The Heide Museum of Modern Art, more commonly just Heide, is a contemporary art museum located in Bulleen, east of Melbourne, Australia. Established in 1981, the museum comprises several detached buildings and surrounding gardens & parklands of historical importance that are used as gallery spaces to exhibit works in various mediums by contemporary Australian artists.

The museum occupies the site of a former dairy farm that was purchased by the prominent Melbourne art collectors John and Sunday Reed in 1934 and became home to a collective known as the Heide Circle, which included many of Australia's best-known modernist painters, such as; Albert Tucker, Sidney Nolan, Joy Hester and others, who lived and worked in the former farm house (Heide I).

In 1963, a new residence was built (Heide II), it is considered to be one of the finest examples of modernist architecture in Victoria. In 1981, the museum was established on the site, incorporating the existing buildings and surrounding gardens & parklands as exhibition and gallery spaces. A dedicated gallery building (Heide III) was constructed in 1993 and the museum continued to broaden its collection of works to include all forms of contemporary Australian art, including some by contemporary Indigenous artists.

The museum underwent major redevelopment in 2005-06 which included the installation of several sculptural and installation art pieces, landscaping & redesign of the gardens, construction of a new education centre & gallery space, extension of the Heide III building and various other works. Much of this redevelopment is ongoing.

History

See also: Heide Circle

Early history

The museum is situated on a site that was originally occupied by a dairy farm, the farm house was built in the 1880s-1890s. The Yarra River and surrounding hills east of Melbourne provided an ideal setting for many artists, writers, poets, etc, exemplified in the formation of the Heidelberg School at Heidelberg, Montsalvat in Eltham and various artist camps in locations such as Box Hill and Warrandyte. Thus, the area was frequented by artists since the mid 1800s.

In 1934, the farm was purchased by John and Sunday Reed, passionate supporters and collectors of Australian art and culture, and named after the nearby town of Heidelberg. A loose grouping of Australian artists who became known as the "Heide Circle", began living and working at Heide, counting amongst their number many of Australia's best-known modernist painters.

A number of modernist artists came to live and work at various times through the 1930s, 40s and 50s at Heide, and as such it became the place where many of the most famous works of the period were painted. Albert Tucker, Sidney Nolan, and Joy Hester, amongst others, all worked at Heide, Nolan painting 26 of his original 27 Ned Kelly works in the dining room of Heide I.

The Heide Circle continued in their primary commitment to Figurative Modernism through the 1950s and 60s, with several of the artists forming the Antipodeans Group and taking a stand against the new abstract art. The Heide Circle became well known for the intertwined personal and professional lives of the people involved. Sunday Reed conducted affairs with a number of them, with the knowledge of her husband.

In 1963, the Reeds commissioned Victorian architect David McGlashan to design a new residence, initially intended to be "a gallery to be lived in" and served as their residence for some time. What happened from the 60s till 1981???

Museum establishment

The museum itself was established in 1981... ???

Recent history

The museum underwent major redevelopment in 2005-06 which included the installation of several sculptural and installation art pieces, landscaping & redesign of the gardens, construction of a new education centre & gallery space, extension of the Heide III building to incorporate works from the Barbara Tucker Gift and various other works. On July 13, 2006 the museum officially re-opened after its $3 million dollar renovation and extension. The new buildings were designed by O'Connor + Houle Architecture.

Buildings, features, and layout

Heide is situated on a former floodplain of the Yarra River in Bulleen. It is bordered to the north-east and east by the Yarra Valley Country Club, to the west and south by Banksia Park, and to the south-east by Templestowe Road. The site borders the Yarra River, at Fannings Bend, in its north-west corner. The museum itself comprises several detached buildings and surrounding gardens and parklands on the site, described in further detail below, all of which are used in various capacities as exhibition spaces.

Buildings and facilities

• Heide I - built 1880s

A former dairy farm house, purchased by the Reeds in 1934 and became home to members of the Heide Circle who also completed various in the building. Restored at various times in the late 20th century, it currently houses various works and artifacts from its Heide Circle residents and is used as an exhibition space.

