The National Portrait Gallery Board has appointed Karen Quinlan as the incoming Director of the National Portrait Gallery.
Karen Quinlan, Director of the Bendigo Art Gallery for the past 18 years will take over from current Director Angus Trumble on 10 December. This follows his resignation announced in April.
Ms Quinlan has worked in various capacities in the visual arts including as a curator and arts manager and educator. She is also currently Professor of Practice at the La Trobe Art Institute within La Trove University.
In her role as leader of Bendigo Art Gallery Ms Quinlan has contributed to staging quality exhibitions, many undertaken with international partners such as the National Portrait Gallery in London.
Ms Quinlan said she was looking forward to starting at the Gallery. “I am looking at the future of the NPGA with confidence and ambition. I am drawn to its uniqueness, its narrative and its collection, both visually and philosophically. The extraordinary legacy of Gordon and Marilyn Darling, along with its Foundation, its architecture, and its warm and accessible approach provide a strong platform for future collecting and ambitious programming.
“It is one of a kind! It celebrates our success, our inventiveness, our artistry, our cleverness as a nation and our identity. It must continue to collect works that symbolise the breadth and depth of Australian life”.