National Gallery Gala 2024

The program will commence with a Welcome Reception on Friday evening, followed by the Saturday program including an artist-led tour of Lindy Lee, an exhibition showing Lindy’s newest work. A special event with Gala supporter Pallion, Australasia’s largest precious metals services group, will also be offered.

Join us at 5.15pm on Saturday evening for the launch of Ouroboros and a celebratory Gala dinner by guest chef Mark Best.

We will celebrate our National Sculpture Garden Founding Patrons and introduce the design team who will lead the transformation of the National Sculpture Garden into an important cultural destination with exemplary works of public art.

Please consider supporting us to realise the vision for the National Sculpture Garden with a multi-year tax-deductible gift.

Our ambition is to raise $5 million in pledges through our 2024 Gala Dinner. Pledges can be made across five years. Over the next two years we aim to raise $60 million to bring this to fruition.

With your support we can realise our vision and create an extraordinary National Sculpture Garden for all Australians and visitors from around the world.

A Message from the Director

Our ambition to revitalise one of the nation’s most important sculpture gardens is both an exciting and important responsibility. The National Sculpture Garden project will create a unique cultural destination in Australia that elevates sculpture and complements both the architectural design of the National Gallery building and the iconic setting of the national capital.

Vistas towards Lake Burley Griffin are punctuated by works of art, placed within the surrounds of native Australian gardens. The interconnection of landscape design, nature, art, and culture creates a space for the enjoyment of our visitors.

Our transformation will build on the original landscape design work of Harry Howard and Associates. We recognise and respect the need to preserve the ethos at the heart of the original design, which responded to the National Gallery building designed by Colin Madigan and Associates.

Our vision is to develop a garden that is full of wonder and opportunities for learning and enjoyment through the creation of a series of ‘outdoor rooms’ and encounters that enhance the experience of art. In doing so, we will reimagine this landmark site for future generations.

We will establish an important meeting place to share and acknowledge First Nations culture. As the custodian of the largest collection of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art in the world, representing hundreds of First Nations communities across the country, it is important that our approach is expansive.

The Garden provides the backdrop to the national collection of public sculpture with iconic Australian and international works of art. Distinctive to the collection are a series of powerful experiential works that nurture interaction with visitors.

These include the atmospheric fog sculpture titled Foggy wake in a desert: an ecosphere 1982 by Fujiko Nakaya, the monumental Cones 1982 by Bert Flugelman, James Turrell’s immersive Skyspace Within without 2010, Tracey Emin’s emotive When I sleep 2018, Thancoupie’s striking Eran 2010 and Auguste Rodin’s powerful The Burghers of Calais c 1885—86 cast 1974.

Our ambitions can only be made possible with the support of our passionate supporters. We are grateful to our lead patrons for providing a solid foundation from which to launch our broader fundraising campaign.

I now warmly invite you to consider your own multi-year pledge to help us transform the National Sculpture Garden. Together, we can amplify the impact of one of the nation’s most important cultural assets.

We hope you feel inspired to support the future of the National Sculpture Garden.


DR NICK MITZEVICH
Director, National Gallery