• Heide II - built 1963

Designed by Victorian architect David McGlashan, who was commissioned by the Reeds, it was initially intended to be "a gallery to be lived in" and served as their residence for some time. The building is considered one of the best examples of modernist architecture in Victoria and is currently used as an exhibition space.

• Heide III - built 1993, extended 2005

Originally designed by Andrew Andersons of Peddle Thorp Architects and later extended to create additional exhibition spaces, both indoors and outdoors, and to extend the existing visitor amenities. It houses the largest gallery spaces of the museum including: the Central Galleries; the Albert & Barbara Tucker Gallery, Tucker Study Centre; Kerry Gardner & Andrew Myer Project Gallery; the Heide Store and a cafe.

• Sidney Myer Education Centre - built 2005

Designed by O’Connor and Houle Architecture, its purpose is expressed as "a dynamic learning and thinking space for teachers, students, and community groups." The centre offers innovative and diverse education and public programs based on Heide’s changing exhibitions, architecture, landscape and collection.

• Heide Cafe - due for completion November 2009

Designed to compliment the existing Heide III, the temporary cafe is known as the "conTEMPORARY CAFE".

Gardens/Parklands

The gardens at Heide cover sixteen acres surrounding the buildings and host a diverse environment of trees, shrubs, flowering plants and paddocks that extend down over the river flats to the banks of the Yarra River. On purchasing the Heide property in 1934, John and Sunday Reed commenced the planting of hundreds of European and exotic trees. Friend and artist, Neil Douglas, among other friends, was instrumental in helping the Reeds establish Heide’s early gardens. The gardens surrounding Heide I were restored in 2001 as the first part of Heide’s current Redevelopment Program and the gardens surrounding Heide II were restored in 2006.

Major gardens include; the Sir Rupert Hamer Garden, constructed as a sculptural park and to reduce noise from nearby Manningham Road; Kitchen Garden, established by the Heide Circle to provide vegetables, herbs and fruit for its residents; and Karakarook's Garden, a sculptural garden bed with edible native vegetation. The surrounding parklands also include formal perennial walks, parterre gardens, woodlands and parkland dotted with contemporary sculptural installations dotted throughout. The gardens utilise extensive water management systems.

Some of the more notable works in the gardens and parklands include:

• Helmet, Tanya Court & Cassandra Chilton, 2008 (painted white by street artists in late 2008)
• Rings of Saturn, Inge King, 2005-06
• Karakarook’s Garden, Lauren Berkowitz, 2005–06
• Cows, Jeff Thomson, 1987

Access

• Heide I - Closed to the general public, however guided tours run from 2pm.
• Heide II - Various rooms open during exhibitions.
• Heide III - Various spaces open during exhibitions.

Heide Shop (In Heide III) - Open to general public, free.

• Gardens & Sculpture Park - Open to the general public, free.

Collection

The museum's collection includes works in various mediums by many contemporary Australian artists conducted since the 1930s. These include works by artists such as; Moya Dyring, Sidney Nolan, Albert Tucker, Joy Hester, John Perceval, Arthur Boyd, Howard Arkley, Charles Blackman, Peter Booth, Mike Brown, Richard Larter, Wolfgang Sievers, Sweeney Reed, Sam Atyeo and Jenny Watson.

In Media

The museum, its works and the surrounding gardens and parklands has served as subject matter for various photographers and have also featured in many Australian television programs:

• The courtyard of Heide III was the setting for an art school graduation in Very Small Business, ABC TV series, 2008
• The museum's gardens were featured in an episode of Gardening Australia in 2007.

Gallery

File:Rings of Saturn Inge King Heide.JPG|Rings of Saturn - Inge KingFile:Heide Park Sculpture.JPGFile:Heide Gardens Sculpture.JPGFile:Heide Gardnes Sculpture.JPGFile:Heide Museum Gardens Sculpture.JPG|The Running ManFile:Heide Gardens Sculpture 1.JPG

See also

• Art of Australia
• Associated Galleries:
• National Gallery of Victoria
• National Gallery of Australia
• Related Topics:
• Heidelberg School
• Montsalvat
• Box Hill artists' camp
• Heide Circle

References

External links

• Heide Museum of Modern Art Website
• Heide Museum of Modern Art Artabase page
• Peddle Thorp Melbourne