Fed: National Museum should be political: new director

AAP General News (Australia)
04-15-2010
Fed: National Museum should be political: new director

CANBERRA, April 15 AAP - The National Museum of Australia needs to be political to
do its job, the newly appointed director of the at times controversial cultural institution
says.

Andrew Sayers, the present director of the National Portrait Gallery, will begin a
five-year term as the Canberra museum's chief in June.

He offered his ideas for the National Museum shortly after federal Arts Minister Peter
Garrett announced his appointment.

"It must engage with issues that are really important to people and when there are
important things to debate, if the museum isn't political then it's not doing its job,"

Mr Sayers told the ABC on Thursday.

The museum has been politically contentious since it opened at its present site on
the shores of Lake Burley Griffin nine years ago.

In opposition, Labor criticised the museum's outgoing director Craddock Morton in 2004
for changing the exhibits to reflect then prime minister John Howard's view of white Australia.

In his 12 years at the helm of the portrait gallery, Mr Sayers saw the art exhibits
moved from Old Parliament House to a new building next to the High Court.

Mr Sayers has previously been a curator of Australian drawings at the National Gallery
of Australia in Canberra.

The National Museum of Australia explores indigenous and European Australian history.

AAP saj/jm/

KEYWORD: MUSEUM

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