Arts Thursday with Maisy Stapleton and Paula Towers

This week we introduce a new segment to the program – the Story of Sydney through our collections.

Our state’s collecting institutions – the Art Gallery of NSW, the Australian Museum, the State Library of NSW, the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences, Sydney Living Museums and the State Archives and Records Authority – hold priceless collections, which provide insight into our rich cultural history.

Typically, collecting institutions only display a small proportion of their holdings. In this occasional series we invite the people responsible for the care and development of these collections to nominate five objects that tell us parts of ‘the story of Sydney’.

The objects selected are remarkably diverse, and each tells a fascinating story that might relate to the object’s creation, its ownership or its significance.

They remind us that decisions about what to collect, and hold ‘in trust’ for future generations are complex and often surprising. The series offers insights into the process of collecting that is at the heart of each splendid state cultural institutions.

The series is presented by Peter Morton, who began his career as a producer and presenter for ABC Radio, and more recently has held senior roles at the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences and Sydney Living Museums.

Peter’s first interview with Doctor Jacqui Strecker from the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences can be heard just after 10:30.

(Illustrations above show Sydney Opera House by Max Dupain; Bechstein piano and Olympic Torch photographed by Ryan Hernandez; Jenny Kee sweater and Locomotive  photographed by Marinco Kojdanovski)

This will be followed by another aspect of Sydney’s story, seen in the works of Etienne Cohen, a self taught naive artist, who captures the essence of Sydney in charming illustrative works of  streets and buildings as well as aspects of the Australian landscape and mementos of her travels.

Etienne also offers classes in her Paddington Studio. You can meet Etienne around 11:15am.

Music has been selected with assistance from Baptiste Cornillier.

For further information:

Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences: https://maas.museum/

Etienne Cohen: https://www.etiennecohen.com/

DON’T WORRY IF YOU MISS THE PROGRAM!

If you miss the program you can listen again by going to /arts/artsthursday/ and clicking on the date 19 February 2020.

And watch out for podcasts at later dates.

Tune into Arts Thursday with Maisy Stapleton every fortnight from 10:30 to noon for in-depth conversations on the arts.