Cultural Gifts Program

The Federal Government’s Cultural Gifts Program encourages Australians to donate items of cultural significance from private collections to public art galleries, museums, libraries and archives. Since its establishment in 1978, over $680 million worth of items have been donated through the Cultural Gifts Program (CGP).

Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery’s permanent collection has been significantly enriched by gifts made through this program. Through the generosity of artists and collectors, MPRG has acquired 175 works of art that align with our Acquisition Policy through the CGP. The MPRG collection reflects two central areas of specialisation; Australian works on paper and works of cultural importance to the Mornington Peninsula region by nationally significant artists.

Some of the artists who have entered our collection through CGP donations include Michael Cook, Euan Macleod, Judy Cassab and Harold Vike.

In making a donation your gift is developing MPRG’s collection, preserving Australia’s cultural heritage for the benefit of present and future generations. Beyond enhancing the cultural significance of our collection, as a donor you will be eligible to the following tax incentives:

• The market value of the gift is fully tax deductible, with some exceptions.
• You can elect to spread the deduction over up to five income years.
• Gifts are exempt from capital gains tax.

Please note, gifts bequeathed under a will or made by executors of deceased estates are not tax deductible and do not qualify for the program. The program is administered in accordance with the gift provisions of the income tax law. For more information on the Cultural Gifts Program please visit www.arts.gov.au/cgp.

If you would like to donate an artwork to MPRG through the Cultural Gifts Program, please contact the Gallery Director or Collections Curator who would be delighted to discuss the work(s) proposed for donation and confirm if they align with our Acquisition Policy. 

Danny Lacy
Gallery Director
danny.lacy@mornpen.vic.gov.au

Narelle Russo
Collections Curator
narelle.russo@mornpen.vic.gov.au

Cultural Gift Donations in Focus

In August 2016, Euan MacLeod spent time at the Mornington Peninsula Shire’s Police Point Artist in Residence in Portsea. MacLeod created a series of small studies directly from the landscape, (6 of which he generously donated to MPRG) and subsequently created 3 larger paintings that were included in our Coast exhibition in 2018.

Highlighting the rich association that can be established and developed between artist, collecting institution and the public, Macleod generously gifted two of these large scale paintings, From Above (Mornington Peninsula) and Cave (Mornington Peninsula).These two paintings present a variety of opportunities for exhibition and discourse relating to contemporary Australian art and the Mornington Peninsula landscape. Most recently the works have been exhibited in MPRG:FIFTY, which celebrated the Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery’s 50th anniversary – highlighting the development and growth of our significant collection.