Sydney Art Galleries shedding elitist image

Art galleries in Sydney are attracting a new kind of visitor who are defying the stereotype of the elitist and pretentious art lover.

A survey of 2,239 people has found visitors to Sydney galleries come from every strata of society, including the young and low-income earners.

More than one-third of visitors earn less than $40,000 a year, about 15% are not educated beyond high school, and at least one-in-five are visiting for the first time.

People from non English-speaking backgrounds and those in the 15-34 age bracket also ranked highly among visitors.

The study, Guess Who's Going To The Gallery, was conducted by Museums and Galleries NSW at 12 galleries between August 2008 and February 2009.

Museums and Galleries NSW Chief Executive Maisy Stapleton, says the findings shatter the myth of the elite art lover, stating "it shows that everyone is arty.

"Galleries are very important to the whole community ... it's not just for a very small segment as is commonly believed.

"People are a bit afraid of going to the gallery, so this is a matter of alerting people that they are a place for everybody."

Stapleton says one of the most important findings of the study was that when Sydneysiders made a second visit, they were likely to 'get hooked' and return many times more.

The galleries that took part in the study were Artspace, the Art Gallery of NSW (pictured), the Australian Centre for Photography, Hazelhurst Regional Gallery, Manly Art Gallery and Museum, Mosman Art Gallery and the Museum of Contemporary Art.
AAP

28th April 2009 - RENAISSANCE FOR FREE MUSEUMS AND GALLERIES