Annual Appeal 2022

Come along for the ride with NERAM

Have you been to NERAM lately? It feels like we have blasted off into a higher stratosphere! Each day new people are coming through our doors, from all over the country and slowly but surely, visitors from overseas are finding their way to NERAM. NERAM is a hive of activity, exhibitions, live music, workshops, school visits, NERAM Night events, Culture Club, lectures… it’s all happening, and it’s all thanks to the support of our community.

In 2021 our focus was on reconnection and recovery, and despite some continued disruptions and limitations we experienced a fantastic level of renewed momentum from our established community, as well as interstate visitation. In 2022 we have continued to build engagement with a broad range of audiences who come to NERAM for all kinds of cultural, social, and educational experiences. The first half of this year has seen an incredible buzz created within the galleries and we are so excited to continue to do what we love… connect people with art and each other.

When speaking with people from our community, I feel a mutual sense of optimism and renewed energy. This is a vital moment for NERAM and the New England region more broadly to be bold and ambitious, to take advantage of new opportunities, to declare loudly who we are and what we intend to achieve. With your support, NERAM intends to be the cultural centre of New England and the preeminent art museum in regional NSW. I hope that you share this ambition with us and that if you can, you will help us achieve it.

At the centre of all that we do at NERAM is our outstanding collections of art, our mission to enrich the cultural life of the New England Region and you, our community. NERAM is a community of people, and it is the support of this community that has made NERAM the jewel in the crown of New England. As we look to the future of this outstanding institution, it is your support that allows us to pursue innovation across our program, to make confident creative decisions, and to not only imagine new and exciting possibilities but to realise those possibilities.

Because of support from this community, in the last two years NERAM has established a thriving Creative Learning program that sees hundreds of school kids and people of all ages encounter new ideas, learn creative skills and develop a lifelong love of art. With your support NERAM refurbished the café space and was able to attract a fantastic new operator making the Museum a cultural and dining destination. Because of the support of our community NERAM has been able to host incredible touring exhibitions like the Archibald Prize 2021 as well as research, interpret and display our own magnificent collections.  You make all that we do possible, and we are so grateful.

As the end of the financial year approaches we ask you to consider making a tax-deductible donation to NERAM as part of our 2022 Annual Appeal and help support the future of the New England Regional Art Museum.

In 2022, our Annual Appeal continues to focus on four areas of development critical to the future of NERAM: our Cultural Program, Creative Learning and the NERAM Facilities.

• The NERAM Cultural Program is the central focus of NERAM’s activity. Exhibitions, events, and cultural experiences are how we inspire, challenge, educate and entertain visitors to the Museum and they are what makes NERAM a vital, vibrant cultural centre. NERAM asks for your support as we continue to grow the ambition and impact of our cultural program, with the aim of attracting more diverse participation, increased visitation and visitor satisfaction.
• The NERAM Foundation remains one of the most critical and successful strategies for securing NERAM’s future and providing financial sustainability to NERAM and its activities. As the Foundation’s endowment fund grows, it will provide more funds each year towards NERAM’s operational costs such as staffing, insurance, building maintenance as well as the programs that activate the art museum and make us a key cultural destination.
• NERAM Creative Learning Program is aimed at expanding life-long arts education opportunities, the program is now thriving, and we have been thrilled to see the level of participation particularly from schools. From Toddler Art Play through to Creative Ageing and everything in-between, NERAM strives to be a key contributor to New England continuing to be an outstanding education region.
• Thanks to previous generous support from our community, we have made progressive improvements to the NERAM facilities including re-cladding the exterior of the building, updating gallery spaces, installing solar panels, refurbishing the café and right at this moment we are in the midst of a vital update to our loading dock. There is much more that we would like to achieve to improve the facilities and visitor experience at NERAM.

You have the opportunity to nominate the focus area you wish your donation to the 2022 Annual Appeal to be invested in, all of which are vital to the future growth and success of NERAM. If you can give, please use the enclosed donation form, or visit us at NERAM to make a tax deductible donation. For NERAM to embrace this moment of revitalisation and opportunity to continue to build on our recent momentum, we rely on the participation, support and generosity of our community. Together we can ensure that NERAM remains a national cultural treasure and fulfils its immense potential.

Your generosity is not taken for granted and is greatly appreciated.

I sincerely thank you for your support, and I look forward to seeing you at NERAM.

• Rachael Parsons, Art Museum Director, New England Regional Art Museum Ltd