A New Zealand philanthropist and his late wife have donated a substantial collection of Australian Aboriginal art to the Art Gallery of New South Wales—the largest number of artworks ever donated to the AGNSW’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art collection.

Michael and Dame Rosie Horton built this collection over 23 years, following several visits to Indigenous communities around Australia. From this, 193 significant works have become part of AGNSW’s permanent collection, representing a diverse range of art from paintings and weavings to sculptures.

“This gift is an exciting addition to the Art Gallery collection,” said Art Gallery of New South Wales, Head of First Nations Cara Pinchbeck.

“Eclectic and wide-ranging, the works span a range of mediums and reflect longstanding connections to several significant artmaking communities.”

The generous donation includes work by artists who weren’t previously represented in the Art Gallery’s collection, exposing visitors to a greater range of Indigenous art and deepening the art gallery’s cultural connection to these communities.

Works from Girramay artists Abe Muriata and Emily Murray, and Dijnan/Marung artist Jeremiah Bonson were part of the gift along with pieces by prominent women artists including Sally Gabori, Angelina George, and the Joshua sisters.

The Horton family were significant shareholders in Wilson & Horton, who for over 120 years owned the New Zealand Herald before divesting in 1996. The couple, who owned a home in Queensland, travelled extensively to Indigenous communities across Northern Australia throughout the 2000s, meeting artists directly and acquiring works through Indigenous-owned art centres and commercial galleries.

“I am thrilled to gift the Art Gallery of New South Wales the beloved collection that Rosie and I enjoyed building over more than two decades,” said Horton.

“It gives me great comfort to know that the collection will remain in Australia where it will be enjoyed by local and international visitors to the Art Gallery, as well as the artists themselves, their descendants, and future generations of the communities represented in the collection.”

Next time you pop by the AGNSW, make sure to walk through the Yiribana Gallery, which is entirely dedicated to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art and features the aforementioned works.

Art Gallery of NSW

Address: Art Gallery Rd, Sydney NSW 2000
Contact: 1800 679 278
Opening Hours: Monday—Tuesday (10am—5pm); Wednesday (10am—10pm); Thursday—Sunday (10am—5pm)