A Life in Color and Still Life
Margaret Olley was an Australian painter who focused her artistic vision on still life and color. Born in Lismore, New South Wales, she moved through various locations including Tully, Townsville, Brisbane, and Sydney. Her formal training began at Brisbane Central Technical College before she moved to Sydney to enroll in an Art Diploma course at East Sydney Technical College, where she graduated with A-class honours.
Her career was marked by significant achievements, including receiving the inaugural Mosman Art Prize in 1947. In 1962, she held a sell-out show at the Johnstone Gallery in Brisbane, an event noted for setting an Australian record for a woman at that time. Throughout her life, she held over ninety solo exhibitions.
Legacy and Recognition
Olley's connection to Newcastle was profound; she lived there for a time and painted a series of twenty-three works known as the 'Newcastle Watercolours'. Her work is held in various institutions, including the Art Gallery of New South Wales, the National Gallery of Victoria, the University of Newcastle, the Newcastle Art Gallery, and the Maitland Regional Art Gallery.
She was a significant philanthropist, donating more than 130 works to the Art Gallery of New South Wales in 2006. Her status as a distinguished artist was recognized through several honors, including being made an Officer of the Order of Australia and receiving the Companion of the Order. She was also the subject of two Archibald Prize-winning paintings, one by William Dobell and another by Ben Quilty.
