Faces from the Hinton Collection
June 1 @ 8:00 am - October 31 @ 5:00 pm
Open Air Gallery Exhibition
The Howard Hinton Collection is one of the most significant collections of Australian art held outside a capital city, formed through the extraordinary generosity of patron Howard Hinton. Between 1928 and 1948, Hinton donated over 1,000 artworks to the Armidale Teachers’ College with a clear vision: to create a collection that would illustrate the development of Australian art and make it accessible for education and public enjoyment.
Within this broader ambition, portraiture plays a vital role. Alongside landscapes and still life, portraits offer a different kind of record, not of place, but of people. They capture likeness, character, status and identity, while also revealing the sensibilities of the artist and the cultural values of their time. In the Hinton Collection, portraiture reflects a formative period in Australian art, when artists were negotiating both inherited European traditions and an emerging national identity.
The ten works brought together in Faces from the Hinton Collection highlight the diversity of approaches to portraiture across this period. Some works emphasise physical resemblance and careful observation; others move toward mood, atmosphere or psychological presence. Together, they demonstrate how portraiture is not simply about depicting a sitter, but about constructing meaning — a relationship between artist, subject and viewer.
As you move through the exhibition, these faces invite close looking. They ask us to consider not only who is represented, but how and why. In doing so, they continue Hinton’s original intention: to use art as a means of education, reflection and connection across generations.
The Armidale Open Air Gallery is a public art initiative presented by Armidale Regional Council in collaboration with New England Regional Art Museum. Designed to enrich the cultural landscape of the region, this outdoor exhibition showcases a curated selectin of artworks in public spaces, offering residents and visitors accessible and engaging visual arts experience. Artworks featured in the gallery will rotate on a six-monthly basis, ensuring a continually refreshed display that reflects the diversity and creativity of local and regional artists. The initiative not only celebrates artistic excellence but also fosters community connection through the integration of art into everyday environments.
