FORTY years ago Dr Graeme Williams OAM moved into a workers\u2019 cottage in Melbourne and collected art to liven the space.<\/p>\n
With connections in the metropolitan art scene, he amassed 250 eclectic pieces including oil paintings, watercolours, etchings and ceramics.<\/p>\n
Dr Williams secured lots of \u201cgems along the way.\u201d With works by iconic Australian artists like Sidney Nolan, John Brack and Arnold Shore, many of those still living are his personal friends.<\/p>\n
But after a near-death experience, he reassessed everything. Now, Dr Williams is donating 49 of the pieces to the Art Gallery of Ballarat, ensuring they\u2019re enjoyed and protected.<\/p>\n
\u201cI studied my doctorate of Australian art and cultural history at Federation University, I\u2019ve had relatives live near here, and I didn\u2019t want to give the works to the National Gallery because I figured they wouldn\u2019t appreciate them as much,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI want to see them on a wall, and this gives me a sense of having done something important. I dedicate the works to my two children who have passed on, and we will immortalise them in some way by having their names displayed next to the pictures.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy son was a graphic artist and worked in commercial digital animation. My daughter was a senior detective in organised crime, but I used to buy her a picture every birthday and Christmas.\u201d<\/p>\n
On accepting a mix of Dr Williams\u2019 historical and contemporary works, Gallery director Louise Tegart said the institution will begin preparations to exhibit them in 18 months.<\/p>\n
\u201cSome of these artists have been on our wish list, like John Wolseley, who is a senior Australian artist based in central Victoria,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cGraeme\u2019s gift continues the Gallery tradition of being a collection of donated works, and a generosity of spirit.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
FORTY years ago Dr Graeme Williams OAM moved into a workers\u2019 cottage in Melbourne and collected art to liven the space. With connections in the metropolitan art scene, he amassed 250 eclectic pieces including oil paintings, watercolours, etchings and ceramics. Dr Williams secured lots of \u201cgems along the way.\u201d With works by iconic Australian artists […]<\/p>\n