{"id":1352,"date":"2022-12-08T09:32:36","date_gmt":"2022-12-08T09:32:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/melbourneathenaeum.org.au\/staging\/?post_type=hgallery&#038;p=1352"},"modified":"2023-06-08T05:09:50","modified_gmt":"2023-06-08T05:09:50","slug":"1950s-to-1970s","status":"publish","type":"hgallery","link":"https:\/\/melbourneathenaeum.org.au\/staging\/hgallery\/1950s-to-1970s\/","title":{"rendered":"1950s to 1970s"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/melbourneathenaeum.org.au\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/earlyaustralia_jackson-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1920\" srcset=\"https:\/\/melbourneathenaeum.org.au\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/earlyaustralia_jackson-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/melbourneathenaeum.org.au\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/earlyaustralia_jackson-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/melbourneathenaeum.org.au\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/earlyaustralia_jackson-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https:\/\/melbourneathenaeum.org.au\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/earlyaustralia_jackson.jpg 1352w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Catalogue of Australian artefacts from the collection of Spencer Jackson.<br>The exhibition was held at the Melbourne Athenaeum gallery in 1953.<br>Catalogue held by the State Library of Victoria<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The 1960s represented a period of artistic freedom and energised expression. The art gallery hosted lunchtime recitals of stereophonic musical recordings arranged by Philips Electrical Industries Pty. Ltd. in co-operation with the Record Library.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full notfullwidth\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"445\" height=\"570\" src=\"https:\/\/melbourneathenaeum.org.au\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/recital.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1896\" srcset=\"https:\/\/melbourneathenaeum.org.au\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/recital.png 445w, https:\/\/melbourneathenaeum.org.au\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/recital-234x300.png 234w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 445px) 100vw, 445px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the 1960s, the growing trend and interest in smaller independent galleries, which were exhibiting work in the suburbs, could have been a factor in the art gallery's declining attendances. As Melbourne grew as a city, the gallery found itself competing with smaller galleries and institutions, which were beginning to attract attention. In response, the committee resolved to examine the design and d\u00e9cor of the gallery as well as suggesting that smaller exhibitions be held.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As the committee sought to re-evaluate the d\u00e9cor the lighting design once again became a turning point in the gallery's architecture. The lighting work was completed in early 1969 but the gallery continued to suffer as visits declined into the early 1970s. In response the General Committee decided to create three display units that allowed the gallery to be divided into two smaller galleries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The gallery still managed to hold culturally-significant exhibitions. The committee co-operated with Mr Alois Svihla, Director of Gallery 99, who presented three ambitious exhibitions under the title 'Athenaeum 69'.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Correspondence in the Athenaeum Archives show that in the 1970s Mr Charles Wheeler and the Contemporary Artists Society returned after a long absence with vastly different styles of painting. The early 1970s was a turning point in the gallery as new exhibitions were shown by The Sherbrooke Art Society, Mt Evelyn Art Society, Peggy Shaw and Mary Low. These events were followed by the successful exhibition of the Twenty Melbourne Painters Society.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"714\" src=\"https:\/\/melbourneathenaeum.org.au\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/flexmoredonation-1024x714.jpg\" alt=\"flexmore\" class=\"wp-image-202\" srcset=\"https:\/\/melbourneathenaeum.org.au\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/flexmoredonation-1024x714.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/melbourneathenaeum.org.au\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/flexmoredonation-300x209.jpg 300w, https:\/\/melbourneathenaeum.org.au\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/flexmoredonation-768x536.jpg 768w, https:\/\/melbourneathenaeum.org.au\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/flexmoredonation-1536x1071.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/melbourneathenaeum.org.au\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/flexmoredonation.jpg 1570w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Landscape (c.1970) by John Flexmore, donated to the Melbourne Athenaeum by the Flexmore estate.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 1971 the gallery was occupied for only 15 weeks. In the hope of asserting the gallery's presence in Melbourne, communications were undertaken with the Melbourne Theosophical Society and it was concluded that the society would lease the gallery as a temporary home for 12 to 18 months. Despite this resolution, continued vacancies at the gallery were troubling to the committee, which knew that the space was too valuable to remain vacant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The space was the temporary home for the Melbourne Theosophical Society throughout the first half of the 1970s. By the mid-1970s the gallery was occupied during the daytime by Royal Victorian Liedertafel and at night by yoga classes. In 1977 the Melbourne Theatre Company leased both the main theatre and this smaller space, which they called the Athenaeum 2 and used for experimental plays.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Today the Athenaeum Archives contains records including correspondence, blueprints and other documents that provide further insight into the Athenaeum Gallery's history.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":202,"template":"","class_list":["post-1352","hgallery","type-hgallery","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>1950s to 1970s - Athenaeum<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"1950s to 1970s - Athenaeum\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The 1960s represented a period of artistic freedom and energised expression. 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