Alcoa donates greats of Australian art to gallery

Some of Australia’s greatest artists have joined the walls of Geelong Gallery after a donation from one of Australia’s biggest companies.
Alcoa of Australia has given the gallery seven artworks worth about 10 per cent of the company’s $3 million Australian collection, accumulated since 1970.
Sir Sidney Nolan, Arthur Boyd and Ray Crooke are among artists represented in the donation.
Alcoa of Australia managing director Alan Cransberg said the donation was a cost-free way for the company to share its collection with the community.
“Our philosophy is that there is little value in having famous pieces of art locked away in our corporate offices when they could be in public places for the whole community to enjoy for generations to come,” he said.
Gallery director Geoffrey Edwards was rapt with the “extremely generous” donation from Alcoa’s “collection of magnitude and quality”.
Alcoa began donating its collection to communities in 2002. The donations have included the hand-over of a Pro Hart painting worth around $100,000 to Melbourne’s Royal Women’s Hospital.