Category Archives: Advocacy

AAANZ letter of response to the proposal to close Griffith University Art Museum

December 18, 2023Advocacy

12 December 2023 Re: Feedback on Proposal to Close Griffith University Art Museum I am writing to you as President of the Art Association of Australia and New Zealand (AAANZ), a national membership association and peak advocacy body, representing art historians, writers, curators and artists from around Australasia. The Association is strongly opposed to the University’s proposal to close the Griffith University Art Museum (GUAM), a decision that puts economics before student interests and ignores the vital role university art museums play in teaching, learning and research. University art museums enrich the cultural and intellectual life on campus. They are […]

AAANZ statement on the result of the Voice Referendum

December 4, 2023Advocacy

AAANZ expresses disappointment at the outcome of the Referendum on the Voice to Parliament. We acknowledge that the result is a devastating outcome for many members and their families across the country. It was a lost opportunity to begin the process of creating a fairer and more structurally equitable democracy. However, while this particular battle has been lost, the fight continues. AAANZ is committed to the importance of the Uluru Statement from the Heart and calls for Treaty, truth-telling and self-determination for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. While the discussion in the lead up to the Referendum vote exposed […]

AAANZ Statement for The Voice

August 14, 2023Advocacy, News

The Uluru Statement from the Heart, presented at the 2017 National Constitutional Convention, calls for the establishment of an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice enshrined in the constitution. With over 250 signatures from some of the remotest communities in Australia, it makes a poignant plea to build a better and fairer future for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people around the country. The Art Association of Australia & New Zealand supports the Uluru Statement of the Heart and the ‘yes’ vote in the forthcoming referendum. We encourage members to make their own decisions based on verified official information, however […]

AAANZ supports the continued operation of Trove │ LETTER TO THE HON. TONY BURKE MP, MINISTER FOR THE ARTS

February 27, 2023Advocacy

Dr. Wendy Garden, President of the Art Association of Australia and New Zealand wrote to The Hon. Tony Burke MP, Minister for the Arts to emphatically support the continued operation of Trove and urge the federal government to ensure the National Library of Australia receives sustainable, ongoing funding for this vital digital platform. Trove is vital to ensure Australia remains a fair and egalitarian society. As a free digital platform, it plays a fundamental role connecting people with collections no matter where either are located. It ensures that people living in regional and remote areas, and those who are mobility […]

Speak up for Trove – Petition

February 21, 2023Advocacy

The National Library of Australia will not have sufficient funding to maintain the current online Trove service after June 2023. Trove is often used as a free, online portal which connects with collections around the country. It contains many digitised resources vital for researching the past, including a collection of Australian newspapers. There have been online petitions asking the Federal Government to ensure Trove has funding into the future. There is now also a Parliamentary Petition which will close for signature this Wednesday 22 February 2023. You can find that petition here: e-petitions – Parliament of Australia (aph.gov.au) The President of ASHA will […]

Submissions to the Australian Research Council review

December 5, 2022Advocacy

The Australian Research Council (ARC) is currently undergoing review and AAANZ is encouraging submissions from our members on the experiences and concerns of researchers working in art history, practice-led research and related fields. Members from non-university institutions may like to make a submission reporting on how Linkage schemes can support the goals of their work in partner instiutions. The terms of reference are as follows: whether the role and purpose of the ARC as set out in the legislation remains relevant, including consideration of the contribution the ARC can make to identifying reforms to its programs to actively shape the […]

EXPRESSION OF INTEREST ADVOCACY REPRESENTATIVE | AAANZ EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

August 8, 2022Advocacy, Opportunity

AAANZ is looking for a passionate member to join our executive team as the Advocacy Representative to assist with promoting and supporting visual arts research and art history across Australia and New Zealand. The Advocacy Representative will work with the President, the Advocacy Committee and other working groups to address critical issues, Indigenisation, make submissions and provide support on current concerns for the sector as they arise. The Association aims to address these matters in the public domain, ensuring the concerns of its members are heard. In pursuit of this goal AAANZ seeks to foster productive working relationships between members, […]

Shadow Minister for the Arts Tony Burke promises landmark cultural policy

May 18, 2022Advocacy

AAANZ welcomes news that Shadow Minister for the Arts Tony Burke will spearhead a new national cultural policy if elected to government on Saturday 21 May. Acknowledging that a new direction was needed to give the arts the support it needs, Burke stated that a Labor national cultural policy would be informed by wide consultation with the sector and local and state governments, bringing ‘new drive, direction and vision to Australia’s arts sector’ which has significantly suffered following years of cut backs under the Coalition Government. Beginning with restoring ‘arts’ as part of a named government department, Labor announced its […]

AAANZ Vote for Art Campaign │ Letter to The Hon. Tony Burke MP, Shadow Minister for the Arts

May 4, 2022Advocacy

Dr. Wendy Garden, President of the Art Association of Australia and New Zealand wrote to The Hon. Tony Burke MP, Shadow Minister for the Arts to advocate for the importance of the arts and to encourage the Labor Party to develop a National Arts & Culture policy that offers tangible support to Australia’s creative industries by increasing Australia Council funding to support small and medium arts organisations and by supporting arts education. Access to the arts is a fundamental human right and a precondition to a healthy democracy. It is vital for a healthy economy and the wellbeing of its […]

AAANZ Vote for Art Campaign │ Letter to The Hon. Tanya Plibersek MP, Shadow Minister for Education

May 4, 2022Advocacy

Dr. Wendy Garden, President of the Art Association of Australia and New Zealand wrote to The Hon. Tanya Plibersek MP, Shadow Minister for Education to urge the Albanese Labor Government to reverse the discriminatory decision made by the Liberal government in 2020 to increase university fees for humanities students by 113%. This inherently unfair and short-sighted decision reduced the affordability of university education for many young people in Australia. The decision did not recognise arts an important career path for many Australians from diverse backgrounds and our current art sector is thriving as a result of this diversity. However already […]