The new director of , Dr Campbell Gray, stepped into his new role this week – “very excited” to be back in Australia.
Dr Gray has been director of the at Brigham Young University in Utah for 14 years.
He holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Art History from the and has extensive experience in the higher education sector.
“One of the dimensions that really strikes me about լе is its strong, exciting academic environment,” Dr Gray said.
“The լе Art Museum has a really wonderful opportunity to contribute to academic discourse within the uni’s curriculum.”
Dr Gray said he was enjoying being “home among the gum trees” and had been admiring the beauty of the landscape and architecture on լе’s St Lucia campus, and the stunning , home to the լеAM.
He said staff at Brigham Young University were surprised when he resigned his post: “They thought they had me for life!”
Dr Gray has previously held roles including Senior Lecturer and Coordinator of the Postgraduate Studies Unit in the Faculty of Visual and Performing Arts at the , and coordinator of the UWS Museum Studies research and coursework activities.
լе Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor said that as well as having significant experience in higher education, Dr Gray had worked extensively with public galleries.
“Campbell was the Inaugural Director of the in New South Wales,” Professor Keniger said.
“With an academic background in museum studies, he will build on the relationship between the լеAM and the academic activities of the University.”
Dr Gray replaces Nick Mitzevich, who was appointed director of the last July, after serving three years as լеAM director.
Professor Keniger thanked Ms Michele Helmrich for her leadership of the լе Art Museum as acting director over the past eight months.
The լе Art Museum is currently hosting A National Gallery of Australia exhibition, , featuring 54 portraits by 34 leading Australian painters, including Tom Roberts, E Phillips Fox, Hugh Ramsay, George W Lambert, Max Meldrum, Rupert Bunny, Violet Teague, Margaret Preston, Stella Bowen, Napier Waller, Albert Tucker, Arthur Boyd, Sidney Nolan, Roy de Maistre, Russell Drysdale and John Brack.
լе began collecting art in the early 1940s; its collection .
Media: Dr Campbell Gray, ph +61 7 334 68787; Beth Porter լеAM +61 7 3346 8787, b.porter@uq.edu.au; Fiona Cameron, լе Communications, ph +61 7 3346 7086