Ola Cohn Centre for the Arts

Ola Cohn was one of the founding members of the Australian Sculptors Society, which evolved into today's Association of Sculptors of Victoria. Ola's closest association, however, was with the Melbourne Society of Women Painters and Sculptors. Prior to her death the letter below was sent to the members of MSWPS:

Dear Member,

At the extraordinary business meeting held on Thursday 6th August, our president, Ola Cohn A.R.C.A. informed the members present that she has arranged in her will for her property in Gipps St, East Melbourne to be left to the CAE and will be known as "The Ola Cohn Memorial Gallery and Art Centre".

Our Society will have a priority of association and a permanent home to develop its interests in Art without expense at Ola's Home as long as the Society exists. It will provide for a permanent Exhibition of past and present members' work as well as a permanent display of Ola Cohn's sculpture in the large-studio and a memorial room upstairs housing Ola's personal and sentimental effects.

An extensive and progressively advanced library will also be developed and be available to members for investigation and research.

The Centre will be controlled and judiciously developed through an advisory committee comprising: The Director of Adult Education, The Director of Education, and The Director of the National Gallery.

And the President and Secretary of the M.S.W.P.S. for the time being shall be members ex officio.

The Committee feels that this decision on the part of our President will not only provide an attractive rendezvous for artistic contact and collaboration by members, but will relieve the Society of the great responsibility of carrying on the administration of Ola's Home which had formerly been left entirely to the M.S.W.P.S. The Committee also considers that this move will greatly enhance the prestige of the Society and facilitate its development.

Members will certainly be extremely grateful to our President for this really wonderful gesture in the interests of her much loved Society.

Yours sincerely,
Marjorie McChesney Matthews
Hon. Secretary

Ola Cohn Resolution

During April and May of 2002 it appeared that the Centre for Adult Education would sell the Ola Cohn property to finance part of the new CAE building in Degraves Street. However, a public campaign alerted the Minister for Education to the fact that the public and the visual arts community consider that the trust created by Ola Cohn's will and her home are interdependent. One cannot exist without the other.

On the 9th June 2002, the State Government announced that it would supply the CAE with $100,000 to "restore the Ola Cohn centre and ensure its continued use." This is the beginning of a new life for the Ola Cohn Centre for the Arts. The Association of Sculptors of Victoria hopes to see a centre where visual artists, and particularly female visual artists, can find inspiration and mutual support.

We reproduce the Minister's press release here.