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| Pictured L-R: Judy Newman, Dr Anneke Silver and Hilary Martin, viewing the Martin Gallery Archive Displays. Photo: JCU Library Special Collections |
Last week we had some very special visitors viewing our Martin Gallery Archive displays in the Mabo Library in Townsville, when Hilary Martin, Anneke Silver and Judy Newman popped in to see the displays on Level 1.
Hilary Martin (daughter of Ralph and Margaret Martin) has many memories of the gallery, and especially of her father setting off on his art buying trips. Hilary told us Ralph would pack up his small van once or twice a year and set off for the south in search of art for his gallery. She recalls her excitement when he returned from those trips and seeing him open up the back of the van and start unloading everything. Hilary said she loved the smells emanating from inside the van – with oil paints and leatherwork being a particularly strong memory.
As a former Special Collections Volunteer, Judy Newman spent many hours across a period of two years working on sorting and listing the Martin Gallery Archive. Judy said she was very pleased to see so many items from the Archive on display. We sincerely thank Judy for her dedication to this work!
Artist Anneke Silver had a long and fruitful association with the Martin Gallery – from its inception in 1972 until its closure in 1988, she held 9 exhibitions there. Anneke was guest curator for the 2016 exhibition ‘Images of an Era: The Martin Gallery’. This exhibition, held at Perc Tucker Regional Gallery, celebrated the contribution of the Martin Gallery to the cultural life of Townsville. In an informative essay published in the exhibition catalogue, Anneke had this to say about the far-reaching legacy of the Martin Gallery:
Those sixteen years of intense exhibiting created a following for the visual arts in Townsville. It created a culture of gallery viewing, meeting others with similar interests, discussing art subject matter, ideas and techniques. Many people discovered the joys and love of collecting, owning original pieces or following artists’ development.*
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| Special Collections staff with guests: Judy Newman, Hilary Martin, Dr Anneke Silver and Dr Kay Jaumees. Photo: JCU Library Special Collections. |
The contents of the Martin Gallery Archive includes more than 800 photographs, exhibition ephemera, correspondence, receipt books, newspaper clippings, as well as 192 files on artists whose work was represented by Martin Gallery. Our displays will run until the end of April 2025, so don’t miss out!
Trisha Fielding, Special Collections Library Officer
Did you miss our earlier blog posts about this archive? Catch up here: Where Art and Archives Collide - the Martin Gallery Archive and Mr Martin's Mangoes - the Martin Gallery Archive
To view the Archive, book a visit to the Helen Mays Reading Room (in Townsville); or check out the displays showcasing items from this archive – now showing on Level 1 of the Eddie Koiki Mabo Library, JCU Townsville campus (Bebegu Yumba).
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