Overview
One of the most important donations in years for Australia's contemporary art scene, a millionaire Melbourne property developer has endowed Melbourne University with a $26 million gift of his epic private collection — and a place to exhibit them all. The Michael Buxton Centre of Contemporary Art (or the rather awkward sounding MBCOCA) is a brand new, purpose-built museum set to open in 2017 at the University of Melbourne's Southbank campus.
An entrepreneurial developer with a keen interest in contemporary art, Buxton has collected more than 300 works in a variety of media over 30 years. "Our acquisition policy has… focused squarely on supporting living artists and working alongside them to foster and support their careers," he told ArtsHub. The collection provides valuable insight into the stylistic development of the 53 artists it includes; from the paintings of Howard Arkley and Mike Parr, to the photography of Tracey Moffatt and Bill Henson as well as the sculpture and installation work of Ricky Swallow and Patricia Piccinini, among others.
By donating such a showstopper collection to an institution like the University of Melbourne, Buxton hopes to ensure its longevity. The new museum will serve as a major resource for students as well as the public in general. "We are educating future generations of students and serving as a resource for all Australians aspiring to understand or collect challenging contemporary art," he told The Australian. Plus, building the new museum opposite the National Gallery of Victoria and next to the Victorian College of the Arts will well and truly cement Southbank's reputation as the city's premier arts precinct.
The Buxton family will remain involved, providing funds for the museum's construction and maintenance over the next 20 years. New works will also continue to be collected, ensuring the museum remains a dynamic, evolving collection of works by the biggest and brightest contemporary artists of today.
See more of the collection on the Michael Buxton Collection website.
Via ArtsHub and The Australian.
Image credit: From the ABC, Stephen Bush, Shout on the hills of glory, 2008.