A new art gallery named in honour of BGS Old Boy David Malouf AO '50 was officially opened with a VIP cocktail function attended by the famous writer in August.
The David Malouf AO Gallery, featuring works donated to the School, will display curated exhibitions from the 59 artworks by leading Australian artists and will host other special exhibitions.
Malouf is one of Australia's greatest writers of fiction, non-fiction, poetry and libretti. He has achieved acclaim both nationally and internationally, and his coming of age novel, Johnno is an Australian classic.
Malouf is also an art aficionado, and many of the artworks he donated to BGS were given to him in recognition for writing the forewords to books published on the respective artists. Many are his close friends and the works are inscribed on the reverse with touching tributes.
The collection also contains works by well-known Indigenous artists, which reflects Malouf's deep respect for Indigenous culture.
Exhibition labels written by members of the BGS Art Committee and Curator Stewart Service provide information on each individual artwork, including the artist, the composition, techniques used and an interpretation of the meaning. This information is aimed at current BGS students, who regularly walk through the gallery between classes, but is equally appropriate for all members of the BGS community.
The School acknowledges the generosity and continued support of one of our most inspiring and influential Old Boys.
An Open Book: Only the third new volume of poetry from David Malouf in nearly 40 years, has just been published. Visit www.uqp.uq.edu.au.
Note: this edition lists David Malouf as '50; the Winter 2019 transcript and the sesquicentenary decade feature above give his School years as BGS 1947-1950 (born 1934). Both are the source's own conventions and are preserved as printed.
Source: Grammar News Summer 2019. Read the original edition