Power Institute

The Power Institute was established by a bequest from Dr John Joseph Wardell Power to, in his words:

"make available to the people of Australia the latest ideas and theories in plastic arts by means of lectures and teaching and by the purchase of the most recent contemporary art of the world ... so as to bring the people of Australia in more direct touch with the latest art developments in other countries."

Today the bequest is managed by the Power Institute Foundation which assists the University of Sydney, through the Power Institute, to realise the aims of its founder. The Foundation achieves this by

• supporting research and scholarship in the Department of Art History & Film Studies;
• supporting the development of the Schaeffer Fine Arts Library, Visual Resources Library, Power Publications and the Public Education program;
• promoting the Institute in the wider community and encouraging good international relations for Australia in the Fine Arts; and
• seeking financial and other support for the Institute's activities.

Donations to the Foundation play a vital role in realising these aims, and are tax deductible.