Dr Lisa Slade appointed Hugh Ramsay Chair of Australian Art History

The Faculty of Arts is pleased to announce that Dr Lisa Slade has been appointed Hugh Ramsay Chair of Australian Art History, based in the School of Culture and Communication.

Pictured: Dr Lisa Slade. Credit: Sia Duff

Dr Slade takes on this role following nine years as Assistant Director, Artistic Programs at the Art Gallery of South Australia (AGSA).

During her time at AGSA, Dr Slade helped develop ‘Tarnanthi: Festival of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art’, oversaw the presentation of the Adelaide Biennial of Australian Art, and led AGSA’s artistic program.

On her new appointment, Dr Slade said: “It is my vocation to make art meaningful and purposeful for broad audiences and to position Australian art as a critical cipher in the way we see ourselves.

“I wish to create a bridge from galleries and museums to universities and the public, and I am thrilled and honoured to be appointed to a role that champions Australian art history, and its past, present and future.'

Professor Claire Roberts, Head of the University of Melbourne's Art History and Curatorship Program and a member of the panel that appointed Dr Slade after a highly competitive selection process, said: "Dr Slade brings a wealth of experience in teaching, researching and curating Australian art. Her deep understanding of Australian art, and her extensive networks including her connections with Indigenous Australian artists, will contribute in exciting ways to the work of the program, and to the public mission of the University."

The Hugh Ramsay Chair is the leading academic position of its type in Australia and was established in 2016 following a major donation from Faculty of Arts alumna Patricia Fullerton, the grand-niece of Australian artist Hugh Ramsay (1877-1906).

While his career spanned just under a decade, Hugh Ramsay was considered one of Australia’s most gifted artists.

He had four works accepted for the prestigious New Salon in Paris and was commissioned to paint a portrait of Nellie Melba in London. Unfortunately, the portrait was unfinished due to Ramsay’s passing in 1906.

Learn more about the Hugh Ramsay Chair donation here.