Representation in the collections of state and national museums and galleries, and in regional galleries, university collections, the National Library, Parliament House art collections, ArtBank and major private collections provides a measure of acceptance by the Australian art establishment. However, the same group of about 25 of the highest profile artists in the Storylines sample made up a substantial proportion of the major public and private collection totals in almost every case. Queensland and Tasmanian Storylines artists appear to be slightly over-represented in the national collections and those in South Australia somewhat under-represented in relation to the sheer numbers of artists practising in each state. Some state and national galleries exhibited a striking preference, others only a slight one, for collecting the work of artists from their home state. Generally, the museums were far more likely to concentrate on these local artists. There appeared to be some bias towards older male artists. With respect to Training and Qualifications, there was no significant difference between this group and the remainder of the sample. Only 26 Storylines artists were represented internationally, and few of these were in major museums or collections.

Of the 244 artists who provided information on ‘other recognition’ (see Key to Figure 11.2) they had received, only 2 had achieved major international success, another 30 major national recognition and a further 22 major state recognition. There did not appear to be any marked differences on the basis of gender, but those with university degrees scored highest by a significant margin for major national recognition. The achievements of the university and art school educated group, taken together with those with TAFE and CAE qualifications, accounted for most of the recognition Storylines artists had received. With a few notable exceptions, those with Community College, CEDP, Art Society or Workshop Training or who were self-taught had received almost none. A few individuals taught by family and elders had achieved some success at national and state levels, but only those like Rosella Namok and Jeanette James who also had university degrees or TAFE training.

Commissions ranging from school murals to large scale public art commissions were an important form of recognition for many Storylines artists. Again, the art-literate city-based artist group were the ones being commissioned to create major public art pieces, like Brook Andrew and Judy Watson’s Walama Forecourt at the Sydney International Airport Terminal and Fiona Foley’s commissions at Sydney’s Redfern Park and the Brisbane Magistrates Court. Artists not part of this ‘elite’ group tended to be commissioned to create work on a smaller scale and of more localised significance – like Donny McKenzie’s sculpture for the Port Augusta Hospital and Vic Chapman and Aldos Cox’s ceramic installation of a local Illawarra Dreaming story at Moreton Bay Fig Park for Wollongong City Council.

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[1] As the numbering suggests, this was added almost as an afterthought, because so few artists in the survey had significant overseas representation