Community Support for the Arts
A landmark gift is helping strengthen the cultural legacy that has shaped the University of Newcastle’s long-standing commitment to Australian artists. Aaron and Samantha Sampson have generously donated 80 artworks to the University of Newcastle Art Collection: a significant contribution that reflects both the vitality of artistic practice in our region and the power of community support for the arts.
📷 Installation view, works by: Brett McMahon, Alfonso Puautjimi, David Middlbrook, Nick Barlow, Dino Consalvo, Rachel Milne and John Olsen.
The donation includes works by leading Australian artists – many with strong Newcastle connections as alumni, educators and exhibiting artists – which were recently celebrated in FRAMED: The Sampson Collection, presented at the University Gallery.
“We took over 20 years building our collections from a range of wonderful artists,” says Aaron and Samantha.
“Each artwork had a different origin story and they became part of our world. As the collection grew, we wanted it to receive the love it deserves. These artworks are from many different artists – including students of the University – using different mediums and created at different times. We are delighted that the collection has a new, respected home in Newcastle, and we hope visitors can experience the passage of time through the collection.”
📷 Left: Nigel Milsom, Untitled, n.d., oil on linen, 60 × 50 cm. Right: Nick Barlow, Unicorn, n.d., oil on board, 41 × 31 cm. Donated by Aaron and Samantha Sampson through the Australian Government Cultural Gifts Program.
Cultural gifts through the University can preserve important artworks and place them at the centre of the community, where they can continue to inspire new conversations and new generations.
The University of Newcastle Art Collection has been at the heart of the University’s cultural identity since 1965. It has grown over the years to include many works by significant Australian artists, with a focus on artists from the Newcastle and Hunter Region and on First Nations artists, ensuring regional stories and diverse creative voices are represented, shared and celebrated.
Art is not peripheral to university life, but central to how we understand ourselves, our histories and our communities. More than an extraordinary gift of artworks, the Sampsons’ donation is an investment in creative and cultural engagement across our community and will provide opportunities for learning, reflection and connection for many years to come.”
Gillean Shaw
Art Curator at University Galleries
BAVA, 1998; BFA(Hons), 1999; MFA, 2003
To learn more about cultural gifts and their impact for our communities, please contact our team on 02 4921 8612 or email donor-relations@newcastle.edu.au.
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Contact
- Office of Philanthropy
- Phone: 02 4921 8612
- Email: donor-relations@newcastle.edu.au
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