Head Curator of Asian Art, Art Gallery of New South Wales; Director, VisAsia, 2000- ; President, The Asian Arts Society of Australia (TAASA) 1993-2000 (Vice-President 1991-93); MA with Merit, Oriental Studies, University of Sydney. Inaugural Curator of Asian Art, Art Gallery of New South Wales (1980-). Curated/co-curated many exhibitions; edited/ contributed to many catalogues. Selected Asian exhibitions with Menzies' involvement include 'Imperial China' (1992),  'Sacred Images of Sri Lanka'(1994), 'INDIA: Dancing to the Flute' (1997), 'MODERN BOY, MODERN GIRL, Modernity in Japanese Art 1910-1935' (1998) and 'BUDDHA, Radiant Awakening' (2001). Currently working on a show on the Goddess with funding from the Gordon Darling Foundation. Been involved in the Asian collection development at the Art Gallery of New South Wales; the 352 page book 'The Asian Collections' (2003), edited by Menzies, was awarded 'Best Book of the Year' 2003  by the Power Institute and the  Association of Art Historians of Australia and New Zealand. Interested in audience development: recipient of an AMCAI (Art Museum Collections Accessibility Initiative) grant from the Ian Potter Foundation (2001-2003) and industry partner for an Australian Research Council (ARC) Linkage grants with University of Western Sydney for audience development for Asian shows(2000-2003).

ABSTRACT

Sites of empowerment

We all know the scenario: The exhibition contains extraordinary works of art, the critics love it, marketing has excelled themselves...but no one comes. Why? Grant applications and sponsorship did not reach the desired targets, so the show has to be ticketed, and a paying audience is crucial.

By charting the AGNSW's experience in mounting ticketed Asian shows this paper will argue that audience expectations should be a factor from the initial, conceptual stages of a show: the core audience and its parameters of interest need to be respected; new audiences courted; and the school children pumped through. The decision of whether an exhibition is chronological, thematic, amusing, intellectually challleging or wilfully exclusive should be a considered one with an understanding of the ramifications.  Audience responses to Asian shows - whether indifference, engagement or enthusiastic endorsement -  gauged through focus groups, attendance figures and surveys, offer a flexible reference to future audience responses.