National Art School gains it independence

The State Government has announced the National Art School (NAS) in Darlinghurst will remain independent after years of fending off amalgamation with the College of Fine Arts (COFA).

NAS, Australia’s oldest art school, is housed in the old Darlinghurst Gaol. It is known for a traditional hands-on approach taught by practising artists, while COFA, part of the University of NSW, has a more academic, postmodern approach.

NAS supporters and alumni, including artists Margaret Olley and Tim Storrier, have opposed the union, fearing that the atelier teaching style of the NAS would be lost along with its independence.

The announcement from Education Minister Verity Firth also comes with the appointment of a new director, Professor Anita Taylor, currently Director of the Centre for Drawing at the University of Arts, London.

The school will be registered as a public company with two shareholders ‘ the Ministers for Arts and Education, which Ms Firth says will ensure its independence

‘We have already begun work on appointing a new board of directors for the School,’ she said. ‘The directors will all be leaders in their professions, with a solid mix of the artistic, financial and strategic planning skills.’

Support group Friends of the National Art School was formed in 1994 to campaign for continued independence.