Gibbs Art Online - City of South Perth

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Release Date: 16 November 2006
Gibbs Art Online
The City of South Perth has been successful in attracting a $13,000 grant from Lotterywest
in order to digitise and interpret the May and Herbert Gibbs art collection and make it
available online.
The City is fortunate to have this unique and significant collection and the digitalisation of
the Gibbs art collection will improve access to the artworks, providing important historical
and cultural reference to individual artworks.
Apart from helping to preserve the artworks, digitising the collection will allow people
locally and internationally to access the images and interpretation of more than 200 works
from their homes, libraries and internet cafes via the South Perth web site, providing an
opportunity for people to view them without geographical or time limitations.
City Mayor John Collins said it was an example of how the City is utilising modern
technology in order to circulate art in the community.
“It is an opportunity to bring culturally and historically enriching art into the lives and
homes of community members, who may not otherwise have the access or ability to see it
in person,” he said.
The City is fortunate in securing the services of Dr Ken Spillman, notable WA historian
and author, to provide the historical interpretation, while Red Griffin Art will design the
web site and Ms Joy Legge, the WA Australian representative for Artbank and Curator of
Paintings at the Benedictine Community of New Norcia, will curate the first exhibition to
coincide with the launch of the web site.
This exhibition will also be linked to the Perth International Arts Festival theatre
production of Snugglepot and Cuddlepie, due to commence its season in February 2007.
The Gibbs Art Collection is culturally and historically significant to the South Perth
penninsula, capturing the places and faces of South Perth from 1889 through to the 1940s,
and the City is grateful to Lotterywest for providing the grant.

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‘Mother Nutcote’ by May Gibbs ‘Untitled’ by Herbert Gibbs
For further media details contact:
Roslyn Mulcahy City Communications Coordinator
Ph: 9474 0716
Fax: 9474 2425
Mobile: 0438 946 085
Email: roslynm@southperth.wa.gov.au