Queensland Art Gallery appoints new Director

Premier Campbell Newman today announced the appointment of Chris Saines as Director of the Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA).

Mr Newman said Mr Saines, former Director of the Auckland Art Gallery in New Zealand, will lead the highly successful institution into its next phase of development. 

“Mr Saines will build on the Gallery’s significant achievements in the six years since the opening of its second site, the Gallery of Modern Art,” Mr Newman said.

“Mr Saines’ track record makes him the outstanding candidate to lead what is already one of the best attended art museums in the country to even greater success.

“I’m confident he will fulfil the brief to provide an accessible and engaging art experience to audiences, while enhancing QAGOMA’s reputation as an art museum of international standing, and Queensland’s reputation as a culturally dynamic state.”

Mr Newman said the international search had considered a strong field of candidates from Australia and overseas.

QAGOMA is showing its flagship contemporary art exhibition The 7th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art (APT7), which attracted more than 18,000 visitors over its opening weekend.

[ENDS] 14 December, 2012

Media contact: Premier’s office 3224 4500

QAGOMA:  Amelia Gundelach 3840 7162

Background: Australian born Chris Saines is a highly skilled and respected gallery director, with 30 years’ experience leading public art institutions in Australia and New Zealand. He is known for his energetic and inspirational leadership and outstanding communication skills.

From 1984-95 Chris worked at the Queensland Art Gallery and before his departure managed the Curatorial & Support Services Program.

From 2001-11, he led a major $125 million building development for the Auckland Art Gallery. He established a Foundation that contributed $52.5 million and managed the project from inception to completion.

In 2009 he negotiated and secured the largest ever art gift to an Australasian public gallery, a 15-work Modern art collection valued at $15 million.

Major exhibitions for 2013 include Quilts 1700–1945 from the Victoria and Albert Museum, London (QAG, 15 June – 22 September 2013); My Country: I Still Call Australia Home: Contemporary Art from Black Australia (GOMA, 1 June – 6 October 2013); and California Design 1930–1965: Living in a Modern Way from the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (QAG, 2 November 2013 – 9 February 2014).