Set in Emu Plains at the foot of the Blue Mountains (New South Wales), the Penrith Regional Gallery & The Lewers Bequest site was the former home of modernist artists, Gerald and Margo Lewers.
Established as a regional art gallery in 1981, the Gallery is home to a permanent collection with a primary focus on modernism. Beginning as a bequest, the Collection has a core focus on Modernist art, primarily from the 1930s-1970s, and includes special collections such as artists’ sketch books, personal photographs, correspondence, catalogues, glass plate negatives and books. These Collection strands are supported by artists’ files, exhibition files, media articles and photographs. The Gallery also houses a growing collection of Aboriginal artworks and works by contemporary artists with an established association with western Sydney.
Through an active acquisition policy, the Gallery aims to further develop the permanent collection as a unique social and cultural resource designed to encourage and support artistic practice and promote research and scholarship around issues pertinent to modernism. Motivated by the importance of the permanent collection as a record of Sydney moderns, the Gallery has established a Modernist Research Centre (MRC). The MRC is designed to welcomes scholars, artists, and other cultural figures both local and international to visit and / or work in residence.
It was crucial that the Gallery adopt a professional data management system in support of the overarching strategic plan. The set-up of the Vernon Collection Management System, supported by the expertise of industry professionals, will enable the Collection to be managed within the guidelines of best contemporary practice. Moreover, the web-based eHive program provides an attractive interactive platform through which the Gallery and its Collection can be at the centre of community curatorial and participatory projects. To date the Gallery is systematising the existing collection data records, which Vernon Systems personnel transferred from a series of excel sheets into the new Vernon database program. In addition to the universalising of all records, the adding of documentary photographs to the data management system will greatly assist the administration of both internal and external inquiries.
The Vernon Collection Management System, along with the eHive interface, was identified as an asset best suited to the Gallery’s requirements and future aims and objectives, including maximising efficiencies within the organisation and increasing external access to the Gallery’s resources.
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