Welcome to Sheila
Sheila Foundation is a national philanthropic foundation with the aim of overturning decades of gender bias by writing Australian women artists back into our art history and ensuring equality for today’s women artists.
About Sheila
A foundation for women in visual art.
Sheila's Projects
Sheila’s three core programs have been designed to create maximum impact.
Cruthers Collection
The inspiration for Sheila Foundation is Lady Sheila Cruthers. Lady Sheila was the driving force behind the largest stand-alone collection of Australian women’s art – the Cruthers Collection of Women’s Art.
Support Sheila
Your support will enable us to begin to overturn decades of gender bias by writing Australian women artists back into our art history and ensuring equality for today’s women artists.
News and Resources
Into The Light 2023 Call Out
Into The Light tranche 5, 2023 expressions of interest are now open! We are on the look out for early stage and under-employed art historians, curators, researchers to join us in b
The Countess Report 2022
The Countess Report is a comprehensive report on gender representation in the Australian arts sector. It is compiled every four years and has become the most influential data set d
Book Review: Women Count in The Artworld
Louise Mayhew reviews a new book by Melinda Rackham and Elvis Richardson that tells the story of CoUNTess, how it morphed into The Countess Report and how it continues to challenge
Artist Spotlight: Gladys Laycock (1882-1959)
Why is a women’s art foundation acquiring a portrait of a Scotsman in a kilt? Because it was painted by little known Sydney artist Gladys Laycock. From 1908, Gladys ma
Colleague Spotlight: Lainie Edwards
As part of our ambition to share our passion for the work of Australian women artists, Sheila would like to introduce current projects by colleagues – curators, art historians, r
Sheila Fellowship Exhibition Opens in Darwin
Recipient of Sheila’s 2023 Michela and Adrian Fini Fellowship, Alana Hunt, recently opened her solo exhibition Surveilling a Crime Scene at the Northern Centre for Contemporary A
Artist Spotlight: Virginia Ward
Virginia Ward focuses upon her face in her multifaceted sculptural work as seen above. Repurposing off cuts of wood used in the making of ukuleles, mandolins and guitars by luthier
Artist Spotlight: Rhonda Sharpe
Born in 1977, Rhonda Sharpe is an Luritja artist who works for the art centre Yarrenyty Arltere in Alice Springs. The centre has a focus on soft sculpture made with recycled blanke
Exhibition Review: Zahalkaworld – An Artist’s Archive
History Afresh, Zahalka Style ZAHALKAWORLD – an artist’s archive Museum of Australian Photography, Melbourne, 10 June – 10 September 2023 By Andonis Piperoglou. Anne ZAHALKA,
