NEWS

The Public Galleries Association of Victoria (PGAV) is delighted to announce the appointment of Danny Lacy, Artistic Director, Shepparton Art Museum as its new President.

Mr. Lacy takes on the leadership role from Jason Smith, the former Director and CEO of Geelong Gallery, who stepped down from the board in February to assume the directorship of the Art Gallery of South Australia. Mr. Lacy will be supported by Vice President, Georgia Cribb, Gallery Director, Bunjil Place.

His immediate priorities include spearheading the development of the PGAV’s new strategic plan and advocating for the crucial continuation of core operational funding from Creative Victoria.

“I am incredibly excited to lead the PGAV Board as we articulate our vision for the organisation and, indeed, for the public gallery sector in Victoria,” Mr. Lacy said.

“Our galleries are the creative heart of our communities – we are unwavering in our commitment to nurturing and growing our highly skilled workforce, with particular focus on our First Nations colleagues, and to securing greater, much-needed investment in Victoria’s public gallery sector.”

Mr. Lacy also acknowledged his predecessor, stating, “I want to commend Jason Smith for his exceptional leadership of the PGAV and congratulate him on his prestigious appointment as Director of the Art Gallery of South Australia.”

“I thank the PGAV Board for entrusting me with this important role at such a pivotal time. I eagerly anticipate collaborating with the Board to forge a stronger future for Victoria’s public galleries, the thousands of artists they champion, and the millions of visitors they inspire each year.”

At its Annual General Meeting (AGM), PGAV welcomed two new members to its Board. Luci Callipari-Marcuzzo, Gallery & Heritage Team Leader, Mildura Art Centre was elected as Regional Gallery Representative and Andrew Tetzlaff, Senior Curator, RMIT Culture was appointed as Metropolitan Gallery Representative.

The AGM, hosted at Tarrawarra Museum of Art in the new Eva and Marc Besen Centre, celebrated key achievements including:

• The launch of the inaugural Equity Action Plan 2025-2028, aimed at increasing diversity in gallery leadership, employment, and audience engagement.

• Record participation in the professional development program, with 615 participants (up 16 per cent) including 26 per cent from regional galleries and 28 per cent from interstate galleries. 

• PGAV’s partnership with AMaGA Victoria to deliver Victoria in Focus at the AMaGA National Conference, an event featuring 57 presenters and 300 guests across 26 sessions in Ballarat.

• Research showing Victoria’s public galleries have almost tripled their direct investment in artists, with 60 per cent of expenditure since the pandemic directed towards supporting local creatives. Public programming has also ramped up by 18 per cent, delivering over 3,000 public and 2,200 education programs. These investments were offset by a 39 per cent fall in investments in acquisitions and conservation, while operating costs rose by an average 10 per cent.

• Commissioning internationally renowned print maker, sculptor and installation artist Emily Floyd to create a limited-edition print to help PGAV raise funds.

PGAV also highlighted new benchmarks showing that 7.3 million people visited a gallery last year, with regional galleries attracting 911,000 visitors. The sector employs 723 FTE staff, supported by 1,188 volunteers, caring for collections valued at $5.2 billion.