Exhibitions and Events – Sheila Foundation

Exhibitions and Events

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SHEILA NEWS - John Cruthers appointed as Emeritus

SHEILA NEWS - John Cruthers appointed as Emeritus Director of the Sheila Foundation Board!

Former Sheila Foundation Chair and longstanding board member John Cruthers has been appointed Emeritus Director upon his retirement this week from the foundation for Australian women’s art and artists that he founded in 2017.

John Cruthers led Sheila Foundation as it transitioned from the private Cruthers Art Foundation to a public foundation in 2017. Under John’s guidance, Sheila Foundation developed and implemented far-reaching and impactful programs for women in the visual arts and led the way in advocating for and actioning equality for Australian women artists, past and present. John handed over the position of Chair of the board to curator, writer and arts advocate, Kelly Gellatly, in 2022, remaining on the board to lead the historical women’s art research project ‘Into the Light’. John’s decision to retire from the Board will enable him to focus on his important contribution as an advocate for southeast Asian art in Australia, and to spend more time with his family.

The Sheila Foundation board warmly thanks John for being such a crusader for Australian women artists, and for his vision and dedication. He will remain both a guide and inspiration.

Happy International Women’s Day On the 50th ann

Happy International Women’s Day

On the 50th anniversary of IWD, Sheila celebrates the vital role Australia’s women artists play in shaping our culture.

This year’s UN theme, For ALL women and girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment, is timely as DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) programs face global setbacks and the arts become a political battleground. As Jess Scully, former deputy lord mayor of Sydney, observed in her piece “Who Stands for the Arts” (Kill Your Darlings, 27 February 2025), ‘Infringing on the independence of culture and storytelling may seem trivial compared with a slashing of trans rights, a dismantling of the public service, a far-right infiltration of the White House and a rise of oligarchic influence. But time and again the arts are the canary in the coal mine when it comes to the erosion of democratic norms and the narrowing of pluralism and inclusion into centralised, hegemonic narratives.’

IWD is a time to reflect on progress and the challenges ahead. Despite women outnumbering men in most artistic fields, they still earn 19% less. The Artists as Workers study (2024) found artists earn 26% below the national average, with creative income averaging just $23,200. The Countess Report (2024) revealed stagnation—or decline—in gender equity across the visual arts.

Sheila supports women artists year-round, but today, we celebrate you—your talent, resilience, and impact. #iwd #iwd2025 #accelerateaction #womenartists

Help us advocate for women artists via the link in our bio.

Image: Elaine Coghlan, Sports Girl c1930s, oil on board, 22 x 17 cm. Into the Light Collection.

Sheila Foundation wishes you the warmest of festiv

Sheila Foundation wishes you the warmest of festive seasons and a new year filled with art, fun and laughter! 🥳🎄

On behalf of the Sheila Foundation, thank you for your interest in and support of our raison d’être – the championing of Australian women artists, both historical and contemporary. While things are certainly on the improve, there is much we still need to fight for and change, and we can only achieve this together.

2025 marks the 50th anniversary of International Women’s Year and the first International Women’s Day (8 March 1975), and as such, promises some exciting projects around the country to mark this occasion. We look forward to sharing these with you, along with Sheila’s exciting new projects that celebrate the achievements of Australia’s extraordinary women artists.

Kelly Gellatly,
Chair, Sheila Foundation
Sheila Foundation Board

Image Series: Helen Grace, “Christmas dinner” (detail), 1979, Chlorobromide photographic prints and Letraset, 110 x 158 cm overall, Cruthers Collection of Women’s Art, The University of Western Australia, Copyright and courtesy of the artist. © Helen Grace/Copyright Agency, 2024

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Past EVENTS

The Sheila Network Inaugural Event

25 July 2019

Sheila meets Nora

19 November 2019

Trying to find comfort in an uncomfortable chair

26 July – 6 October 2019