About the South Australian School of Art
The South Australian School of Art is the oldest art school in Australia. Initiated by the South Australian Society of Arts (became Royal South Australian Society of Arts, 1935), the school (as the School of Design) first opened its doors to students in 1861, a mere 25 years after South Australia was first proclaimed (1836).
It has a long and distinguished history, which has been closely entwined with major political, social and cultural events – local and international – as an influence on, as much as a mirror of, society.
In the more than 170 years of its existence, the school has educated, graduated and employed thousands of artists, designers, teachers, curators, critics, scholars and others pursuing significant creative careers. These many individuals have actively participated in South Australian and wider Australian society through countless exhibitions and cultural events - including Adelaide’s Festival of Arts - launching new galleries and public forums, guiding government policy and nurturing creativity in many generations of school children.
Their stories have significant value, not only for individuals but for the arts and wider communities of this state. Many narratives speak of creative and intellectual endeavour, success, the occasional scandal, and a strong sense of community which also experienced alienation, censorship, and struggle against institutional amalgamation.
Australians may be aware of individual artists and artworks in galleries and auction sale rooms, and their interest in creative culture might represent a large sector of the national economy but little is known about the processes and formative circumstances of artists’ training, and production circumstances and even less about art as a profession. All of this has now been made transparent through the publication of a 170-history that has been designed to increase public awareness of the valuable and diverse contributions that the staff and students of the South Australian School of Art have made over the many years of its long-running operations.
The title of this history is SOUTH AUSTRALIAN SCHOOL OF ART: 170 years shaping South Australian Visual Arts & Culture.
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