House

1 file

1991-1992

5

Histories of Canberra Art Club and Canberra Art Workshop

1 file

1959-1989

5

Canberra Art Club

1 file

1970

5

Canberra Art Club

1 file

1971-1972

5

Canberra Art Club

1 file

1965-1972

5

Canberra Art Club

1 file

1969

5

Canberra Art Club minutes

1 book

November 1964-1971

5

Canberra Art Club

1 file

1959-1969

5

Canberra Art Club

1 file

1965-1966

5

ACT Council of Cultural Societies correspondence

1 file

1972-1973

5

Arts Ball 1970 correspondence

1 file

1970

5

Canberra Art Club newsletter and program correspondence

1 file

1974-1978

5

Canberra Art Club membership lists

1 file

1976-1977

5

Canberra Art Club financial reports

1 file

1973-1979

5

Conference of Art Societies minutes and correspondence

1 file

1977-1978

5

Canberra Art Workshop clerical assistant position, applications

CONFIDENTIAL FILE

1 file

1976

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