Michael Brand, the director of Art Gallery New South Wales, Sydney, has had the renewal of his current contract declined by the institution’s board, reports the Sydney Morning Herald. Brand’s contract, which included a five-year tenure at the gallery and expires in June, has been extended for a further 12 months. Explaining their decision, the board cited current pressures over the gallery’s AUD$450 million (approx. £270m) Sydney Modern expansion project, as well as a recent law introduced in 2014 that requires long-term senior appointments to be advertised publicly.
The Sydney Modern project, which would double the gallery’s size, has been labelled a controversial plan as many critics believe the money would be better spent on updating other arts institutions such as the Sydney Opera House. Brand has championed the expansion, but the lack of public support and donations has called the feasibility of the development into question. Though the board of trustees president, David Gonski, has said that Brand is a ‘strong arts administrator’ who brought ‘strategic vigour and creative clarity’ to the gallery, his tenure has also seen an 11% fall in visitor numbers since 2012.
12 April 2017
