The library will close at 12 noon on Monday November 18 for our 185th birthday afternoon tea and not reopen for general library services until 10 am on Tuesday November 19.
Much of our city’s standing as Australia’s cultural capital can be traced back to the Melbourne Athenaeum and the role it played in the early promotion and development of music, visual arts, literature and theatre.
Each year, the Melbourne Athenaeum invites an artist to work from the library for a week, demonstrating their practice, speaking to members and visitors, and presenting a talk about their work.
Artist Bronwyn Rees said of her residency: “It was the most stimulating, rewarding and productive time … the conversations and informed feedback received from people during residencies such as this are invaluable to an artist.”
