“I guess it can be frustrating for organisations like [Arts Project Australia] to constantly be validating the work of our artists as a critical and important part of the broader contemporary arts sector. Particularly the decisions makers, the lords of the museum and gallery sectors, the art influencers whose opinions and decisions are often slavishly followed by the collectors.
I have actually found that artists themselves are the most receptive to the proposed melange.
Systemic change means real endorsement from art funding bodies and philanthropists – we are starting to see a little of this from Australia Council and state arts funding agencies, but always under a lens of diversity. Can’t it just be about the art?
The main issue for me is the current structures of the art world generally – however I feel that this is a shake up that may be forced upon us (or them!).
I see the current COVID19 crisis as an opportunity to speed this up – with everything online for the foreseeable future, it has to be accessible, and it puts everyone on the same playing ground. It will be interesting to see how this evolves after the galleries and studios are open. We [at Arts Project] certainly plan to keep exploring online delivery in everything we do – and, of course, this has the capacity to be internationally received and accepted.“
SUE ROFF, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, ARTS PROJECT AUSTRALIA
Recentring Australian Art 
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