Betty Churcher

Betty (Elizabeth) Ann Churcher, AO [cite web
url = http://www.itsanhonour.gov.au/honours/honour_roll/search.cfm?aus_award_id=870115&search_type=quick&showInd=true
title = Churcher, Elizabeth Ann
accessdate = 2008-07-06
date = Date|1996-06-11
publisher = [http://www.itsanhonour.gov.au] It's an Honour website] (née Cameron) (born 11 January 1931 in Brisbane, Queensland) is best known as director of the National Gallery of Australia from 1990 to 1997. She was also a painter in her own right earlier in her life. She won a travelling scholarship to Europe and attended the London Royal College of Art receiving an ARCA in 1956. She received an MA from the Courtauld Institute of Art, University of London in 1977.

Between 1972 and 1975 Churcher was art critic for The Australian newspaper. She was the Dean of School of Art and Design, Phillip Institute of Technology, Victoria between 1982 and 1990, and director of the Art Gallery of Western Australia from 1987 to 1990. She was then appointed director of the Australian National Gallery. She has hosted several television shows in the 1990s and written several books, including "The Art of War" about war artists.

Her son, Peter Churcher, was Australia's official war artist in the War on Terrorism.

While director of the National Gallery, she was dubbed "Betty Blockbuster" because of her love of blockbuster exhibitions.

Churcher initiated the building of new galleries on the eastern side of the building, opened in March 1998, to house large-scale temporary exhibitions. She changed the name of the Gallery from the Australian National Gallery to its current title.

During her period the Gallery also purchased "Golden Summer, Eaglemont" by Arthur Streeton for $3.5 million. This was the last great Heidelberg School still in private hands. [ cite book | first=Pauleen (ed)| last=Green | title = Building the Collection | publisher = National Gallery of Australia | year = 2003 | pages = 174 | id = ISBN 0-642-54202-3]

In 1996 a portrait of Churcher painted by her son, Peter Churcher and titled "Betty at Home" was a finalist in the Archibald Prize. The prize is awarded for the "best portrait painting preferentially of some man or woman distinguished in Art, Letters, Science or Politics".cite web |title= Archibald Prize 07 |publisher= Art Gallery NSW |url= http://www.thearchibaldprize.com.au/finalists |accessdate= 2007-07-19]

Publications

Churcher has written a number of books on art including:
*cite book
last = Churcher
first = Betty
title = Understanding Art
publisher = Rigby
year = 1973
location = Adelaide
pages = 152
id = ISBN 0-85179-699-0
*cite book
last = Churcher
first = Betty
title = The Art of War
publisher = Melbourne University Press
year = 2005
location = Melbourne
pages = 176
id = ISBN 0-522-85099-5

Notes

External links

* [http://www.filmaust.com.au/hiddentreasures/ Hidden Treasures with Betty Churcher]
* [http://www.australianbiography.gov.au/subjects/churcher/ Biography]
* [http://dl.filmaust.com.au/tag/Betty+Churcher/ Educational Resources involving Betty Churcher]

Persondata
NAME=Churcher, Betty
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION=Australian art gallery director
DATE OF BIRTH=11 July 1931
PLACE OF BIRTH=Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
DATE OF DEATH=living person
PLACE OF DEATH=