Advocacy group for university art museums tells inquiry of ‘significant gaps’ in government’s pandemic response
University art museums and galleries have been affected by Covid-19 lockdown measures but are not eligible for federal government support packages, an organisation that represents more than 20 collections across Australia has told a Senate inquiry.
University Art Museums Australia says its members are responsible for more than 80,000 artworks and supported 15 artist residencies in 2019.
“In addition, university art museums delivered 857 public programs—most of which directly employed artists—and produced 62 publications distributed through bookshops nationally and internationally,” the organisation said in its submission to a Senate inquiry into the federal government’s response to the coronavirus pandemic.
“On these figures alone, university art museums can be seen to represent a significant segment of the museums and gallery sector in Australia and play an active and pivotal role in the intellectual and cultural life of the nation.”
It says that university museums and art collections operate “from hand to mouth”, relying on a combination of institutional support, government grants, donations and sponsorships. They also provide employment for “a great number of casual” and small businesses, including graphic designers, exhibition installers and caterers.
The organisation says it is concerned about “significant gaps in the Australian government’s Covid-19 response that leave artists, arts workers and art museums and galleries in Australia among the most severely impacted in the current crisis”.
“This is on top of the economic pressures affecting the university sector more broadly to which we belong, which is also of grave concern to us.”