Anna Moreau chats with Norah Ohrt, Perth Galleries Pty Ltd managing director.
WABN: Describe a day at work.
NH: "I spend most of my day talking about art and artists and, as I am also the Sotheby's representative, I spend a great deal of time on the telephone answering requests for information.
The rest of the time I juggle!" WABN: What's the best measurement of your performance, and can you name a highlight in your career? NH: "If feel satisfied for a job well done at the end of day.
My highlight is consigning a major collection to Sotheby's for some clients that I had looked after for many years and they decided to sell their collection." WABN: How do you deal with egos in your workplace? NH: "A healthy ego in an artist is a good thing, there is no place for an unhealthy ego in the gallery, and we don't tolerate them!" WABN: What frustrates you the most about your sector and what would you do to change it? NH: "The lack of confidence and support of so many people and the Art Gallery of Western Australia in their own WA visual arts culture.
"The Liz and Lloyd Horn Collection at the Bunbury Regional Art Galleries is a tremendous celebration of WA art over the past 20 years, virtually unique.
[Despite that] many collectors, curators and arts advisers look to the eastern states for so called 'big names'.
More collectors like the Horns would transform the art scene here.
The answer is longterm education and reinforcement of standards, particularly through the work of The Association of Western Australian Art Galleries - the leading art gallery membership body representing excellence, professionalism, integrity and the ethical representation of artists WABN: What are the specific hurdles that you meet on a daily basis in your sector? NH: "Limited in-depth coverage of the visual arts in the media.
There is one page of visual arts in The West Australian on Friday; it moved from Saturday, thereby losing 160,000 readers and about half a page or less on Wednesday.
There are 12 pages of football on Friday and 12 or more pages on Monday.
It means people aren't reading about the visual arts and the wider public is not informed about what is happening on the art scene.
"Nothing we say or do has resulted in better coverage.
A large number of us stopped advertising in The West in protest but it made no difference.
We all wrote to the editor and the chairman of the board, and no-one received a letter in reply." WABN: Which personality has inspired you the most throughout your career? NH: "Hal Missingham, until recently the longest serving director of a state art gallery - the Art Gallery of New South Wales.
He held that record until last year when the current director, Edmund Caporn, surpassed him.
He encouraged me to open my own gallery and when I did he supported me.
He and his wife, Esther, have been very influential in my life.
Hal died many years ago, but Esther is still with us." To read the full interview, log on to www.wabusinessnews.com.au