Stuart Purves, along with his dynamic team, has continued to strengthen and diversify the thriving enterprise started in Melbourne by his parents. A passionate advocate of artists, Stuart’s role as National Director is to ensure Australian Galleries remains vital and viable so that the artists they represent can air their views through the exhibiting of their work and survive and prosper.
2015 was a year of many positive advancements at the gallery in preparation for the 60th Anniversary in June 2016, with renovations to the Melbourne Stock Rooms gallery to create ‘white cube’ spaces to accommodate an expanding exhibition program, a new print room which is home to the work of our master printmakers, in addition a second level was added to create a vast space to display new works from Artist’s studio’s, and to house the Archives Dept. On the ground floor at the front of the building on Derby Street is the all new ‘AG Art Shop’. This period has also been spent improving the galleries online presence with the introduction of an e-commerce website, the AG Art blog and a much more comprehensive Social Media profile.
The success of Australian Galleries is a reflection of the passion and commitment to the artists it represents. Stuart Purves’ personal dedication and enthusiasm to the promotion of the arts in Australia is indicative of his confidence in the important role visual art plays in the national and international psyche.