Hemsley heads AGWA Foundation

Property consultant Warwick Hemsley has replaced Adrian Fini as the Art Gallery of WA Foundation chair after four years at the helm.

Mr Hemsley, chairman of Hemsley Patterson, is a sponsor of multiple arts organisations within the state including AGWA, WA Opera, West Australian Ballet and WA Symphony Orchestra.

The former WA Opera chairman and Anglicare WA Winter Appeal Committee co-chair received Western Australian of the Year Arts and Culture Award in 2016 in recognition for his commitment to the sector.

“I’m quite involved in sponsorship in the arts space and my interest there is in pursuit of making our society a better place and to nurture and encourage the arts in all forms,” Mr Hemsley previously told Business News.

“I think in any philanthropic program giving to the arts is worthy of serious consideration.”

Mr Hemsley said the AGWA Foundation was undergoing an exciting period and he looked forward to playing his part in garnering philanthropic support for the state gallery.

“Initiatives like the Art Ball are raising the profile of AGWA among a new generation of gallery supporters, and capturing their interest will be an important factor in the gallery’s future success,” he said.

“In development is a program to give young professionals the opportunity to shape and contribute to their state art gallery, and I am excited to be on board for its launch later this year.”

AGWA chair Sam Walsh said Mr Hemsley had been a long-time supporter of the gallery and of the broader arts and culture sector within the state.

“It is with great pleasure we welcome him to this important position which leads the vital fundraising efforts of the AGWA Foundation,” he said.

The AGWA Foundation was established in 1989 as the fundraising arm of the Art Gallery of Western Australia, and in recent years it has accounted for more than 80 per cent of all acquisitions to the state art collection.

Mr Walsh commended Mr Fini’s contribution to AGWA and said he particularly deserved praise for his role in the success of the TomorrowFund campaign, which raised $25 million for the purchase of contemporary art for the state collection.

Key acquisitions currently on display include Yagan by Julie Dowling and The four year refit: Broome by the late Robert Juniper.