Born into one of Australia’s most celebrated art families, Tim Olsen could have followed the path of the artist. Instead, he built a career helping emerging talent find their voice. Through the UNSW Tim Olsen Drawing Prize and a gift in his Will, he’s ensuring the next generation can do just that.
Exercise. Coffee. Gallery. That’s how Tim Olsen begins most days, punching forward with the exuberant energy that drives his work – stewarding artists represented by his gallery and engaging with the public. Mornings and afternoons, he juggles phone calls with collectors and visits to artists’ studios.
“I’m always having events here,” he says from inside Olsen Gallery in Sydney’s Woollahra. “We have artist talks here almost every second Saturday. And I’ve constantly got schools passing through. I love talking to the students.”
Tim felt the pull towards education and advocacy early on, laying the foundation for a philanthropic life in the arts. After graduating with a diploma of visual arts from the National Art School and mounting two early-career exhibitions, he enrolled in a degree in art education at UNSW Sydney.
“I just realised that I didn’t have the temperament to be an artist,” he says, preferring instead to turn his attention to others, encouraging young artists to strengthen their practice, and helping art lovers to ‘see’ art in more profound ways.
That decision to step back and lift others up has guided his life’s work. He sees it as the responsibility of his upbringing as the son of two artists: the late legendary painter John Olsen AO OBE, and the late Valerie Strong, a teacher of enduring wisdom and painter of uncommon sensibility whose work is still largely in the possession of Tim and his sister, Louise.
“Growing up around art was an education in itself and I feel a responsibility to pass on what I’ve learnt.” Tim Olsen
“Living amongst all the work my parents had swapped with artists like John Passmore or Mike Brown or Fred Williams, sitting at the table with William Dobell and Margaret Olley and Ann Thomson – they were just my parents’ friends, you know? Art is in my blood. It’s in my DNA,” he says.
The knowledge absorbed at home was strengthened by Tim’s formal education – an experience he says “solidified” his existence. Most critical was a grounding in the fundamental discipline of drawing.
“Drawing was drummed into us. We were doing nine hours every week, drawing, drawing, drawing. It’s a way of learning about yourself – how you make a mark, how you see space, how you understand the way light falls on an object. It’s a meditation. It’s self-exploratory. It’s connecting with the inner self. Learning the discipline of drawing develops maturity.”
In 2001, with the gallery well established, Tim sought to instil the lessons of drawing in a new generation of art students with the launch of the UNSW Tim Olsen Drawing Prize, a philanthropic initiative funded by Olsen Gallery. Now in its 25th year, the prize has helped launch the careers of internationally acclaimed Australian artists – and yet it’s the elevation of drawing that pleases Tim most.
“I’ve seen some of the prize winners go on to be represented and exhibited around the world, and that makes me so happy, so proud, because drawing has been fundamental and central to where they are now as serious artists,” he says.
“By facilitating a drawing prize at the University, I’m encouraging all students to engage in drawing... Keep a sketchbook, keep a notebook, keep a journal. Wherever you are, draw whatever you see in front of you. If you’re in a cafe, draw the man on the next table. If you see a lovely bottle, or if you think of a poem, put that in there as well. Just start developing a relationship with yourself.”
Tim’s passion for drawing – and his belief that it’s the key to personal and creative growth – inspired his decision to leave a gift in his Will to UNSW.
“I just don’t want the prize to stop,” he says. “It’s got nothing to do with my ego or being remembered. I just want students to keep drawing.”
Tim’s pledge is also tied to his fondness for his student days, and bolstered by his deep respect for David Gonski AC, Chancellor of UNSW. It was David, says Tim, who inspired him to reflect on his role as a leader, using the gallery and his own rich personal history to advance art in Australia.
“Art gives us a better understanding of ourselves, our civilisation. Art gives us hope,” says Tim. “That’s why art is important.”
You, too, can uplift future generations by including UNSW in your Will. For more information, contact Janet Hall at giftsinwills@unsw.edu.au or +61 478 492 032.
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