SMH: Wendy Whiteley’s second gift: ‘The time has come to give women a bit of attention’
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SMH: Wendy Whiteley’s second gift: ‘The time has come to give women a bit of attention’
Article by: Linda Morris. Photo: Wendy Whiteley with Steven Alderton, CEO of the National Art School.
Wendy Whiteley was 15 when she dropped out of Hornsby Girls High to enrol in art school. She stayed about a year at East Sydney Technical College, in Darlinghurst, eventually following her prodigiously talented boyfriend to Italy. The rest, as they say, is Australian art history.
More than six decades later, Whiteley has made a $500,000 promised bequest to her alma mater, now the National Art School (NAS) – among the largest gifts the institution has received.
“I’m trying to tidy up loose ends towards the end of my life because I don’t want to leave another mess,” Whiteley says. “There’s been enough messes around Whiteley wills.”
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Monday 23 February 2026
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Monday 23 February 2026
An exclusive new commission opportunity is now open to National Art School alumni who have graduated within the past five years, made possible through NAS Foundation member and award-winning architect and interior designer Blainey North.Fishnets, a new Japanese restaurant opening in Bronte, is seeking an artist to create a large-scale artwork across the restaurant interior and exterior. This is a…
Thursday 11 December 2025
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Thursday 11 December 2025
Major AwardsClitheroe Foundation Master of Fine Art Scholarship (2 x $10,000)Jed Payten and Nikita MaricicLift Off Award ($20,000)Frankie AbroonStandish and Co. Scholarship ($5,000, mentorship, and $5,000 voucher)Harri BarnesFire Up Award ($5,000)Lihnida Krstanoska-BlazeskaFire Up Award Highly Commended ($1,000)Cristelle CabreraEast Sydney Doctors Scholarship ($5,000)Rose RigleyNational Art Schoo…
Tuesday 30 September 2025
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We are pleased to welcome three distinguished individuals to our Board of Directors. Each of our new board members brings a wealth of expertise, insight, and passion for the arts. Their diverse backgrounds and commitment to creative excellence will play a pivotal role in guiding NAS into its next chapter. Please join us in warmly welcoming: Emilya Colliver, Helen Lochhead AO and Lucy Keeler. Emil…