STAFF - DERBY STREET

Stuart Purves

National Director

Stuart Purves, director of Australian Galleries, continues to strengthen and diversify the thriving enterprise started in Melbourne in 1956 by his parents Anne and Tam. Since joining the business in 1966, Stuart has been privileged to promote a leading selection of modern and contemporary Australian artists.

From the beginning, Australian Galleries developed a reputation for representing prominent Australian artists including Arthur Boyd, John Brack, Sidney Nolan, Justin O’Brien, John Olsen, John Perceval, Albert Tucker, Brett Whiteley and Fred Williams. After the death of Tam in 1968, Stuart and Anne ran the business until her death in 1999.

Under his sole directorship and with 15 staff, Stuart continues to represent significant contemporary Australian artists including Inge King, Colin Lanceley, William Robinson, Garry Shead, Jeffrey Smart, Tim Storrier and John Wolseley along with the Estates of George Baldessin and Lenton Parr, as well as a role in the Estates of Arthur Boyd, John Coburn, Lloyd Rees and Brett Whiteley.

As a passionate advocate of artists, Stuart’s role as director is to ensure the gallery remains vital and viable so the artists he represents survive and prosper. With this responsibility, and through typical enterprise, he has continued to expand the business both in Victoria and into NSW. His 1989 move into Sydney was driven by a natural extension of his client base and continues to offer strong opportunities and closer contact with artists living in NSW.

In 2008 Stuart added another gallery space to Melbourne, situated across from the original gallery in Derby Street it houses a permanent selection of the Australian Galleries represented artists’ current works. This space is aptly called the Australian Galleries, ‘Stock Rooms’.

In his capacity as director, Stuart travels fortnightly between Melbourne and Sydney to work closely with his experienced gallery teams and also travels regularly overseas to visit artists and update his international perspective.

As one of Australia’s few second-generation art dealers, Stuart is regularly consulted by the visual arts industry for his knowledge and expertise. He is an approved valuer under the Commonwealth Government’s Cultural Gifts Program and is a former chairman and president of the Australian Commercial Galleries Association. For over ten years Stuart was a member of the Melbourne Contemporary Art Fair Board and held the role of Chairman for four of these years. Stuart has also been an avid supporter of Arts Project Australia serving as both a board member from 2006 to 2008, and a collector of the works. Stuart’s private collection, known as ‘The Pearls of Arts Project’, comprises over 180 paintings and sculpture purchased between1988 to 2008. In 2008 the collection toured the Regional Galleries of Australia. The collection has now been gifted by Stuart to the Sydney College of the Arts.

Stuart Purves’ personal dedication and enthusiasm to the promotion of the arts in Australia is indicative of his confidence in the important role visual art plays in the national and international psyche. With over forty years active involvement, he continues to be passionate about art and his commitment to the artists he represents.

Stuart Purves received the AM in 2006 for his contribution to the Arts.

	Kerri Daniell National Business Manager	Kerri joined Australian Galleries in 2005 and is the company financial controller, manager of human resources and of information/ communication technology including; the in house gallery management software, website, social media and all general ICT projects that keep the gallery abreast of modern day requirements in technology. She also oversees the general administration for the five galleries located over the two states and has the vital role of assisting National Director, Stuart Purves with marketing and strategic planning for the company. With over twenty years’ experience in business management at a senior level, ten of which were with global company ‘ICI’ located in NZ, and with the last ten years working within the contemporary art market here in Australia, Kerri brings integral experience to the business side of running the company, and because of a keen interest in the arts, is particularly strong in adapting her business experience to fit within the unique dynamic of the commercial gallery world. Kerri is currently undertaking post graduate studies to further extend her business and finance management skills.

	Ingrid Oosterhuis General Manager - Melbourne	After completing her Honours degree in Art History and Painting at the University of Western Australia exploring perception, cognition and consciousness in the visual arts, Ingrid spent 5 years working at the National Portrait Gallery in London before moving to Melbourne in 2007. Ingrid joined Australian Galleries in 2008 as a weekend Gallery Assistant whilst simultaneously working at Arts Project Australia and in events co-ordination. She became the General Manager Melbourne of Australian Galleries in 2009 and oversees the Derby St exhibitions, website upkeep and administration of the three galleries in Melbourne, also working closely with the Director and the galleries in Sydney. With roles in both Public and Commercial Galleries Ingrid brings significant experience to the daily running of Australian Galleries.

	Suzy Ditterich Head of Design & Production	With a background in publishing and graphic design, Suzy is the Head of Australian Galleries in-house graphic design and production department. Averaging between forty-five to fifty exhibitions each year across Australian Galleries in two states, Suzy is the oasis of calm in designing and supervising the production of all print media including invitations, folios and catalogues, as well as advertising and email invitations. Suzy has been instrumental in the design and production of artist monographs through Australian Galleries Publishing, including Jeffrey Smart: Unpublished Paintings 1940- 2007 and George Baldessin: Paradox and Persuasion and is currently working on a Jock Clutterbuck publication, due to be completed in late 2012.