Ararat Gallery TAMA has been awarded a dollar-for-dollar matching grant through Creative Australia, boosting the Gallery's fundraising campaign ahead of national giving day AusArt Day on Thursday 22 October 2026.
Funds raised through the Gallery's AusArt Day campaign will go directly toward new artwork acquisitions for the TAMA Collection. Ararat Gallery TAMA is renowned for its nationally significant collection of textile and fibre art, with artworks regularly exhibited in Ararat and loaned to public galleries around Australia, reaching thousands of visitors each year, from local school groups to interstate tourists.
Acquiring new artworks provides direct financial support to living artists, will help TAMA retain and grow their reputation as custodians of significant work, and builds a legacy collection that future generations of the Ararat community can enjoy. Regional galleries that build strong collections draw more visitors to their region, supporting local cafes, accommodation providers and other small businesses in the process.
AusArt Day is a national initiative that brings artists and arts organisations together to fundraise on a single day, with the aim of increasing the visibility of arts philanthropy and encouraging greater generosity toward the arts across the country.
Creative Australia's dollar-for-dollar funding offer means every donation made during the AusArt Day campaign up to $5000 will be matched, effectively doubling its impact for the gallery.
Mayor Cr Bob Sanders said Council was proud of Ararat Gallery TAMA's success in securing the grant and encouraged the community and local businesses to get behind the campaign on the day.
"This is a great win for our gallery and a great win for the artists whose work will one day hang on its walls," Mayor Sanders said. "Every dollar donated between now and 22 October will be matched, so your support will go twice as far in helping us grow a collection that belongs to the whole community, not just for today, but for the people who'll walk through those doors in fifty years' time.
"I'd encourage everyone, whether you're a longtime supporter of the gallery or you've just discovered it, to get behind this campaign and make a donation. It's a small ask with a big payoff, for our artists, our gallery, and our town."
Ararat Gallery TAMA's AusArt Day campaign is now live, continuing to Thursday 22 October 2026. Donations can be made via the Australian Cultural Fund - https://artists.australianculturalfund.org.au/s/project/a2EMn00000jgVDZ/grow-the-tama-collection - or in person at the Gallery.
The Promotional video can be viewed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7m_YpJ4DSms
