Art Gallery SA names inaugural patrons
In a major first for the Art Gallery of South Australia, it today announced the appointment of its inaugural patrons, with Her Excellency the Honourable Frances Adamson AC, Governor of South Australia, and her husband Mr Rod Bunten stepping into the role, aimed at raising awareness and advocating for the SA arts institution.
For the first time in its 143-year history, the Art Gallery of South Australia has appointed patrons to raise its profile as the arts organisation moves into an era of growth.
Speaking exclusively to SALIFE, AGSA’s director Jason Smith today announced that Her Excellency the Honourable Frances Adamson AC, Governor of South Australia, and her husband Mr Rod Bunten, will step into the role of inaugural patrons.
The high-profile couple’s main role will be that of advocacy on a national and international scale.
The patronage signifies a time of “expansion and outreach” for the organisation, Mr Smith said.
“We are at a moment of change in our ambitions for expansion and outreach, and especially as we embark on a new multi-year winter art series that is designed to have national and international reach,” he said. “High profile patrons assert and promote the reputation of AGSA.
“Patronage provides not only recognition of our role and work but also encouragement to continue inspiring and engaging local and international audiences. It also allows us to raise public awareness of how the arts contribute to society, fostering a greater appreciation for creativity, education, and cultural expression.”
AGSA director Jason Smith says the patron roles will “enhance the cultural richness and reputation of AGSA”. Photo supplied / Saul Steed
Mr Smith said it was after recent personal interactions with the Governor and Mr Bunten that he realised their “deep commitment to the arts in South Australia, and their recognition of the Gallery’s role in enriching the state’s cultural life”.
“Particularly in her capacity as Governor of South Australia, Her Excellency has demonstrated a deep commitment to the arts in South Australia and a strong appreciation of the value that art offers to everyone,” he said. “We look forward to working with Her Excellency and Mr Bunten to enhance the cultural richness and reputation of AGSA.”
Mr Smith said advocacy on a national and international scale was an important part of the couple’s role.
“Their patronage is not only recognition of our role and work but also encouragement to be ever more ambitious in our programming and its reach to local and international audiences,” he said.
Subscribe for updates
“It also allows us to continually raise public awareness of the essential role of artists in society, and the ways in which our interaction with and pronation of art fosters a current and future society that appreciates and thrives on creativity, education, and cultural expression.
“Patrons lend their profiles and influence, and offer their passion, wise counsel, and vital moral support to the purposes and visions of diverse public organizations. On behalf of the Board and the entire staff team, I am delighted that Her Excellency the Honourable Frances Adamson AC, Governor of South Australia, and Mr Rod Bunten have agreed to become the inaugural patrons of the Art Gallery of South Australia.”
Her Excellency and Mr Bunten said in a statement: “We are excited to lend our support to AGSA’s mission and look forward to the continued growth and success of the Gallery as it contributes to South Australia’s cultural richness.”
To read more about Her Excellency’s love of art and discover her role in bringing to life AGSA’s latest exhibition, Dangerously Modern, purchase a copy of the June issue of SALIFE, out now at newsagents and selected supermarkets.
