Aden Ridgeway & Ron Radford AM

"Australia's Indigenous Visual Arts: A Pathway to a Bright Future"

June 30, 2010

Indigenous fellowship

Indigenous art is one of Australia's most successful and dynamic cultural and economic exports, contributing an estimated $400 million per annum to the Australian economy.

However, while the industry's success has made household names of great practitioners, Indigenous participation in the business and administration side of the arts is limited, with relatively few opportunities for Indigenous Australians to gain professional skills.

To address this imbalance, the National Gallery of Australia and Wesfarmers Limited have partnered to create a long-term development, training and mentorship program for Indigenous people within Australia's visual arts sector.

In 2009, Indigenous affairs consultancy Cox Inall Ridgeway was commissioned to undertake an extensive Australia-wide consultation project to inform the development of this program, contacting over 500 members of the Indigenous and arts communities throughout metropolitan, regional and remote Australia.

The resulting report highlights the issues and barriers preventing Indigenous participation in the arts sector, but it also suggests ways to increase participation and support Indigenous Australians in becoming leaders in visual arts management.

Aden Ridgeway, Partner, Cox Inall Ridgeway will present the final consultation report.

Ron Radford AM, Director, National Gallery of Australia, will announce the Gallery's response to the report.

ADEN RIDGEWAY

Aden Ridgeway

Aden Ridgeway  was born in Macksville in northern New South Wales and is a proud member of the Gumbayyngirr people. For six years, he was a NSW senator, representing the Australian Democrats in the Federal Parliament. He is the first Indigenous person to be elected as a parliamentary leader when he held the position of Deputy Leader of the Democrats during 2001-02.

In 2010, he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Letters from the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) in recognition of his contribution to Australian society; in particular, his work furthering the cause of Indigenous Australians.

In addition to being a partner in Indigenous affairs consultancy Cox Inall Ridgeway, he is currently Executive Chairman of Indigenous Tourism Australia and Adjunct Professor at UTS. He also holds the positions of Chairman, Bangarra Dance Theatre, and Chairman, NSW Reparations Repayments Scheme Panel. He is now also the Patron of the Centre for Aboriginal Independence and Enterprise.

DR. RON RADFORD AM

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Dr Ron Radford AM has been the Director of the National Gallery of Australia since 2005. He has worked in the art museum profession in Victoria, South Australia and the Australian Capital Territory for over 30 years.

From 1991-2004, he was Director of the Art Gallery of South Australia.

He has been responsible for the acquisition of approximately 15,000 works of art for art museums and has personally curated almost 60 exhibitions.

He is the author of numerous catalogues and books, including Island to Empire: 300 years of British Art 1550-1850 and Ocean to Outback: Australian Landscape Painting 1850-1950.

A Doctor of Letters and an Affiliate Professor of the University of Adelaide, he has served on many national and state boards and comittees, including five years as a member of the Australian Council and Chair of its Visual Arts/Crafts Board.

He was Australian Commissioner for the 1999 Venice Biennale and formerly a board member of Art Exhibitions Australia, a foundation member of the National Portrait Gallery Board from 1997 to 2005 and its Deputy Chair from 2001 to 2005.

He is currently a trustee of the Gordon Darling Foundation, a director of the Bundanon Trust and a member fo the Australia International Cultural Council.

In 2003, he became a Member of the Order of Australia.

In 2009, he was awarded France's highest cultural honour, the Order of Arts and Letters.