National award for Margaret Olley Art Centre

The Tweed Regional Gallery & the Margaret Olley Art Centre have won a prestigious national award from the peak Australian body for museums and galleries.

The Gallery was presented with a Museums & Galleries National Award (MAGNA) in the Permanent Exhibition or Gallery Fitout category at a recent awards ceremony at Sydney’s Town Hall.

Other finalists in this category included the Australian War Memorial, Royal Australian Mint, Shrine of Remembrance, the Australian Botanic Garden, Western Australian Museum and the Aviation Heritage Museum.

The award was accepted by Tweed Regional Gallery Director, Susi Muddiman OAM and Tweed Shire Council General Manager, Troy Green.

“The project was a culmination of great teamwork and the community working together and we certainly couldn’t have done it without the commitment of Council and the resources of our support organisations – the Tweed Regional Gallery Foundation and the Friends of the Gallery – and the work of the dedicated team,” Ms Muddiman said.

“The initial gift from the Margaret Olley Art Trust was the catalyst of a period of commitment which saw the Gallery rise to new levels.

“The Gallery is part of a commitment from Tweed Shire Council to cultural facilities in the Tweed, which also includes the stunning new Tweed Regional Museum in Murwillumbah.”

Mayor of Tweed, Councillor Gary Bagnall, said all the Tweed could be proud of this great achievement.

“Last week I called Tweed the regional capital.

“Today we have become a national leader.

“Congratulations to all those who have throughout the years contributed to making our gallery a winner.”

The $4.5 million Margaret Olley Art Centre (MOAC) at the Tweed Regional Gallery celebrates the career, life and legacy of Margaret Olley AO (1923–2011), arguably Australia’s most celebrated painter of still life and interiors.

The purpose-built extension to the Gallery, honours the wish of the late artist that her artist’s studio elements of her Paddington home in Sydney and her collections be re-created at Tweed Regional Gallery.

The MAGNAs recognise excellent work nationally in the categories of exhibition, public programs and sustainability projects.