MAGNT is leading

ACROSS Australia there is a growing sense of excitement and expectation for the museum sector in the Northern Territory.

The reinvigoration of the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory (MAGNT), and the recent announcements by the Northern Territory Government about new museum infrastructure are restoring confidence that the Northern Territory is a place that values Aboriginal culture, the natural sciences, history and art.

An important milestone for MAGNT was reached on June 30, 2017.

It marked the end of the first term of the inaugural board members of MAGNT, and the conclusion of the first three years of funding for the board from the Northern Territory Government.

I would like to share with you some of the highlights that we have achieved in our first three years since the re-establishment of MAGNT as a statutory authority, and our plans for the future.

One of our first initiatives as a new organisation was a trilogy of survey exhibitions of Territory artists: Rob Brown (November 2014-March 2015), Winsome Jobling (March-August 2016) and early next year, Franck Gohier (February-July 2018).

The opening of the Impressionists of Paris (March-June 2015) was one of the biggest parties at MAGNT in years.

And those who asked if MAGNT had quality collections for a new art museum in State Square were convinced that we did when they saw the exhibition Hot! (October 2016August 2017).

Last year we delivered the biggest and best National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Awards in years.

Sponsors Telstra, impressed by our vision for NATSIAA, increased their support and committed funds for another threeyear term.

We enhanced our Cyclone Tracy exhibition for the 40th anniversary, refreshed our foyer to make it more inviting and user-friendly, and gave our iconic crocodile Sweetheart an improved display.

We won Chief Minister’s Awards in consecutive years for the NT Field Guide App and our Cyclone Tracy exhibition enhancements.

MAGNT has greatly increased our public program and education offers.

New initiatives include a monthly kids club, school holiday programs, adult art workshops with nationally recognised artists and a series of regular exhibition talks. These activities are regularly sold out.

Families can also take a detective trail through the exhibitions, take part in drop-in art classes every day in the refurbished Discovery Centre or read children’s labels within exhibitions.

Audiences have increased as MAGNT is meeting a demand for quality programs that both educate and entertain. Education numbers have increased, with MAGNT servicing schools from across the NT as well as interstate.

We continue to build our collections for the people of the Territory and contribute to significant publications.

We undertake field trips, most notably our Bush Blitz field trips, often in collaboration with national or interna- tional researchers institutions.

We are enhancing our infrastructure.

As a new organisation, we set up our own website and social media profile providing greater access for our audiences.

We received funding from the Northern Territory Government and the Ian Potter Foundation for two key projects to enhance our collection database and digitise our collections, greatly increasing our capacity to make our collections accessible.

Major capital works are under way on the Colin JackHinton Maritime Gallery to and repair damage resulting from 26 years of exposure to sea air.

We are two years into a four-year $5.3 million replacement of our heating, ventilation and airconditioning system. Provision has been built into this new system to allow for an expansion of our Bullocky Point facility by up to 30 per cent, ensuring a safe, controlled environment for our collections and exhibitions into the future.

Our revenues are growing, from $8.3 million in our first year to an anticipated $9.7 million this year. This reverses what had been more than 15 years of decline in support.

Excluding NT Government funding, we have secured approximately $2.5 million from mostly interstate sources, money that is benefiting all Territorians – 314,000 visitors came to our sites in 2015-16, including 223,000 to our principal facility in Darwin.

Visiting MAGNT continues to be the top ranked of “Things to Do in Darwin” on TripAdvisor, and a visit to our Defence of Darwin Experience at East Point is second ranked.

To deliver more for the people of the NT, we have increased our staff from 37 to 55, including increasing our curatorial team from seven to 12.

So, what is our vision for the future?

Earlier this year the board released our Strategic Vision 2017-2020. You can find this on our website: magnt.net.au

In practical terms, we are passionate about introducing greater scholarship into our exhibitions program.

We will increase our engagement of scientists, historians and artists with our public programs.

When our Franck Gohier exhibition opens in early 2018 we hope to announce the next of our trilogy of exhibitions by

“We will increase our engagement of scientists, historians and artists with our public programs”