Arts Centre Melbourne’s stage is set for a major leap forward as Sandra Bruce, a luminary in the Australian arts and culture sector, takes up her new role as Director, Collections and Exhibitions today. With a career steeped in art and social history museums, public galleries, and academia, Bruce is poised to shape the future of the acclaimed Australian Performing Arts Collection (APAC) and lead the initiative for a permanent gallery.
Sandra Bruce arrives at Arts Centre Melbourne following her tenure as Collections and Exhibitions Director at the National Portrait Gallery. With a decorated career encompassing senior positions at the National Sports Museum, Bendigo Art Gallery, and La Trobe University, Bruce’s expertise is expected to steer the Arts Centre Melbourne in an exciting new direction.
Arts Centre Melbourne CEO Karen Quinlan AM showered praise on Bruce’s appointment, stating, “I congratulate Sandra on her appointment, where she will be leading Australia’s unique performing arts collection, with close to 800,000 objects, amplifying its cultural importance and taking it out of storage and to the people of Victoria and beyond.”
Quinlan further added, “Sandra has outstanding skills and experience across strategy, operations, curation, content delivery, collection management and development, and will be a wonderful addition to our team at a time of awakening the Collection in readiness for a permanent museum of the performing arts in the Melbourne Arts Precinct.”
Before her stint at the National Portrait Gallery, Bruce held pivotal roles as Assistant and Acting Director at the La Trobe Art Institute and Assistant Collections Manager at Bendigo Art Gallery.
Commenting on her appointment, an elated Sandra Bruce said, “I am incredibly excited to be joining Arts Centre Melbourne, and at such a time of reinvigoration and potential for the next chapter of its history. Working with a remarkable team to celebrate the significance of performing arts in Australia through Arts Centre Melbourne’s extraordinary collections is a true privilege.”
The Australian Performing Arts Collection, for which Arts Centre Melbourne is the proud custodian, celebrates Australia’s vibrant performing arts heritage, encompassing circus, dance, music, opera, and theatre. The collection, which started in the late 1970s, today boasts nearly 800,000 objects, with major acquisitions from notable Australian artists like Kylie Minogue, Nick Cave, Barry Humphries, Bell Shakespeare, and The Australian Ballet.
The rich array of the Australian Performing Arts Collection, besides exhibitions and displays, also includes a searchable online catalogue and a dedicated Research Centre, further broadening the accessibility and engagement with the performing arts heritage of Australia. With Sandra Bruce’s arrival, Arts Centre Melbourne is set for a fascinating new act.
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Sandra Bruce, an esteemed figure in the arts sector, becomes Director of Collections & Exhibitions at Arts Centre Melbourne, leading the Australian Performing Arts Collection & driving the creation of a permanent gallery. #TheIndianSun @artscentremelbhttps://t.co/nsdgGnwSyh
— The Indian Sun (@The_Indian_Sun) July 10, 2023
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