Gender Equity Action Plan
The National Gallery of Australia marked an important historical milestone with the announcement, on International Women’s Day 2022, of their Gender Equity Action Plan, the first by a major public visual art collecting institution in Australia. The Plan took some eighteen months to write but is arguably generations in the making, and was developed in consultation with artists, staff, Council, community, government and the visual arts sector. In early 2019, the National Gallery in collaboration with the Countess Report researched its collection data and found that only 25 per cent of the Australian art collection and only 33 per cent of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art collection was work by women artists. This imbalance was also reflected in acquisition data: of all works acquired by the National Gallery between 2014 and 2018, only 27 per cent were by women artists. The National Gallery’s Gender Equity Action Plan is a commitment and a beginning for the National Gallery, the first step to ensuring the art it collects, and displays, represents the rich and diverse gender spectrum. Specifically, the plan commits to accelerating gender equity, advocating for sector wide collaboration, strengthening organisational culture, empowering participation and amplifying data for equity.
nga.gov.au/about-us/gender-equity/
NOTE: The dates provided are current and speculative. Many Australian and international arts organisations remain closed in accordance with COVID-19 restrictions. Please refer to institutional websites for further details.
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