1982
Numerous works were acquired for the permanent collection in 1982, including six watercolours, seventeen oil paintings, nine drawings, nine prints, two sculptures, and one item of colonial silver. Thirty-three contemporary ceramics were also acquired as gifts of or purchases supported by Gordon Jackson.
Among the acquisitions in 1982 was Peter Corlett’s painted fibreglass sculpture, Bums, donated to Geelong Gallery by Manny and Etta Hirst, and enthusiastically enjoyed by Geelong Gallery visitors of all ages, as visible in this photo from the archives.
The Geelong Gallery Grasshoppers also began operating in 1982. The Grasshoppers were a group of dedicated art lovers whose fundraising and social events over three decades made a lasting impact on the life of Geelong Gallery. The Grasshoppers began sponsoring the Geelong acquisitive print awards in 1996. The Grasshoppers retired in 2016, and purchased the late Mandy Martin’s 1987 painting Beyond Eden as a parting gift to the collection.