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.”
Latest News
Friday 27 February 2026
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Friday 27 February 2026
Congratulations to National Art School alum Tommy Carman as the recipient of this year’s Prudence MacLeod Prize. Supported by the Lansdowne Foundation, Tommy will undertake a 6-month residency at Acme Studios, London from July this year. Selection Panel Statement The selection panel was thoroughly impressed with the high calibre of applications across a diverse range of practices. The shortlisted…
Thursday 26 February 2026
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Thursday 26 February 2026
Made possible through the generous support of Sam Watkins, PIMCO Australia, we are delighted to announce a new scholarship that supports a talented First Nations artist undertaking the Bachelor of Fine Art. Congratulations to Matthew Thomson as the inaugural recipient. Matthew, a Worimi country man, grew up in the Maroubra beach / La Perouse area and commences at the National Art School as a BFA…
Tuesday 24 February 2026
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Tuesday 24 February 2026
Following a short fundraising campaign, the National Art School archive and collections has recently acquired Sydney Gaol, an extremely rare album containing original photographs of our site and building. Our sincerest thanks to all our donors who made this acquisition possible. Email [email protected] to make an appointment to view this new acquisition.