NGV Contemporary receives $100m donation

The National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) has accepted an extraordinary $100 million donation courtesy of Lindsay Fox AC and Paula Fox AO towards the construction of NGV Contemporary.

The Fox family’s donation is the largest ever made to an Australian art museum by a living donor. In recognition of the scale of the donation, Australia’s largest gallery of contemporary art and design will be named The Fox: NGV Contemporary.

The Fox family has a longstanding history of supporting the gallery through contributions to many significant acquisitions over the years. Ms Fox is a National Gallery of Victoria Foundation Board Member.

NGV Contemporary will be built at 77 Southbank Boulevard in Southbank and will showcase contemporary art, design, fashion and architecture of local, national and international significance amid a new 18,000 square metre public space in the heart of a transformed Melbourne Arts Precinct.

The new contemporary gallery will become a globally significant landmark and provide unparalleled exhibition and educational spaces, studios and scientific laboratories for conservation of artwork. More than 11,000 jobs will be created over the life of the project and the gallery will generate hundreds of ongoing creative sector jobs when it opens in 2028.

The donation complements the existing Ian Potter Foundation commitment of $20 million, building the cornerstone of philanthropic support for the new NGV Contemporary and encouraging further philanthropic support for the project.

A striking design by Angelo Candalepas and Associates was last month revealed for the site following a competition judged by an eminent jury.

NGV Contemporary is part of the Victorian Government’s landmark $1.7 billion investment in the Melbourne Arts Precinct Transformation project, Australia’s largest ever cultural infrastructure project which includes the extensive restoration of the State Theatre.

Development Victoria is proud to be the delivery agency for the Melbourne Arts Precinct Transformation project.

We are working closely with the newly formed Melbourne Arts Precent Corporation (MAP Co) as it will take responsibility of the new open space, as well as Federation Square.

Early works on the precinct are anticipated to commence in the middle of this year.