$148m Warhol works coming to Wanneroo

A $148 million collection of works by pop art master Andy Warhol will be exhibited at Wanneroo Regional Gallery for two years from March next year.

The 53 Warhol artworks will be loaned to the northern suburban gallery by the National Gallery of Australia, as part of the federal government’s Sharing the National Collection initiative.

The artwork to be loaned includes an iconic life-size painting of Elvis Presley from 1963, a 1970 self-portrait and screenprints of the Campbell’s Soup I portfolio synonymous with the artist.

Federal Arts Minister Tony Burke said the government was pleased to share the art with the west coast.

“With Revive – Australia’s new National Cultural Policy – the Government decided that instead of having some of the National Gallery’s best works kept in storage where no one could see them, we’d start sharing them with galleries all around the country,” he said.

"I'm really pleased that we’re doing that for the Wanneroo Regional Gallery, and it doesn’t get much bigger than Andy Warhol.

"Sharing the National Collection with the whole nation is so important, and now one of our most valuable collections is on its way to the west.”

Almost $12 million has been budgeted by the federal government over four years to fund the costs of transporting, installing and insuring national art collection works so they can be loaned across the country for extended periods.

Wanneroo was the first gallery on the nation to be registered under the federal initiative when the program opened in July.

Wanneroo mayor Linda Aitken said the announcement was recognition of the importance of regional galleries like that in Wanneroo.

“The collaboration recognises our world-class gallery in the City of Wanneroo and provides people from across the region with unprecedented access to renowned works by one of the most influential artists of the 20th century,” she said.

The Warhol collection will be on show at Wanneroo Regional Gallery from early March.