2020 marks the 35th year of Packsaddle

To mark the occasion we have received tributes from two of our greatest supporters, Barry Pearce and Philip Bacon.

Barry Pearce FUniSA, Emeritus Curator, Art Gallery of NSW writes:
“It is hard to believe that only about fifteen years ago a profound collective anxiety arose amongst New England citizens when the local council intimated that a debt burden might lead to the closure of NERAM. This was a relatively young regional art museum; then housing the Hinton and Coventry collections, as it still does, and much more.

However hovering in the background was the growing Packsaddle group, whose enthusiasm and belief somehow reassured one that the survival of NERAM would eventually break through, and the museum could proceed once more to build upon its rich core collections. During that period of slow resurrection I became friends with two of the group – Glenda Kupczk-Romanczuk and Moira Lloyd. 

We met for lunch in Sydney early March 2012, and I suggested we look at Margaret Olley’s last exhibition with Philip Bacon at Sotheby’s nearby in Woollahra.

Margaret had been painting in a frenzy the previous year to meet Philip’s deadline, but died before she could see it to conclusion. The triumph of this delayed, blazing energy of a show however was its inclusion of her greatest masterpiece, The Yellow Room triptych, a large-scale composition which without doubt gave her entrée into the modernist Pantheon with her most beloved French painters Bonnard and Vuillard. I felt this work should be acquired by a major public museum, but now retired, I was out of the game. Who should acquire it? 

The answer was staring back with the reaction on the faces of Glenda and Moira as we stood in front of the triptych. I introduced them to Philip, an art dealer and Olley friend of great cultural distinction as well as philanthropist extraordinaire who understood better than anyone the inspiration Margaret took from Howard Hinton’s philosophy of giving. A strategy of payment was put in place, it all made sense for NERAM, and the rest is history.
I made a very tiny contribution towards the fund-raising campaign for the  triptych by agreeing to escort a group of four Packsaddle members on a tour of some famous art sites in Sydney. This was soon after the famous jigsaw fund launch in August 2012. On a beautiful early Spring day I set out with Moira and her husband Peter, and Lynne Walker and Richard Bird, and couldn’t have been happier with such a warm, intelligent group of art lovers. 

We visited Wendy Whiteley’s garden, and Margaret’s house in Duxford Street, one of the last chances to see the original interior of the artist’s wondrous chaos and the actual, impossibly small yellow room. But perhaps the ooh-aah moment of the day came standing near Sydney Harbour Bridge at Milson’s Point to look up and take in the breathtaking motif of Grace Cossington Smith’s spectacular painting, The Curve of the Bridge. 
The question thus arose, if the funding for The Yellow Room triptych was raised successfully, which artist should be considered next, especially one not represented in the collection? The answer bounced back once again, this time from the Bridge; Cossington Smith, another female painter equally indefatigable in her quest for a modern vision and its impact on contemporary society. And Philip, together with the proven commitment of Packsaddle, were the ideal agents for a matching sequel.”

Philip Bacon AM, Philip Bacon Gallery, Brisbane writes:
“Armidale generally and NERAM specifically were amongst Margaret Olley’s favourite places in Australia.  She loved coming to visit her relations, the Wright family, at their property “Wallamumbi”, and of course she adored the gallery in town, housing as it did the collection of her friend and mentor, Howard Hinton.  It was Olley who introduced me to the delights of NERAM, and I was always interested in what was going on there.  And there seemed to be a lot going on, both good and, occasionally, not so good.  Amongst the very good were the activities of that  amazing group of avid supporters, the Packsaddle group. The model they employed, an annual selling exhibition of works sourced from around Australia, was astonishingly successful, with the profits raised being channeled into various projects that the gallery needed support for.

My particular involvement was with the fund raising efforts to acquire Olley’s great late work, “Yellow Room Triptych”, a Packsaddle initiative.   

Needless to say, with the boundless enthusiasm and unbridled energy of the group, the money was raised in a pretty short time, and I had one of the best weekends of my life in the company of the Packsaddle gals at the gala dinner and accompanying festivities when the goal was reached, and the work was safely on NERAM’s specially painted walls.

I was very honoured when I was asked to help source a Grace Cossington-Smith for their latest endeavour, to acquire for the collection a suitable work of this major artist, who  strangely was not already represented in the NERAM collection.

It was a delight to be back in regular communication with Glenda and Moria, as we worked to find a museum quality painting that could do justice to the artist, and the collection she was joining.
The only negative aspect was my inability to come to Armidale for the presentation, something I was longing to do.

But there will be other projects, other opportunities to join the Packsaddle mob at the gallery, to celebrate together their extraordinary achievements and love of art.  I can’t wait...”