The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia

Editorial

Since its opening in 1861, the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) has been the proud home of one of the finest collections of art work in Australia. As the collection grew, however, it quickly became apparent that it was becoming impossible for the NGV to house the ever-growing collection. As a result, the state government embarked on a major redevelopment of the original site and also contributed to the construction of a second NGV building at Federation Square, known as the Ian Potter Centre.

Named after Melbourne businessman and philanthropist Ian Potter, The Ian Potter Centre officially opened its doors in 2003 and quickly received the seal of approval from arts-mad Melburnians, who take pride in their city being known as the cultural capital of Australia.

The Ian Potter Centre houses the Australian part of the art collection of the NGV, containing over 26,000 Australian art works including paintings, sculpture, photography, fashion and textiles, and although it’s a new building, the collection is one of the oldest and most well-known in the country. It houses four permanent galleries dedicated to Indigenous art, 19^th and 20^th Century Australian Art, The Joseph Brown Collection and the Myer Fashion and Textiles Gallery. 

The Indigenous Australian collection includes work by William Barak and Emily Kngwarreye. Other Australian works on permanent display include some of the country’s best known paintings including Frederick McCubbin’s Pioneers, and Tom Robert’s Shearing of the Rams. Contemporary artists include Sydney Nolan, John Perceval, Margaret Preston, Fred Williams and the photographer Bill Henson.

Cath Pope, Managing Editor, Citysearch