News
samstag media release
Samstag Program Director retires
22 December 2009
The University of South Australia has announced the retirement of its
inaugural, long-time Samstag Program Director, Ross Wolfe. Established by
UniSA in 1992 through the famous bequest of American artist, Gordon Samstag, the
'Anne & Gordon Samstag International Visual Arts Scholarships' enable Australian
artists to undertake further study overseas for extended, well-funded periods.
UniSA Pro Vice Chancellor and Vice President: International and Development, Dr
Anna Ciccarelli, has paid tribute to Mr Wolfe's outstanding contribution as
Director of the Samstag Program from 1992 to 2009.
"Ross Wolfe's commitment to the Samstag Program's development has been
exceptional. He has skilfully grown the fledgling, philanthropic Samstag
Scholarships to their present position of international prestige, and along the
way 'Samstag' has become one of Australia's most recognised and respected visual
arts brands," Dr Ciccarelli said.
Samstag Scholarships are considered a golden passport to success in the
professional visual arts, and during Ross Wolfe's seventeen-year tenure at
Samstag, significant numbers of the 118 Samstag alumni have progressed to
careers of high achievement and celebrity. Samstag Scholars recently dominated
Australia's official representation at the prestigious 2009 Venice Biennale, the
most distinguished event in the international artworld calendar.
Mr Errol T. Silvestri, Senior Vice President of US Trust, Bank of America
Private Wealth Management, Florida, USA – Trustee of the Samstag Fine Arts Trust
– also spoke warmly of Mr Wolfe's valued role in successfully guiding the
Samstag Program from its inception.
"From what we saw and heard on our recent visit to Adelaide, Ross Wolfe has been
the ultimate steward of the Samstag Program," he said. "Anne and Gordon have to
be smiling at the results of his efforts," Mr Silvestri declared.
Always a creative administrator, Ross Wolfe's final initiative as Samstag
director was to negotiate an innovative cultural partnership with the Australia
Council for the Arts' Visual Arts Board. The experimental funding partnership
will see the Board's two annual studio residencies at the International Studio
and Curatorial Program, New York (ISCP), offered to Australian artists, from
2010, as the Australia Council for the Arts and Anne & Gordon Samstag ISCP
Residencies.
In 2007, the University honoured its distinguished benefactors by naming its
new, award-winning art museum, the Anne & Gordon Samstag Museum of Art.
Mr Wolfe will continue his relationship with the University in an adjunct role,
through the Samstag Museum of Art.
For media information or comment, contact:
Erica Green, Director Samstag Museum of Art, 08 8302 0870