Each part of the collection has a curator who is an expert in that part of art history. When a curator finds something that seems ideal for the collection they oversee, they propose it to the Acquisitions Committee of the Art Gallery Trust, through the head of their department. The Director and the chief curator present it to the Trust and, if the work fits the policy, the price is right and funds are available, the purchase is approved.

There are many factors that make one work more important than another for us, including how it will fit in with other works in the collection. We do not aim to have an encyclopedic collection, just a well integrated body of work that makes good sense on the wall (or floor). This varies from area to area, but working with the collection and its interpretation is the most important thing a curator does in their professional life and this intimate relationship is the best way to build a lively collection and display it to the best advantage.

What is a Curator?
"Curator" literally means "keeper" and, as such, a curator has a duty of care, in this case for artworks. There are curators of collections, which is the key role in a museum, and there are exhibition curators. Curators of collections develop a policy of broad areas to be collected and a strategy for prioritising options within that policy. They spend a great deal of time looking at art in collections, both in Australia and overseas, as well as in international exhibitions, commercial galleries and auction catalogues. They are the primary interpreter for the work on behalf of the artist. They write texts, research bibliographies, exhibition records and so on, to make the records as complete and as accurate as possible. Finally, they arrange displays that make the collections available to the public in different contexts and innovative configurations, to bring out different aspects of the works.

Answers supplied by Anthony Bond, Head Curator Western Art, General Manager, Curatorial Services