Permanent Tweed home for Margaret Olley’s portrait

The Tweed Regional Gallery & Margaret Olley Art Centre is seeking the support of the community to purchase the Archibald Prize-winning portrait of Olley for its permanent collection.

In an unexpected potential boon, the gallery has a rare opportunity to acquire the Ben Quilty painting, which won the prestigious prize in 2011, just months before Olley’s death.

Tweed Regional Gallery Director Ingrid Hedgcock said the artwork had become available for the first time.

“As the home of the Margaret Olley Art Centre, we couldn’t let this opportunity pass,” Hedgcock said.

“The artwork has all the ingredients of an extraordinary acquisition – artistic merit, rarity, beloved subject and artist.

“We are so grateful for the incredible support we have already received from our principal donors.

“With their very generous support, we have almost achieved our goal to purchase this seminal work and are launching this appeal to raise the remaining funds needed to acquire this portrait.”

Margaret Olley first met Ben Quilty in 2002 as the guest judge for the Brett Whiteley Travelling Art Scholarship. Quilty’s modestly sized landscape entry attracted Olley’s attention, and he was awarded the prestigious scholarship. The pair developed a bond, and Olley’s support for the fledgling artist played a significant role in his career.

In 1948, Olley was the subject of an Archibald Prize-winning portrait by artist William Dobell. The 25-year-old fledgling artist was not prepared for the media frenzy after Dobell won.

The shy, young Olley was leaving for Europe and, for the most part, escaped the attention of critical media.

Olley initially declined the request to sit for a portrait 63 years later.

“She dismissed me in her typical, resilient, forceful way,” Quilty said. “But I didn’t give in easily.”

The artist agreed the gallery was the new home for Olley’s legacy.

“Her work lives on through that masterful re-creation and the thriving program around it,” Quilty said.

“Although she was very reticent to sit for it, she loved the painting, and my Archibald win was an exclamation mark to her extraordinarily well-lived life.”

Hedgcock said it was a bold and thrilling acquisition for a regional gallery to undertake.

“It has been displayed in various public galleries but has remained in the artist’s personal collection,” she said.

“We are excited to become the custodians of this beloved portrait.”

Tweed art lovers can support the endeavour by heading to gallery.tweed.nsw.gov.au/acquisition-appeal