NGV to receive $20 million grant from for new contemporary art gallery

The National Gallery of Victoria has announced that The Ian Potter Foundation has pledged $20 million - the single biggest grant in the Foundation’s history - towards the build of Australia’s largest contemporary art gallery, NGV Contemporary.

Located at 77 Southbank Boulevard, NGV Contemporary will be a landmark, purpose-built gallery of architectural significance dedicated to displaying important local, national and international contemporary art and design in the heart of the re-imagined Melbourne Arts Precinct. Once completed, the gallery will span more than 30,000 metre², making it the largest facility of its kind in the country Australia.

Building on the growth in audiences attending ground-breaking exhibitions of contemporary art and design, NGV Contemporary will elevate Melbourne’s reputation as a thriving and dynamic destination for art and design in our region.

NGV Contemporary will provide visitors with an unprecedented opportunity to experience the breadth of the NGV’s collection of contemporary art and design, along with a year-round program of major contemporary exhibitions of global significance.

The support from The Ian Potter Foundation is anticipated to encourage additional philanthropic and community support.

Commenting on the donation last month, Charles Goode, Chairman of The Ian Potter Foundation, advised “NGV Contemporary will have a transformative impact on our city. Projects like this ensure that Melbourne will always be a place of vibrancy and a source of cultural pride for our community.

“The Ian Potter Foundation is proud to support the development of NGV Contemporary and we hope to encourage further commitments of support from a variety of philanthropic, corporate and community members who share our passion for a culturally rich and diverse arts sector.”

NGV Contemporary will be connected to the wider Melbourne Arts Precinct through an expansive 18,000 metre²of new gardens designed by Australian design practice Hassell and SO - IL of the USA, with horticulture and planting design by James Hitchmough and Nigel Dunnett of the United Kingdom.

The Ian Potter Foundation is one of Australia’s major philanthropic foundations.

Image: Concept for the redeveloped Melbourne Arts Precinct from Southbank Boulevard. Credit: HASSELL + SO-IL.